Shopping
A Guide to Sustainable Shopping in Perth City
16 Sep '205 min read
Did you know it takes around 2,700 liters of water to make something even as simple as a new cotton t-shirt?
Vinnies retro
To shop ‘sustainably’ in the true sense of the word, is to aim to purchase as much as possible second hand, but often theory versus reality is a completely different thing. Op shopping at Salvo’s or Vinnies requires quite a lot of time and commitment to rummage through the racks to find that one thing you came for. So if you don’t have the time or the eye, curated vintage shopping is a great solution that can save a lot of time.
Here’s our ultimate guide to sustainable shopping in Perth City:
Northbridge
William Street
This strip of Northbridge really is the place for curated vintage shopping. A stalwart of the scene, Vinnies Retro is a special edition of the regular Vinnies second hand chain featuring the coolest of cool retro gear. Then there’s Fi & Co, a combination of vintage clothing and new local designs with a focus on staying relevant to trends. There’s also Ruck Rover who pride themselves on stocking a great selection of fair trade and ethical fashion. Grab a coffee and wander the strip while searching for classics like a cord or denim jacket and maybe even that perfect 50’s summer floral dress.
Cold Wave Store
King Street
Cold Wave Store on King St is a bit reminiscent of some of the stores you’d find shopping for vintage in Harijuku, Tokyo with with their carefully curated upmarket vintage collection. Anyone who’s a sucker for a vintage Harley Davidson or pre 2000’s band t-shirt will delight in finding a selection of them. And if you are a sneaker fan keep an eye out for the Yeezy’s when they pop up. Oh and while this year’s Olympics was postponed, there’s plenty of stock of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics tee’s.
DADA RECORDS Dada Records
36 Pier Street
Pick up some cool tunes to match your hip new (to you) threads at Dada Records, the city’s longest standing independent record store, which hails back to 1977. Vintage finds abound, go on an get rummaging you’ll have a blast.
Elizabeth’s Bookshops
Hay Street
Now that you have fed your soul with sustainable shopping, why not finish off by feeding your mind with some sustainable pre-loved books. Step back in time at Perth city’s oldest bookshop, Elizabeth’s Bookshop. Don’t miss the special room filled with vintage children’s books at the back!
FI & Co Patagonia
Various
While Perth city oesn’t have a Patagonia flagship yet, you can find a wide selection at Lo Fi and Paddy Pallin. A brand that originated from a love of climbing, adventure sports and the outdoors, the founder of Patagonia Yvonne Chouinard values sustainability above all. Their Instagram biography reads “we’re in business to save our home planet,” and to do this, Patagonia take several measures and they are the first brand to offer a free repair service, which they call ‘Worn Wear’. As a part of their service, they will repair any branded Patagonia clothing free of charge (no matter how old and disheveled), to encourage people to shop less and appreciate what they already have.
Lululemon
Forrest Chase
While shopping brand new will never be the entirely sustainable option, sometimes we simply can’t find what we need at a second hand shop and so when that happens, the next best thing to do is find a brand that is working to improve their Carbon footprint. Since 2011, Lululemon assess their footprint annually, to make sure they’re aware of the areas where they needed to reduce their impact the most.
- 16 Sep '20
