second-hand clothes, a recipe that is anything but worn out
“Reusing, giving a second life to an object, we see that…
“Reusing, giving a second life to an object, we see that people are returning to these values”, develops Jacqueline Gaborit. According to her, buying second-hand clothes isn’t necessarily a matter of budget constraints. “We see women from all walks of life, in groups, they are not necessarily people in need,” adds Carine, her daughter, 36. There have been a lot more 15-16 year old teenage girls in the last few years, it’s crazy! »
“Single Sided”
It’s not Emma, 24, who says otherwise. For six months the young girl has been supervising such shops. For several reasons: “The prices, which are more attractive, and the unique side of the clothes that we find because they are not the same as in supermarkets. There is also the ecological side of the approach. »
From the Carré Vintage Shop, opened in early December near the central market of La Rochelle, she started with a duvet. “We had a very warm welcome because there weren’t many second-hand shops in La Rochelle,” says the owner, Honorine Roy. To take advantage of the great momentum around second-hand clothing, she had already opened a shop in the city a year and a half ago, Héritage.
Emma, here at the Carré Vintage Shop in La Rochelle, has been going to thrift shops for about six months. For the prices, the ecology and the unique side of the clothes.
Jean-Christophe Sounalet/ “Southwest”
More men
To meet the demand, Carine Gaborit changes departments twice a year. From February to the end of March, the Saintaise registers deposits for spring-summer and from October to November for autumn-winter. “We evolve according to requests,” adds the 30-year-old. And they change. Increasingly, the two managers meet men in the clothing department.
If Christophe is simply there to accompany his wife, he still validates the concept: “When you see the number of things thrown into the dumpster… It’s nice to see more and more areas of reuse. His wife Martine – they are young grandparents – browses the clothes for the children. “It’s true that it’s interesting for the little ones to buy second-hand, they grow up so fast,” acknowledges Saintaise. And her reintegration process was accentuated with the birth of her two granddaughters, now aged 2 and a half and 9 years old.
“Young people come back because they are interested in products from the 90s and 2000s. Today I choose to sell things that I would not have selected two or three years ago,” explains Ludovic, of the Toto Saps consignment shop in La Rochelle.
Jean-Christophe Sounalet/ “Southwest”
I don’t like fashion, I prefer to be a little extravagant
Over the years, with a growing craze for secondhand clothing, Carine Gaborit has registered deposits of more exclusive brands. In addition to those deposited by individuals (price fixed with the consignment deposit, which is remunerated up to 30%), it is occasionally replenished from empty houses. Once the selection has been made – at home you will not find leather or fur, out of pure “conviction” – the young woman chooses the clothes and accessories that her customers might like. “I follow current trends a lot. »
At the Gaborit consignment shop in Saintes, the clothes on the shelves change twice a year.
EL / “South West”
In La Rochelle, in his expedition located in rue Gambetta, Ludovic does the same. And he too noticed that the young people were returning in strength. “They come back because they are interested in products from the 90s and 2000s, and less in what supermarkets offer. Today I choose to sell things that I would not have selected two or three years ago. »
Among his customers, however, there are also regulars. “I’ve been buying my clothes in this type of store since I was 18,” says Patricia, 58. I’ve always done it that way. I don’t like fashion, I prefer to be a little nonconformist. I very rarely buy new, I find my account more in thrift stores. “For sure, at the end of January, he will go for a ride to the ephemeral second-hand shop (read elsewhere) which will be established in Périgny, for a business weekend.
