I don’t know if this topic is appropriate for this community but there is a lot of waste generated with the clothing industry so I hope it fits.
The only resource I know of to find ethically sourced clothes is https://goodonyou.eco/. However, those can be pretty expensive so lately, I’ve been looking for more alternatives that are more affordable. What do you guys think of Salvation Army, Goodwill, Thrift stores? I’ve been hesitant on going there because I fear not having a good selection of clothes. If you guys have any experiences with these that would be amazing
Thrift stores are probably the most ethical because it’s all donated and second hand. It’s already been created, bought, and worn before you see it.
The selection isn’t bad at all. Just go look.
What about the ethics of getting things for free, then selling those things for profit, even price gouging the items like good will? Shouldn’t the clothing be free in an ethical world? Just spitballing ideas for a brighter tomorrow.
I don’t know if the clothing should be ‘free’ from these places because they do still process the donations, and I don’t even mind them putting higher prices on items they’ve identified as being worth more… What they shouldn’t be doing is underpaying their employees while corporate leadership is making millions.
I’ve always thought second hand/thrift stores were great for picking up stuff cheap. The trick (at least in my area) is to hit up the ones in the nicer areas of town, the selection is usually better and it hasn’t been picked through as much.
Edit: Just to add, the day of the week, and even season matters. Some places tend to put out new stuff at certain times, some just toss stuff on the shelves as they get it. So sometimes you can go one day and make out like a bandit, other days there’s squat. You just have to visit a place a few times before you get a feel how they do things. Also mornings are usually better than afternoons.
Also garage sales. Same basic idea applies, the garage sales in the nicer areas usually have nicer stuff. The earlier you can hit them up the better selection you’ll find, but you can often get better deals near the end of the day when they just want to get rid of something. (I bought 2 decent dressers, 2 shelving units, and a small desk for $40 last summer just because the guy didn’t want to have to drag it all back into his house.)
This is ridiculously hard, I have spent hours searching. Much of what you can find is either greenwashed, or doesn’t touch social issues like sourcing.
In the end, (beyond thrifting, as noted), the most success I’ve found is with small-time social enterprises and/or B-Corps, and through them i found out which (if any) certifying bodies exist who audit transparency were around and not just a bought certificate.
I was looking local to Australia and found the Social Traders, but the global body is SEWF and WTFO who can point you in a good direction for your locality.
Having said that, I’m at the point where I’m just considering finding ethical fabric, because I’m both too picky and have unusual adaptive requirements to accommodate.
Something that goes underrated is making your own clothes and just having to worry about sourcing fabrics. The fit is unmatched, but I’ll admit there’s some upfront cost in both tools and time investment to get competent at the skill.
Thrift can be good but most of the clothes are ugly, hard to find something good. Vintage can be good but prices will be higher.
