Sustainable Shopping: Not Just Another Gen Z Trend

If you’re looking for sustainable, slow and ethical fashion options, Leeds has a wealth of places to choose from. Whether you’re after curated vintage or around 70 charity shops, there’s no shortage of second-hand choices. 

The opening of vintage fashion shop Glass Onion in Trinity Leeds’ this year became the first eco-friendly fashion option within the shopping centre, showing how the vintage market is now an essential part of the shopping experience. Research by BlackTulip has placed Leeds within the top ten UK cities for sustainable shopping, with other popular university cities like Manchester, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle also on the list. With the growth of the sustainability economy primarily fuelled by Gen Z and Millennial shoppers, is sustainability the new ‘cool’ for young people? 

Headingley’s strip of charity shops are a staple for student shoppers, as well as vintage shops like North South Vintage in Headingley, offering students the chance to find unique, one of a kind pieces. The effects can certainly be seen across campus, with a consistent display of vintage, baggy styles giving the university a reputation for what has been dubbed “rah” fashion. The very nature of this label has led some to suggest this ‘vintage’ style is simply another micro-trend in itself. 

Yet, the growth of the sustainable fashion economy is certainly here to stay. Whilst growth is most prominent among young people, it’s not just for students or a new microtrend. Popular online second-hand retailer Vinted saw revenue growth of 61% in 2023 compared to 2020. Overall figures by GlobalData have similarly shown the growth of the sector, with the clothes resale market in the UK forecast to grow a further 68% between 2022 and 2026, following a growth of 149% between 2016 and 2022. 

Buying second-hand is certainly the best way to buy clothes in comparison to fast-fashion, but also in comparison to brands that label themselves as ‘sustainable’. There has been a wealth of recent discourse on companies who use ‘sustainability’ as a part of a trendy marketing strategy, a strategy that can be defined as ‘green-washing’. This has led the very term ‘sustainability’ to be criticised as an overused and unregulated buzz word.

Subject to constant greenwashing, people are becoming overwhelmed and confused on how to shop sustainably. The solution is to redefine what ‘sustainable’ means in terms of our fashion choices, starting with what’s already hanging in your wardrobe. 

The most sustainable fashion choice is to stick to what you already own, rewearing and restyling to get as much life out of your clothes as possible. However, I would argue the idea of giving up on the excitement of new clothing is somewhat unrealistic. Learning to sew can act as a solution, and it’s not as hard as you might think. 

After learning to sew in the 2020 lockdown on a £20 sewing machine from the charity shop, I came to believe if everyone learned to sew we would be one step closer to solving the fast fashion crisis. Whether it’s fixing and repurposing clothes you no longer wear, having more choice in the charity shops with the ability to alter and rework items, or making whole items from scratch, learning to sew is most definitely one of the most useful skills out there. It also gave me a new appreciation of clothes and the time and skill required to make them, giving me an added awareness of the ethical issues surrounding the fast fashion industry. 

Aside from the fact you’ll be destined to alter and repair family and friends clothes for life, there are really no downsides to learning. Also, there’s definitely no better feeling than telling someone you made your top yourself.

I learnt from TikTok and Youtube tutorials, but if you want some professional guidance there’s multiple resources available in Leeds, with Bowery on Otley Road offering sewing classes as well as Meanwood Community Centre. 

Ultimately, It’s key to remember the main aim should be to decrease fast fashion sales and it’s not essential to purchase perfectly all the time but simply to be conscious of our choices. It might be the new ‘cool’ for ‘trendy’ young people, but that doesn’t mean it’s anything to look down on. 

Words by Sadie Kendall

Cover Image Credit: LivingNorth