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Sue Carmichael browses the racks of dresses at her local op shop in Goulburn, New South Wales.
The long-term saver doesn’t have to look at the brands to identify which ones are from “one of those chains.”
She pulled one out to show.
“The rubber is going down and it’s sitting right, but only your eyes can tell,” she says.
The 58-year-old buys almost everything second-hand.
Today, she’s on the hunt for white shoes for a function in Brisbane, but says it’s becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to find those quality items in op shops.
The rise of fast fashion has disrupted the traditional clothing life cycle, with few garments designed with the second or third owner in mind.
According to TAFE NSW Laura Washington, head teacher of the Fashion Design Studio, fast fashion is the opposite of vintage clothing worn by designers.
“The life of these clothes is greatly reduced – things like the grain[of the fabric]fall out of alignment after one or two washes, the clothes fall apart easily, because of the construction and sometimes poor workmanship or quick processing,” she said.
But amid reports that the golden age of thrift is over, longtime op shoppers say there are still treasures to be found if they’re prepared to skip the fast fashion on the shelves.
Ms. Washington describes herself as an avid thrift shopper and encourages her students to bring in second-hand clothes to repurpose.
“I can still find those little treasures,” she says.
Desire for change
An Australian Fashion Council (AFC) report released this week found that Australians buy 14.8kg of clothing each year, or 56 new items, at an average cost of $6.50 each.
Most of it ends up in the landfill – 10 kg worth is thrown away per person every year.
AFC report author Peter Allen told ABC Radio’s Sydney Drive program that clothes bought have doubled in 25 years but the public is demanding change.
“Consumers are now driving that in a different direction and saying, ‘We want something more durable’ — something that’s a bit more timeless in its style and trying to extend the lifespan of our clothes,” he said.
The industry has responded by developing a national apparel production coordination program to find ways to reduce textile waste.
That’s good news for buyers in the long run.
Salvos store customer experience manager Ife O’Loughlin says coping with the scale of fast fashion is a big challenge, but she believes the Australian industry and consumers are changing their habits.
After having this conversation many times over the past five years, she says she is seeing a change.
“[There’s] That priority and that focus is what we do in Australia, how we move the industry, how we make changes and how we involve charity retailers to keep products moving for as long as possible,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ms O’Loughlin says there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to donating fast fashion.
“It comes down to the condition of the item and whether or not it will sell in the local community,” she said.
The joy of hunting
Growing up in Avalon on Sydney’s northern shores, Alex van Os didn’t want to wear what everyone else was wearing.
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She prefers to traipse through op shops.
“I had a strong personal style at a very young age, even in elementary school, and I think op shops allowed me to experiment,” she says.
Now, Ms. Van Os, a sustainable stylist, says the amount of fast fashion on the shelves has lost some of its excitement.
“When you go into op shops, the shelves are full, which is great, but you have to check in a very quick fashion,” she says.
She has become a strong advocate for shopping from charity-run op shops.
“Even if I only get one item before I get three or five items, I know that my money will help someone else and stop clothes from going to landfill, which is very important to me,” she says. .
Digital shopping platforms have also transformed the second-hand clothing market, with high-quality items being sold online.
Salvos Stores is among the charities that operate online shops to sell select brands and sought-after vintage pieces.
But for loyal Op Shop customers, nothing beats the thrill of finding a treasure in person.
“The Op Shop is a place where you can clear your mind, because it’s a different kind of buzz in the store — it’s not about running around and selling, selling, selling,” Ms. Carmichael said.
“There are people with stories.
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