Buying pre-loved is so very on trend. All things vintage set the scene, especially when designer vintage clothing grew so fashionable. And there’s a clear step change in shopping ethics, too, with a mindset shift favouring everything sustainable. In the words of fashionista Vivienne Westwood, “Buy less. Choose well. Make it last!” – a strong mantra applicable to so many aspects of life, the current stockpiling of loo roll no exception…
But this trend isn’t new news, is it? For decades we have bought second hand… cars, furniture, antiques, collectibles and, of course, clothing. I remember only too well when I used to save the date for a local Church Hall jumble sale. A true treasure trove of goodies just waiting to be unearthed. I delighted in spending my hard earned pocket money on anything that caught my eye. Each trinket sprinkled with a magical history all of its own.
Yet something changed. As a society we grew more materialistic and pre-loved stuff lost its sheen. We wanted more. We wanted ‘newer’. And the shinier the better! What emerged was a culture of “we have what you have, only better!” A silent snobbery comparing wares with neighbours, friends, colleagues. Shallow, some might say. Did owning these material possessions make us more desirable in the friendship stakes? Did they make us more worthy of respect?
But now for the good news: we are reverting to our old ways. At times like these, the tides are truly turning and there is a resurgence to clamour back to a more simple life. The ‘less is so much more’ attitude. The ‘conscious decluttering’ of the unnecessary stuff in our lives.
I’m incredibly proud to form a part of that revolution. Proud to be amongst the masses of you finding new homes for old items. Proud to be spreading the word that we need to think about what happens to our once prized possessions when we no longer have use for them ourselves. And proud to be breathing new life into old treasures, especially those we lovingly used to ferry around our own little treasures!
