I think theoretically everyone knows buying vintage is more eco-friendly than buying new things, but if someone asked us “why buy vintage?”, we might not know how to articulate it that well. I thought I’d gather some facts to shine a light and add some data to complete the rationale and make this topic more easily digestible ✨

Vintage is better for the planet.

Did you know that the fashion industry is the second highest polluter industry, only behind aviation? Or that it contributes approximately 2.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to 8-10% of all global greenhouse gas emissions? To put it in relative terms, this is approximately the same amount of annual emissions of France, Germany and the United Kingdom combined. Their damage isn’t limited to greenhouse gas emissions either - the fashion industry also consumes excessive amounts of water (79 trillion litres per year), is responsible for ~20% of industrial water pollution from textile treatment and dyeing, contributes ˜35% (190,000 tonnes per year) of oceanic primary microplastic pollution and produces vast quantities of textile waste (>92 million tonnes per year), much of which ends up in landfill or is burnt, including unsold products. As consumers, the best thing we can do for the environment is to not buy anything new, make use of what we already own and take care of it to ensure we can continue wearing it for a long time - the only way the fast fashion industry will slow down is if we stop backing them up with our hard earned money. The second best thing is buying vintage or at least second-hand, as that ensures you’re reusing/recycling materials that had already been produced and saving them from the landfill. The third best option is to buy from small businesses that you know follow sustainable practices, for example: Making things to order instead of producing a tonne and then having to throw it out to make room for their next collection; using eco-friendly packaging; making up for their carbon footprint by enrolling in a program like Ecologi. If you want to shop from a big company, make sure to look for certifications like being a B Corporation - the price to obtain such certifications is prohibitive for many small business, but it’s nothing for big companies and it’s a great way to ensure they’re not just greenwashing, but have actually had their sustainable practices audited by a third party.

PS: Luneta is a small business that uses vintage beads and tries really hard to be as sustainable as possible, but we’re always learning and trying to find new ways to improve! ✨

Vintage things were made to last longer.

Those who have never purchased a Primark top that fell apart after two washes to cast the first stone. Or, have you noticed that your iPhones mysteriously performs worse whenever a new iPhone comes out? It seems like most things we buy nowadays are made to be thrown out as soon as possible, so you feel like you need to buy new ones faster than before, right? This is something called Planned Obsolescence - it’s definitely not a new concept, it was first mentioned in the 1930s as a tactic to make the economy bounce back from the 1929 crash by suggesting that if things go obsolete faster, people will purchase more often and faster, thus encouraging the economy to heal itself. The concept became popular in the 1960s when cultural critic Vance Packard published a book called Waste Makers, defining planned obsolescence as "the systematic attempt of business to make us wasteful, debt-ridden, permanently discontented individuals". Sounds familiar to me, lol. Fast fashion relies a lot on trends to make sure you’re permanently unhappy with what you own and need to buy more, because it’s a new season, or because baggy pants aren’t in anymore, or whatever. What’s more, fast fashion wants to cheapen the cost of production as much as possible, so it’s a lot harder to keep things in good condition for longer because they weren’t that well-made to begin with anyway…

Vintage allows you to add more playfulness to your life.

Much like reading a good book, travelling somewhere exciting or watching a captivating movie, wearing vintage can add a whimsiness to your everyday life that a Zara top will hardly help you recreate. You can exude a whole new character, dive into a different era, learn more about the days of yore, pretend to be someone else… And there’s nothing more fun than mixing and matching different decades and styles of vintage into a whole new look!

Vintage gives you more chances to take ownership of your style and make your own trends.

Do you really want to dress like everyone else and meet people in the street wearing the same clothes you’re wearing?? Boo!! There’s nothing better than being stopped on the street by a friendly pal inquiring “omg, your x is so cute!! where did you get it?” and replying with a “sorry, it’s vintage” 💅 The 4th grader in your will never be more fulfilled. I guess it’s part of human nature to want to fit in and look like everyone else, but it’s so much more fun doing your own thing! And who knows, someone needs to do something first for it to become a trend - maybe you’re such a visionnaire that you’ll create trends insted of following them 🌈

Sources & Interesting Reads:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340635670_The_environmental_price_of_fast_fashion

https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/retail/our%20insights/fashion%20on%20climate/fashion-on-climate-full-report.pdf

https://www.fashionrevolution.org/climatecrisis/

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