Second Hand September!

Almost halfway through my favorite month of the year September, it is a beautiful time of year on Kangaroo Island everything is lush, green and alive! Rainbows on every vista, wildlife galore. The start of spring!! Now September has become way more cool, as we celebrate the act of reusing something previously loved, for a whole month! There is a group here on our little Island getting together once a week to make shopping bags from old clothing. Also found a fabulous article By Harper's Bazaar 'Three ways to go beyond Second Hand September'. I find it highly satisfying having a big fashion brand promote such a thing. Second hand September is a great way to shine a light on a huge environmental and ethical issue worldwide. As landfills fill up with thousands of tons of fabric everyday, alot made from plastic. Every time you wash your fleece clothing parts are washed into waterways, making their way into the streams & oceans. It's time to make a change, if only for the the month of September and small, it all makes a difference.

Personally I have always shopped second hand, influenced by my family and having savy big sisters and late 90's think Kurt Cobain & Courtney Love, rocking 70's old man pants with Converse all Stars or layers of petticoats with Dr Martin boots (que shocked parents). These days are much more refined, often buying my daughter a few things in good nick, especially for kindergarten. I love looking for second hand denim jeans, shoes, coats and dresses, I find it frees up finances to buy the finer things in life, like travel or nice lunch out And don't get me wrong, I love to buy wooly jumpers from the second hand shop, I do still have a collection of vintage knits, but working with Kangaroo Island Wool, I am a bit spoilt of choice these days.

Dinosaur teddy made from sechand merino possum blend jumper.

Worn this jumper travelling for years around

Made for my little Emily 2.5years old

Still rocking it 2.5 years later!

Another inspiration from secondhand September is that I need a major spring clean. It is a great opportunity to have sort out and donate unwanted items of use. A little tip from work experience in the secondhand trade over years, think seasonal. Opportunity shops don't want all your old ski wear heading into summer, instead store it and donate at the beginning of next Winter end of Autumn. Instead, have look through your summer clothing see if you need to declutter and donate for someone else to love!