The Conscious Cheapskate’s Buyer’s Guide
Lacy Landre has a few fashionable suggestions to support the angel on your shoulder and your local economy.
I am a cheapskate. So naturally, I went into the business of selling vintage clothes. Why? Because they’re made well and I’m happy to give them a new life. People who think it’s gross to wear 60-year-old garments or used clothes in general are delusional, ravenous killers. But it’s not entirely their fault.
Bulldozer in a landfill.
The purpose of wearing things is to stay warm, for protection, or for churchgoers, modesty. Most clothes today are not made to make you look good; they’re made to take your money. Although I understand and appreciate fashion, I don’t agree with the blatant commercialism that controls it. Today’s “quantity over quality” business model is not practical or sustainable.
The life cycle of a t-shirt: A company finds an overseas production source with cheap labor, and often, poor work conditions. The fabric has been cleaned with chemicals that sometimes get dumped into their soil and water supply. They ship the shirt back, a frat boy wears it twice, donates it, and it’s sent to a different poor country to rest in a landfill.
So, who is to blame for the insane amount of waste? Evil corporations? Their brilliant marketing teams? Textile manufacturers that produce synthetic fabrics? Or is it consumers’ fault for being tricked into thinking they need new wardrobes four times a year? Unfortunately, it’s probably that.
I’m not saying people shouldn’t buy new clothing. Socks and underwear and shoes are probably a good idea to buy new. A few suggestions to support the angel on your shoulder and your local economy:
1. Buy higher quality clothes that won’t get worn out or fall apart easily. Independent designers and smaller retailers won’t jack up their prices to ship your t-shirt overseas and back. They’re a little pricier because more time is devoted to assuring each piece is made well, but they’ll last you much longer than any sale item at the mall.
2. So, what do you think you’re going to do with all that blaze orange (er, Tangerine Tango) in a year or so? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Make better purchasing decisions. Keeping several classic, well-fitting, neutral toned pieces around will make dressing yourself a lot less confusing and/or clownish in the long run.
3. Buy used. It’s only gross if you don’t wash what you get. It’s possible to find some high quality pieces at thrift stores that cost hundreds of dollars new. Plan to invest a little extra time sifting through schizophrenic volunteer-stocked racks. Don’t just buy things because they’re cheap or you will eventually end up with your own small landfill.
4. Make friends with a tailor. If you find something you like that’s a little big, it can always be adjusted. Even clothes with ugly prints can look good if they fit properly.
5. If you buy new clothing, look for garments made of natural fibers like cotton, silk, or wool. Your skin will thank you for not smelling like a gym bag and your mind will breathe a bit easier knowing it will eventually break down in a landfill. Unfortunately, synthetic fibers such as vinyl, nylon, and polyester will live forever.
I’ve fooled the snobbiest ladies in Milwaukee into thinking I didn’t get my Armani dress at Goodwill. Tim Gunn told me he loved the outfit I bought from a garbage bag at an estate sale, and Bret McKenzie complimented my $7 cowboy boots. See? Even famous people can’t tell the difference between thrift store clothes and rich people clothes. It’s kind of crazy how they look exactly the same.
For those of you who read books, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture is a palatable resource that’ll make you feel proud to be a penny-pincher. Go get ‘em.
I am a cheapskate too, and cant afford not to be these days so this is a great idea
I get most of my clothing from Goodwill and other resale shops. It’s exciting when I find one-of-a-kind treasures that I could never afford new. And when I buy jeans that have already been worn and washed, I can be sure of the fit. I can’t tell you how often I’ve gotten compliments on my second-hand wardrobe pieces.
I used to buy 2nd hand clothing, loved it in fact; however, I can’t anymore because of the fragrance in the washing powders. I use only fragrance free products due to allergies, which developed a few years ago (before that, I used perfumed products just like everyone else) and have made life difficult for me. Buying 2nd hand clothing is something I dearly miss: shirts and oversized jumpers especially! If there was a 2nd hand clothing store that only used fragrance free detergents, that would be lovely… And you are so right about buying new clothes that are only silk, wool or cotton; any other fabrics are a waste of money, resources and chemicals into our eco-systems.
I think I love your blog. I used to shop TAke2 at Vegas for my teenage girls and for myself back in the early 90s; went back last December and the store seems in new hands but does not have the depth it used to.
In Yorubaland in Southwestern Nigeria, I’ve shopped two open air specialty markets where Yoruba hand-woven materials are sold; a bit like the cloths of Indians in South America that can be used as ponchos. These are used by Yoruba for dressing up but I’ve discovered the old old ones from the 30s, 40s up to the 50s are far superior to the modern ones made from MOSTLY synthetic threads. The old ones are woven from cotton, and once dry-cleaned, the interplay of colors really jump at you. emotanafricana.com
Love this! Such great tips and so very true. Plus shopping vintage is a great way to experiment with your style with a minimum cost.
Some of the Day-Glo clothing out now will someday make great safety wear for future cyclists and road workers. But it isn’t one bit attractive and never will be. And still, people buy it…
So true – I’ve been ruminating a lot about this lately – not only buying secondhand clothes as a way to curb the effect of commercialism in my own life, but seeking out higher quality clothes in secondhand stores. I think in the past I’ve fallen into the trap of buying a bunch of fast-fashion clothes from thrift stores and then never wearing them because they fall apart or the trendier pieces get outdated quickly. I’ve learned to buy only what I love and to pay more attention to quality, but sometimes that commercialist beast still gets the better of me… always learning 😉 Great post! (PS, that book is on my to-read list!)
This is a wonderful article discussing some of the the merit of vintage clothing. I’m completely happy with wearing old clothes because I never bump into someone wearing the same thing and I save money.
It’s weird that you have to justify it but, you’re right, some parts of society really does frown upon “used clothing.” I think you’ve done a fine job and might even change a few minds.
I love this article and love a good vintage find.