Led by Oxfam, Second Hand September encourages people to avoid buying new clothes for a month and instead embrace second-hand fashion.
What young people, schools & community centres can do
Clothing swap events
Charity fashion shows or styling competitions
Upcycling workshops (redesign old clothes)
“No new clothes” challenges for students and staff
Education on fast fashion impacts
Upcycle some old clothes using buttons, felt, fabric markers
Fashion footprint quiz – create a quiz about clothing production, waste, recycling and sustainability
Before-and-after upcycling challenge – photograph an old item before and after it has been transformed.
Sock puppet activity – use old or odd socks to create characters and put on a short puppet show.
Design your own charity shop – teams create a shop name, logo, branding, window display, pricing system and sustainable message.
Best charity-shop find competition – challenge participants to find or bring in the most unusual, useful or interesting second-hand item.
Repair café – Teach basic sewing, patching and repairing skills.
Fast fashion debate – “Is buying new always better?”
Fashion footprint quiz – Explore where clothes come from and what happens when we throw them away.
Whole-school / organisational approaches
Uniform reuse and donation systems
Policy encouraging sustainable dress-up days
Link textiles education to sustainability curriculum
Partner with local charity shops
Promote ethical purchasing policies for uniforms/events
Social media ideas
Thrift haul videos
“Outfit reworn 3 ways” challenges
Before/after upcycling transformations
Hashtags:
#SecondHandSeptember #SustainableFashion #WearItAgain #ThriftCulture #BeyondAllyship