This way, Oxfam invites everyone to discover vintage and second hand clothing. Fast Fashion creates micro tendencies that oversaturate shops and that become fast generalized in the population. By buying second hand and vintage, each piece of clothing you find is almost unique. Besides, the stereotype of this kind of shop as expensive is only that, a stereotype. There are multiple charity shops, including Oxfam ones, that are the best place to start the clothing treasure hunt! Moreover, these kinds of shops normally also accept clothes donations, promoting a more circular way of economy.

The fashion Industry has reached absurdity during the last few years. The quality of the garments has declined to the point that garments look faded after a few washes, shapeless and worn out. Besides, the trends are changing faster than ever, what used to be four collections a year, became a new collection every few weeks in the fast fashion stores. This mass production of cheap and disposable clothing is not only harming the planet and the animals, but it is affecting the livelihoods of millions around the world.

So, by recirculating our clothes – buying, wearing and donating second hand – we can help to reduce the demand for new clothes. And this could in turn help to reduce the damage to our planet. By shopping with Oxfam, you’re investing in vital work to beat poverty – standing with communities worldwide as they fight the climate crisis and speak out against the global inequalities that push people deeper into poverty.

There are other multiple second hand items that we can integrate in our lives. If you like to read, you can check in second hand bookstores. Another good idea is buying second hand furniture, it is possible to find them in whatever your personal taste is. The topic of second hand also brings techniques to reuse our clothes, by upcycling you can fix a whole in your jeans by embroidering or patching it. It opens a door to creativity while you help the planet!

In Gent Fair Trade we worked together for the promotion of second hand initiatives. We created the Gent Fair Trade's Vintage and Second Hand Walk. 2 years ago, we also collaborated with a group of youngsters to create a vintage and second hand catwalk. Besides, during our biannual Fair Fashion Fest we organized a clothes swap for our visitors, which resulted in a big success. We also styled our looks and talked about it in our magazine Slow Fashion Forward. In the 2020s edition you can find a complete article about FANN, a beautiful second hand shop in Burgstraat.