Looking to leave “fast fashion” behind? You’ve got good reason to do so. Relatively inexpensive, rapidly produced clothing is often worn just a few times before meeting its demise in a landfill.

Brand new is old school.

Visit Princeton’s three consignment stores: Greene Street, Nearly New Shop, and Princeton Consignment for a sweet deal. 

Check with friends. Borrow an outfit for a special occasion or have your child try on someone’s hand-me-downs. Internet resale retailers are also popping up everywhere. Start by exploring Kidizen.com, Mercari.com, Poshmark.com, or thredUP.com.

Why buy, when you can rent?

There’s a growing rental market for clothing, bags, and jewelry, and other accessories. This includes designer pieces, materinity wear, and special occasions dresses. Start your search at Nuuly, Rent the Runway, Le Tote, and Armoire.

Shop durable.

When you shop for clothing, don’t buy for one event — be sure you like it enough to wear it again and again. Misaligned pockets, weak stitches, or fabric you can see through suggest poor construction. Clothing made of quality fabrics like Pima cotton or a cotton blend might be more expensive in the short term, but last longer.

Support brands participating in the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the Make Fashion Circular drive, or any of the growing number of organizations striving to help retailers offer more durable products.

Go antiquing.

Built to last, antiques tell a story. Shop for furniture and home goods at One of a Kind Consignment or Skillman Furniture in Princeton. Review local papers, craigslist, and social media for yard and estate sales. Nearby towns of Hopewell and Lambertville also offer many antique and flea market options. 

• Waste not, want not. Americans generate about 11 million tons pounds of textile waste every year, most of which goes to the landfill.
• Think before you trash. Textiles have one of the poorest recycling rates. Only about 15% currently avoids the landfill.
• Fast fashion isn’t money well spent. One study found that cheaply-made clothes typically provide fewer than 10 wearings.