Buy Secondhand

From what I’ve read, fast fashion is hurting our planet. The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter globally, following closely behind the oil industry. That is the reason for promoting buying secondhand products.

I like to explore flea markets, where I can find interesting or rare things. Last summer, I hung over at a garage sale at a parking lot in Kanazawa-Hakkei. There were a lot of things lined up on sheets or tables: clothing, bags, accessories, shoes, cups, saucers, vases, toys, you name it. Among them, I found a cute basket made of special paper. It looked like a vine basket (藤製の篭), but it was woven with using special paper rope which contained oil so that is was waterproof. It was not too large and not too small, but just the right size for me. The most attractive point of the basket was its color. Basically it was light brown, but had three wine-red lines and a white and a dark-green line placed around it. So I bought it. The seller said that it was a handmade product. I was just wondering who had been using this pretty basket, which I used almost every day last summer. Now it is in my closet waiting for next summer.

As for clothing, however, I am not a fan of secondhand shopping. Usually, I don’t find any items that draw my attention. Most of them are far from my taste. The author says in the book the idea that secondhand stores only carry outdated fashions is wrong, but I wouldn’t say that. Having said that, I agree that fast fashion has been contributing to massive amounts of waste and destruction of our environment. I recall when I bought a dress or coat in my 20s or 30s, I considered if it would be wearable in 10 years or so. That means I preferred a standard fashion to the latest trend, and did not like fast fashion. As a result, I still wear a 40 year old coat or a suit made 30 years ago. I might contribute somewhat to reduce the burden on our environment.