How to Get Better at Thrift Shopping

交易有一些技巧。

"Shop second-hand" is a message often touted by eco-minded individuals, myself included. "It's good for the planet! It's good for your wallet!" we say, which is all good advice, but usually that's where it ends. For someone unaccustomed to thrift shopping, it can be daunting to go from new or fast fashion shopping to vintage. The former offers seasonal trends and curated looks, while the latter seems like a hodgepodge of random pieces, vast and confusing.

Fortunately, some professional guidance for navigating thrift stores is at hand.这latest episode of the 'Slow Your Home' podcastfeatures an interview with Emily Stochl, a veteran thrifter and host of the 'Pre-Loved Podcast,' a show that's all about shopping second-hand. Host Brooke talks to Emily about why she thinks second-hand is so important, and Emily says it comes down to embracing a slower, more ethical form of fashion, one that forces you to be more intentional about what you buy:

“我做出了这一承诺，我只想购买已经在消费世界中的东西，而不是让新事物变成新的东西，这样我就可以减少自己的影响力并减少我所能做的危害。”

艾米丽（Emily）为可能是二手购物新手，想完善其方法或有减慢消费率的渴望的人们提供了一些具体的技巧。

– Know what you need so that you don't get swayed by what you want.她在手机上保留了她在衣柜中需要的作品清单，并在购物时将其用作指南。

– Know what you like.Without mannequins and trends to guide you, it's important to have a sense of personal style. Emily saves pictures she likes to a private collection in Instagram, which helps to keep her on track.

– Know your measurements.Knowing your bust, waist, leg, and hip measurements offhand help you to shop more efficiently.

– Look for high quality pieces.Sift through the heaps of fast fashion clothes to find the treasures. These are identifiable by construction, fabric and materials, brands, fit and feel, etc. Check for holes and stains, and make sure seams are solid.

– Look for natural fabrics.Natural fabrics are easier to repair, age well, and do not release plastic microfibres into the water like synthetics do.

– Get a professional tailor.Forging a relationship with someone in your community who can help to spruce up second-hand treasures is a worthwhile investment.

艾米丽（Emily）的技巧是我们所有人的完美建议，这是对快速时尚疯狂的解毒剂，它占领了主要的街道，购物中心和社交媒体供给世界各地。我们都明智地放慢脚步，考虑我们的时尚价值观，并在二手环境中追求这些价值。正如艾米丽（Emily）所说，许多人觉得他们缺乏对世界上事情发展的控制权，但是他们的一件事能够control is what they buy. Thrifting can be your way of saying you care about conserving resources, saving money, and respecting people's work.

Many more great points to be heard in the interview – you can listen这里。