I have never been a fan of secondhand clothes. You’d think that growing up with two older brothers would entitle me to brand-new dresses, skirts and blouses all the time but no, my parents had other ideas. Instead, many of my clothes came from their friends and relatives who had daughters who were older than me.

I guess it was a great way to save money; after all, kids do grow up fast. After only a few months most new clothes become too small and parents are all too happy to accept good quality hand-me-downs.

In my teenage years, I suffered through many a shoulder-padded dress (it was the 1990s and everyone else was wearing jeans and black T-shirts) and pantsuits (no, these were not in back then either) to humour my mother’s generous friends who had no daughters to pass on their precious clothes to.

Right about now, however, I wish I had kept all those items I hated so much from years ago, because I’ve recently discovered, cliched as it may sound, that old is gold. (Thank goodness I saved the jewellery!)

Just take a walk through shopping malls and clothing bazaars and often, you’ll stumble across stalls selling “pre-loved” aka second-hand items with girls scrambling to get their paws on the goods.

I’ve met many women who usually head straight to the stalls selling second-hand stuff, frequent thrift stores and hold clothes swaps with their friends as a way of saving money, but there are many other reasons to go vintage.

For a cause

Many second-hand stores and stalls are run by charity organisations, and by buying an item from these places, you are lending a helping hand, while doing something you love! Can you think of a better way to give back?

Top notch

For an item to end up in a recycling pile after so many years of use, it has to be of great quality. Back in the day, clothes, shoes and accessories were made with greater care and better quality because presumably, raw material and labour was cheaper. The best thing is, you’ll get awesome items for cheap, knowing that it has been used before and it’ll probably last you a good couple of years as well.

Age of recycling

How many years have you been hearing about the three Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? Surely, by now you realise that re-using something is an “in” thing to do.
If you’re uncomfortable using strangers’ clothes, check out your mother’s, aunt’s, older sister’s wardrobe, or hold a clothes swap among friends. (I did this recently, it’s really fun !)

It’ll help reduce clutter, and you’ll have a bunch of new clothes you didn’t have to pay for. You’ll also get to share stories about where a certain item came from and so on, think about it – you own a piece of history!

Be unique

When you’re wearing something from the early 1970s, you can be pretty sure you won’t be seeing it on another girl at an event.

Even if something is as recent as 10 years old, what are the odds of someone else owning the exact same item? My guess is, pretty low. To get even more unique items, shop online, and from other countries. That will guarantee you one-of-a-kind goods.

Bazaars usually have a stall or two that are selling pre-loved items, but for now, check out the following places/blogshops where you can find some awesome second hand/vintage finds:

• Kitty Owl Vintage http://kittyowl-vintage.blogspot.com/
• The Vintage Socialites http://dressforyesteryear.blogspot.com/
• House of Bundle http://houseofbundle.blogspot.com/ (this site even has quality ratings for the items)
• Campbell Complex (there are several bundle stores in the building)
• Amcorp Mall flea market