Save up to 70% on clothes, furniture, and art while helping the planet

SHREVEPORT, La. ( KTAL/KMSS )—Do you like to buy new clothes, wear them a few times, and then get rid of them? If you do, there’s a way to keep on keeping on and save a lot of money while you’re swimming in a perpetual sea of clothing.

Here’s how.

When you buy secondhand, you’ll spend a tiny fraction of what you would spend on clothing in big-box stores.

But that’s just the beginning of the positive changes that secondhand clothing can make in your life.

The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter in the world, and when you buy used clothing instead of new you’re reducing your carbon footprint by up to 70%. In fact, just making the switch to secondhand clothing makes more of an environmental impact than biking everywhere you go instead of riding a bus or driving your car.

But there’s another unexpected benefit of secondhand clothing. Most clothing we buy is designed and manufactured outside of the local community where we live. But by turning the clothing you’re tired of wearing over to a local secondhand store, such as Rolling Hills, Goodwill, or Uptown Cheapskate, you’re helping to create a local fashion economy. Your secondhand clothes will help people in your community and will reduce carbon emissions on a community-wide level.

The tea on the T

On their website, Uptown Cheapskate in Bossier City shared that it takes 700 gallons of water to make a single cotton T-shirt. But buying just one cotton T secondhand saves 1.48 kg of CO2 emissions, 1.8 m3 of water, and 1.06 m ² of land use. And buying secondhand helps you save a lot of money, too.

There are exceptions to the money-saving rule, however. If you want a vintage Gucci T-shirt, for example, you’re going to need a few hundred dollars. But you’re still saving water, land use, and carbon emissions when you buy a $300 vintage T , so if that’s your thing then have no shame.

But be careful with vintage clothing. It’s a very addictive niche market, and you won’t necessarily save a lot of money by buying vintage—unless you live in an area that does not yet appreciate vintage clothing. If that’s the case, and you live in a region where vintage fashion is seen as just “old clothes,” then you can spend mere pennies for primo threads.

Save 70% on designer purses

How many times have you bought a brand-new purse only to scratch the leather within a few days? Because that’s normal. If you inspect each of the purses in your closet right now, you’ll find that either all or the majority of them have little scratches and/or stains. A little bit of wear on your fashion accessories is completely normal, and if anyone is taking such a hard look at you that they notice tiny imperfections, then you might want to consider adjusting your friend group.

So if you simply must have a Marc Jacobs slung across your shoulder or a Burberry clutch in your hand at that party, then why not do yourself a huge favor and buy slightly-used handbags ?

Nobody is going to know you bought your new satchel secondhand unless you tell them.

Scalding Southern summer dresses

Fashion is great and all, but who cares about what’s in-style or out-of-style when it’s 110 degrees outside and so humid that even gals with straight hair suddenly have ringlets?

Remember the prairie dress style that was “in” a few years ago? Who cares what the fashion industry says–those people don’t live in Louisiana.

When you realize you can buy ten secondhand summer dresses for the price you’d spend on one brand-new dress, and it makes a major difference in your lifestyle during May, June, July, August, September, and the first three weeks of October every year, you’ll be a new woman. Southern women need a closet full of summer dresses for the six months a year that Louisiana throws the worst at us.

Save on clothes, buy home furnishings

With all the money you’re saving on clothing, you will have enough left over to redecorate your entire home with secondhand finds.

Need furniture ? Check out used furniture on Etsy and discover gorgeous furniture at shockingly low prices. You can be selective and buy items that include free shipping, and as if that’s not great enough Etsy even promises to offset the carbon emissions on shipping your items to you!

Do you love artwork ? Then you’ll love the assortment of used art available through Fine Art America.

When it comes down to it, there are few things you might not want to buy secondhand. Take underwear as an example. But dresses? Cars? Couches? You can live a lovely life with secondhand items, and you can lower your environmental impact and stress level while you’re at it.

The economy is rough out there. Most of us are learning that the less you spend, the less you need to earn.

And now we’re beginning to understand that the less we buy new, the better off the planet will be.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.