If we consider that more than 12 million tons of textile waste are destroyed, according to official data, we realize how polluting a certain way of producing and buying clothing is.

One thing is certain: at last more and more people are adopting a new model of approaching clothes, be it vintage or second hand to breathe new life into clothing by rediscovering its quality. The advantages are many and the places where to find second-hand or “pre-loved” garments are numerous and range from local markets to stores that curate and select garments of major brands and with various price ranges, fixed markets, apps for buying and selling. All this without neglecting the fact that in times of crisis, such as the current one, the economic aspect is not secondary and vintage makes available (at any budget) quality garments of 70s-90s brands.

From this point of view, clothes become durable goods, the average life of a garment is raised, and we are no longer disposable consumers. Giving life to a piece of clothing that was no longer worn gratifies us, considering the uniqueness of the garment and how much creativity is an expression of it.

One thing is even more certain: vintage, clothes from brands and trends that have made history, produced over two decades ago and whether new or used, along with second-hand, can spark a circular economy, increase environmental awareness and ultimately create a collective culture in which we learn to value what our closets hold.

There is a term that is now a real trend, upcycling, which translates as creatively recycling an old object that will acquire a new life and function thanks to our manual dexterity, intuition and imaginative ability. Recycling an old scarf is always better than buying a new but cheap one made of poor quality material and destined for a short life.

I like to mention that March 18 each year marks World Recycling Day, a call not only for reflection on environmental sustainability but also a way of understanding recyclable material not as waste but as a resource.