Wear it again

Thrift stores are establishments that offer items which have previously been used by one or more people. With the years, they’ve gain loyal followers and this market has become a fashion revelation of which dawn dates back to the middle of the 20th century. The origin of second-hand stops lies in the desire to transform the fashion industry from the point of view of ecology, anti-capitalism and the heterogeneity of products. Music, art and social movements, including the LGBT liberation fighting, are largely responsible for the creation of the second-hand market. At the end of the 20th century, the Beats –American writers of the fifties, as well as the cultural phenomenon that rejected classical American values supporting the use of drugs, sexual freedom and the study of Eastern philosophy, and hippies, wore donated clothing because it was so much cheaper and because of their contempt for capitalism. In the 1950’s, homosexuals were being persecuted in the United States, in part, because the American Psychiatric Association considered homosexuality a mental illness. In this context, they had to turn to second-hand stores since it was very difficult for them to shop in conventional stores. ‘I Was Lord Kitchener’s Valet’ was a London clothing store that rose to fame in the 1960’s by promoting military uniforms. Singers like Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix made them fashionable. Patti Smith, also habitually wore second-hand clothes in an effort to imitate a masculine style, so that many feminists of the time copied her androgynous look.

Another cause of the rise of this type of business is the growing climate awareness from the side of the consumers, who prefer to avoid buying products that have too much impact on the environment, thus rejecting the processes of the textile industry. The recent trends associated with this type of commitment, such as Zero Waste, are already a hallmark among millions of young people. The economic crisis also plays a role in the so-called vintage store flourishing, as many people who cannot afford to buy new have an alternative that allows them to purchase branded clothing for a lower price. Previously, it was associated with people with little resources, however, today, fortunately, such marketplaces are normalised. More and more people buy these items, for their good price, because they are more original, or exclusive, or merely because they are antiques. In addition, with new technologies, the phone app has made its appearance for the second-hand business to facilitate the purchase process. This has allowed individuals to exchange products with each other without the presence of a third party. The first to succeed was eBay, founded in 1995, which tapped into an untapped market that was estimated to be worth a billion dollars. Currently, Amazon is the preferred support and 52% of eBay users also turn to this company, but not the other way around.

In recent years I have got a good handful of interesting pieces in second-hand shops in cities like Genova, Madrid and London which I am wearing in this very post. Starting with the beautiful, vintage, military jacket in khaki colour with details in red and gold. Underneath, a b&w, knitted vest with a stripy shirt tucked into the black tailored trousers. Matching this, black leather loafers with an impressively bold white cross on. They are so comfortable and I love how smart they look with a unique touch. The accessories are making the colour of the outfit predominating the black and the gold in the sunglasses, handbag and watch.