By Second-hand September: What Is It?
With the end of summer holidays and the wonderful hustle and bustle that accompanied the days before, during, and after “All You Can Wear“, we are now ready to welcome the month that epitomizes second-hand: September.
The so-called “Second-hand September” is a global initiative launched in 2019 on social media, aimed at building a community around an important theme: the reuse of clothing already owned or the choice to make second-hand purchases, thereby avoiding new clothing purchases altogether. The challenge is simple: buy nothing new throughout September.
How Does It Work?
Social media users, through the hashtags #SecondHandSeptember and/or #SecondHandSeptember2022, can share their successes in refraining from introducing new merchandise into circulation via posts, stories, or videos. But that’s not all! It also provides an opportunity to challenge oneself, discuss with others interested in the topic, and observe and take inspiration from others’ solutions.
If you’d like to participate in the “challenge,” here are the rules:
- Do not buy any new clothing for the entire month of September.
- Share sustainable outfits, achievements, solutions, and challenges on social media with the hashtag #SecondHandSeptember.
- For our community: tag us on Instagram, if you’d like, at @dimanoinmanovintage to share outfits, victories, or unnecessary purchases avoided and spark interesting discussions on the topic.
What Does It Mean?
From our perspective, this initiative isn’t about being rigid or judgmental. It represents a specific time of the year when you can feel part of a group striving to do something positive in one of the many areas where we can improve the state of our planet.
Remember, no one is perfect. The feasibility of this challenge depends on various factors such as financial resources, geographical location, age, and more. However, the initiative certainly raises awareness and encourages us to try adopting a more sustainable lifestyle. It’s like a warm-up for, hopefully, a longer-lasting commitment.
We fully support Second-hand September—it’s in our DNA! One of the core principles of the Cooperativa Di Mano In Mano is the concept of recycling, restoring, and reusing, and our clothing section, with its vintage, second-hand, and stock items, is a prime expression of this.
We’re already giving it a go—what about you? We look forward to your ideas and creativity!
For more articles on fashion and sustainability, here are some links:
Enjoy your reading, and see you soon!
