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Had a debate with my roommate about whether vintage is better for the planet than buying new clothes | Fashion Design Ideas - Librear

jamieburns•5mo ago

Had a debate with my roommate about whether vintage is better for the planet than buying new clothes

So my roommate Sarah came home last week with two bags from H&M and I kinda gave her a hard time about it. I said like hey, you know fast fashion is terrible for the environment right? She fired back saying vintage shopping is just as wasteful because you have to drive to different thrift stores and dry clean stuff that's super old. She had a point I hadn't thought of. I mean I spend like $40 on gas some weekends driving around to vintage shops in my area, plus dry cleaning a wool coat from the 80s cost me $25 last time. But then again buying a new polyester dress that's gonna fall apart after three wears feels worse. What do you all think, does the carbon footprint of hunting for vintage cancel out the benefit?

3 comments

3 Comments

stella2793mo ago

Drive to three different vintage stores burning $10 in gas and then dry clean an old wool coat with those nasty chemical solvents? That's probably worse than buying one new cotton shirt from H&M that'll last you a year or two. Plus thrift stores often toss unsold clothes in the trash anyway when they can't move them, so it's not like they're some perfect zero waste system. The energy use for running those vintage shops with their lights and AC is real too. I'd rather buy one well made new piece from a brand that uses recycled materials than spend a whole day driving around for clothes that might still end up in a dumpster.

smith.anna5mo ago

I had this exact conversation with my daughter last month and it really made me stop and think. She pointed out that the gas I burn driving to three different Goodwills and a Salvation Army probably isn't doing the planet any favors either. For me it's more than just the carbon footprint though, vintage clothes are usually better quality and I know they won't end up in a landfill after six months. But I can't deny that the dry cleaning chemicals and all that driving add up in a way that's hard to ignore. It's a tricky balance and I don't think there's a perfect answer for any of us.

beth_sanchez475mo ago

Wait, three different Goodwills in one trip? That's a whole lot of driving just for used clothes.