Is it OK to spend a lot on second-hand clothes?

Buying ethically can be difficult when it comes to certain categories of clothes. Shoes are one of them. Once you get past the 'is leather ethical?' debate, you've got to find a pair you like and then make sure they fit, otherwise there is no point in having them anyway. This is a bit of a problem as a lot of 'ethical' shoe shops are online only, meaning you can't really try them on before you buy (important when you have awkward feet like mine!).

One way to solve the leather debate is to buy plastic-y faux-leather shoes on the highstreet, but then you get the supply chain issues associated with fast fashion. Alternatively, you can invest in good quality, usually leather, shoes that are built to last (and actually worth re-soling a few times). At least this second option is good for the environment, though not particularly vegetarian.

Alternatively, and the most ethical source I can think of, you can get them second-hand. My feet have been getting rather chilly in my ballet pumps here, so winter boots were required. I tried out some of the 'investment-style' shoes in some higher-end high street shops, but by chance stumbled upon these in a Dépôt-Vente on the way home from work. Dépôt-Vente shops are sort of like designer thrift shops, stocking quality second hand, where the seller earns a comission on what they sell on behalf of the original owner. I'm pretty sure I've seen similar things in England!

The only issue is, the items tend to be quite expensive. I paid €70 for these Kickers boots, which are in excellent condition but have got signs of wear. I estimate they'd be about €120 new. In cash-strapped student/intern times, is this acceptable as a price? What value should second hand clothes have?

I'm in two minds about it...

(but look, aren't they beautiful?)

Sadie xxx

Is non-ethical window shopping allowed?

Image Credit: old-photos.blogspot.com

I'm sure I'm not the only one who loves going clothes shopping on a Saturday. The day is just made for shopping; it's the end of the week, and you fancy a treat as some sort of recompense for all the hours you've just spent in an office replying to emails (about products). I'll stop there, as it's beginning to sound like a complete parody of modern life...

Anyway, since deciding to start shopping ethically, I've been in a bit of a dilemma. My flatmate has an interview coming up, and wanted to go shopping for something special to wear to it. As we are neither rich, nor do we have good access to ethical SHOPS here (they're mostly online), this meant visiting some of the finest fast fashion shops on the Parisian highstreet/boulevard. The sort that change their entire stock 12+ times a year, produce tens of thousands of each piece, and appear to be gradually phasing out important quality-indicators like lining.

Whilst the magic of shopping at places like this has worn off slightly, I still love a good old window shop/trying-on session/coo at pretty things. Whilst I do worry that this is all still supporting something I don't agree with, even if just by being tracked by a customer footfall counter on the door, I fundamentally DO still enjoy looking at clothes when I put my other concerns aside.

With this 'you can look, but you can't buy' attitude, I've also started to notice things that I wouldn't normally buy, so in a sense, it's making me more fashion aware. I can't really decide if this is good or bad though!

What does everyone else think about this? I worry that if I start boycotting certain shops I'll start to feel left out of girly shopping trips, but on the other hand I don't like the idea that I'm still supporting the shops themselves.

Sadie xxx