Living sustainably often means reducing, especially in fashion and today’s fast-fashion world. Nevertheless, sometimes you need new clothes. Be it because your style changes, they no longer fit or because your clothes are unraveling.

I try to avoid supporting the excessive water consumption that is driven up by the clothing industry (on a global average, the production of a single pair of jeans alone consumes around 8,000 liters of water). Likewise, it is important for me not to further promote poor working conditions. But sustainable clothing is often expensive. There is a simple solution: second-hand goods.

Now that the Corona rules have been eased, more flea markets are taking place again, where you can find what you’re looking for. In addition, small local stores or websites and apps offer a wide selection and sometimes real gold pieces. Probably the best-known option in Germany is Vinted (formerly Kleiderkreisel/Mamikreisel). Shpock or eBay Classifieds also offer a large selection – and not just for clothing, but also for accessories, furniture and all sorts of other goods. Another option are Facebook groups, where items and clothing packages are often even given away free.