According to YouGov, last year 18 per cent of Australian consumers made a resolution to make more sustainable purchases when shopping for clothes.
This increased focus on sustainability is also reflected in Seamless Australia’s latest research on fashion consumption showing a 12 per cent reduction in new clothing compared to 2018.
Despite this, Aussies are still and buying an average of 53 new clothing items each year – that’s approximately four new pieces of clothing per month, and sending 222,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill each year.
A tangible solution
Op shopping offers a tangible solution to the challenges of disposable fashion, with Ragtrader research revealing that 85 per cent of shoppers have purchased second hand clothing in 2024, helping to align their shopping with their values and sustainability goals – especially Gen Z and Millennials who are looking to save money while prioritising the environment.
With these five fashion trends and expert advice from Deborah Hatley, TAFE NSW Macksville fashion teacher, treasure hunting at op shops can be rewarding and fashion-forward.
1 Working Girl
Head to the men’s department, look for oversized quality blazers with broad shoulders, double breasted, waistcoats all work here. Think shoulder pads and bold collars. Sleeves can be removed to create drama.
Personalise with trims such as the on-trend fringing, hand paint or stencil designs onto clothing using fabric paints, create bling with op shopped diamante brooches. Wear with a bralette or a body suit.
2 Lingerie
An ongoing trend, look for corsets slips with lots of lace as outerwear or to wear peeking through sheer tops or underneath garments. Corsets can be layered over dress or blazer. Add embellishments and add layers of ruffles to a purchased skirt for a unique designer vibe. Op shop white sheets and create a Greek toga style dress by draping and knotting, very on trend for 2025.
3 Flowers
Head over to the fabric remnants section and find light weight fabrics to cut up and make fabric flowers, there’s lots of inspiration online, attach to your op shop purchased dresses, skirts or pants to update them!
Make a creative, bold statement with this look.
4 Surf
This is one for the sports section, buy tight-fitting neoprene to wear as bodysuits or leggings. Cut shapes out, or cut up to make midriff tops with sleeves, shorts, bandeau tops, neoprene doesn’t need to be hemmed so it’s a quick DIY. Use stencils to spray paint designs or paint stripes for extra drama.
5 Denim
Denim is never out of fashion, and the op shops provide a wealth of material. Look for old jeans to cut up and repurpose into tops, skirts, or dresses. Denim is very versatile and can have edges left raw and fraying, which is great if you have minimal sewing skills. You can also patch, bleach, print or even slash the fabric tocreate unique on trend looks.
Certificate III in Apparel
Recent graduate of the Certificate III in Apparel, Fashion and Textile, Natalee Selwood, perfected these techniques during her studies at TAFE NSW Macksville. She now has her own label – Beilby’s Beach Handcrafted – making and selling her spectacular garments where she weaves her passion for reworking, recycling and saving fabrics from landfill with her design expertise.
One final tip from Deb before hitting the op shops, keep an eye out for this year’s trend colours of chocolate brown and citrus-bright shades of green and yellow.
For more information about TAFE NSW Fashion Design courses visit: tafensw.edu.au.
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