I have always been a fan of thrift shopping and in Guildford there are sooooo many charity shops to thrift at. Shopping at thrift stores encourages the re-use of clothing and items that have already been created, decreasing the need for the production of additional items. Finally, by shopping at thrift stores, you’re helping decrease the size of landfills as you are supporting slow fashion instead of fast fashion, lowering the ecological footprint of fashion industry.
It is also a fun activity to do with your friends even if you do not buy anything as going through what people donate to charity shops are so fun. On Guildford high street alone we have 7 charity shops!!! British Heart Foundation, Phyllis Tuckwell Hospices (there are two of them so make sure to check both), Shooting Stars Children Hospices, Cancer Research UK, Oxfam and Phyllis Tuckwell furniture one as well!!! As Surrey is mainly a middle-class area, the items donated to charity shops are likely to be expensive and good quality. In terms of the availability of goods in Guildford charity shops, I would say we have so many options. I have thrifted in many shops in London and I can confidently say the items I find in Guildford are so much better than London ones and the charity shops are more diverse in Guildford with so many options to choose from. I believe thrift shopping is like a game in order to find good stuff you need to go through racks, every section and also go to thrift shopping frequently as there are always new donations! They also divide everything by size so if you are tight on time you do not need to actually go through sizes you know will not fit you which saves you the time. Personally I like going though everything as I find it fun to see what people donate.
Moreover, by thrift shopping you develop a unique style. If you buy from high street fast fashion brands like Primark, Zara, Next, etc., you will most likely run into people wearing the same outfits. Thrift shopping gives you the opportunity to buy unique one of a kind items. Each item you find at the thrift stores tells a story and I think it is beautiful to think that someone else made memories wearing the clothing you intend to buy.
As students, we are usually on a tight budget. When you move in to your university accommodation, you might not have the budget to buy all the basic kitchenware, decorations and appliances. Charity shopping allow you to decorate your living space without spending huge amounts of money. The money you spend also goes to a good cause instead of making the rich even richer!
Last but not least, mass production comes at the cost of human rights violations. Big cooperation usually exploit women, children and poor people by making them work long hours in poor working conditions only to get paid a ridiculous amount of money. There is nothing more ethically than reusing goods. Although it is impossible to break away from fast fashion and consumerism, we can do our best to eliminate our contribution to these industries.
I hope you found this blog useful.
Much love,
Cemsu xxx
