Cheap new clothes or second-hand?

Karlijn Vogel (36), tattoo artist
‘I don’t think reuse makes much sense’

‘My 11-year-old son seems to be growing six feet a year – I’m refusing to buy him some expensive, eco-friendly shirt. Recently I bought loafers for him at Primark, a month later he had a larger size again. I believe that the responsibility for sustainably produced clothing lies with producers, not consumers. For example, make shoes that are adjustable in three sizes, such as with inline skates.

“I did buy a lot of second-hand, also for myself, but that was out of financial necessity and not for sustainability reasons. I noticed from those clothes that everything these days is made for short-term use: it has already been completely washed, while a year earlier, for example, it was still in the Primark collection.

“I’ll make sure I don’t throw anything away. I sell old stuff, give it away or put it in the clothes bin. Subconsciously I may be busy with reuse. I just think it makes little sense. I’m not going to bend over backwards to live a sustainable life, if major polluters don’t either.

“I think people who live climate neutral do so mainly for their own peace of mind. I catch myself doing that too: I have a weakness for the rainforest, so I buy as few products with palm oil as possible. Yes, on my own I won’t make the difference, but then I have a good feeling again.

“At one time, sustainability played a role in what I bought, but at a certain point I got rid of it. That was when America withdrew from the Paris climate accord. Then I thought: together we apparently won’t get anywhere, then I won’t make it on my own either. And then the plastic straws were also banned: those paper straws are still wrapped in plastic and go in a plastic drinking carton! Things like that make me a bit rebellious.”

Laura Brohm (25), student of forest and nature management at Wageningen University
‘Every piece of clothing that doesn’t end up in the desert makes a difference’

’80 percent of the clothes I buy are second-hand. I like going to thrift stores or markets, but a clothes swap is even more fun. I organized that myself with friends just before the summer: I ended up with two new trousers and three new T-shirts. I was able to give away ten items of clothing myself. That’s what I like about it: you give something away and look for something else for it, instead of collecting even more stuff.

“I often buy new shoes or underwear, but only from sustainable brands such as Organic Basics. The brands I wear always recycle or upcycling, where you make something new from an old piece of clothing. And I watch how something is sent. I then look for brands that use sustainable courier companies, for example they only drive twice a week. Because I then have to wait a little longer, I only attach more value to it in the end. Many major fashion brands make great promises about sustainability, which are not true. That’s why I use Project Cece, a search engine for sustainable clothing.

“It’s not even that I buy very few things: I think I have a new piece of clothing once a month. I like fashion. But that isn’t new, so I don’t have to feel guilty about it – because a piece of clothing isn’t worth that. I also think it’s really cool to see what small, sustainable brands come up with. You now also have the option to rent jeans, and there are brands that make clothing from food scraps such as mango or banana peels. And for a few euros you can participate in a pass-on campaign, where a bag with clothing is passed on. When you get that bag, you take out a piece of clothing and put something of yourself in it.

“In addition, you also look more unique with niche brands and second-hand clothing, you don’t all wear the same. I won’t change the world on my own, but I get a lot of pleasure out of it. And every piece of clothing that doesn’t end up in the desert makes a difference in my eyes.”