The Era of Reuse

Full confession – your Earthub Founder is a diehard Swiftie. But what does that have to do with this blog post? The Eras Tour is one of the most sought-after concerts of all time. And the outfits? They're kind of a big deal. Whether it’s The Eras Tour, Halloween, or just everyday fashion, consumers blow through textiles as if there are no consequences of where they’re being made, how they’re made, the emissions involved in production, and where they end up when they’re no longer needed.

Fast fashion has become a major contributor to global textile waste. Every year, millions of tons of clothing are produced cheaply and quickly, often using unsustainable materials and exploitative labour practices. These clothes are made to be worn a few times before they fall apart or go out of style, encouraging consumers to constantly buy more. The result? A massive waste problem. According to estimates, the fashion industry is responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions and produces more than 92 million tons of textile waste annually. A large portion of this waste ends up in landfills, where synthetic fibers can take hundreds of years to decompose. The environmental impact doesn’t stop there; the production process also uses huge amounts of water and energy, contributing to pollution and resource depletion. On top of that, fast fashion is often linked to poor working conditions and inadequate compensation for workers, many of whom are paid far below a living wage. As consumers, we can help shift the needle by embracing more sustainable practices like thrifting, upcycling, and supporting brands that prioritize ethical production.

I Can't Calm Down, I'm Going to The Eras Tour

Now, a personal confession: I can’t even express how grateful I am to be able to attend The Eras Tour in Toronto—not once, but twice. (Before you come after me for going more than once, let me clarify: in 2023, I chose to spend my money on experiences, Stubhub being one of the collectors. I don’t have kids, I don’t buy a whole lot of other things, so this was my choice!). When it came time to plan my outfits, I was determined to thrift EVERYTHING—but this proved to be more difficult (and costly) than I anticipated. Between the challenges of finding the right pieces and the costs of tailoring, I started to get frustrated that Amazon always seemed like the easier, cheaper, and more convenient option. I’ll share my experience!

Best Believe I'm Still Bejewled

It’s safe to say that Thursday night was filled with scream-singing and tears of pure joy at the Rogers Centre, where I watched Taylor Swift perform in my Midnights-era-inspired outfit. For this look, I went with the 2022 VMAs after-party look Taylor wore—a Moschino royal blue romper decorated with bejeweled accents and silver stars, paired with a fluffy white coat and silver heels.

Photo credit: Gotham/GC Images - taken from website

I recall looking up the price tag of this romper back in 2022, and let’s just say it wasn’t cheap! While I can't find the exact price now, based on similar pieces and pricing, here’s my best estimate of what her outfit would cost:

• Moschino royal blue romper - $3,000

• Faux fur coat - $2,000

• Alexander McQueen heels - $1,500

• Jewelry - $3,000 (this is complete guess because I know nothing about jewelry, and honestly, it could be more!)

That brings the grand total to a jaw-dropping $9,500. So how did I compete with that? With a bit of planning and some crafty solutions, my total outfit cost came to $183.85.

As a huge fan of thrifting and reusing, resorting to Amazon is a last resort for me, and let’s be honest, I really hate doing it. But, in this case, I had to use Amazon and Dollarama for more than half of my items (5 out of 8). I searched high and low for the items I needed on Marketplace and other secondhand outlets, but had no luck.

What I ended up getting from Amazon:

• Earrings

• Silver iron-on clothing stars

• White fluffy coat

• Gemtac glue

Dollarama became my go-to for rhinestones, which I used as glittering stickers. When I searched on Marketplace, Kijiji, and Value Village, I was unsuccessful. Even in an Eras Tour Outfits Facebook group where people sell outfits and accessories, I struck out. Many sellers were offering huge lots of rhinestones in various colors, but I didn’t want to buy a bunch I didn’t need—that’s when I resorted to Dollarama.

(Hopefully I can sell the jacket to another Swiftie following the concert)

On the bright side, I did find some amazing pieces secondhand! The silver boot heels were a Facebook Marketplace score. I saw them posted by a friend of a friend in Peterborough for $50 but ended up getting them for $40—back in March (our mutual friend brought them to Ottawa following a visit to Peterborough). As for the corset black bodysuit, I found it at Value Village, and it was the perfect fit. The only issue? It was in black, not royal blue. So, I ended up swapping Taylor’s royal blue for black, and added a $10 black skirt I scored on Facebook Marketplace. I ironed on the silver stars and glued on the rhinestones in a matter of hours. So in comparison, how did I do?!

Photo credit: Gotham/GC Images - taken from website My Midnights Era outfit - November 14, 2024

Long Live Secondhand

As the days flew by in 2024, I found myself scrambling just a few weeks ago to figure out my outfit for the second night of attendance to The Eras Tour. This night would be extra special, as I was going with a high school bestie—the one who actually introduced me to Taylor Swift back in 2006. I attended the Fearless Tour in 2010, and with so many Eras since then, I thought it would be fun to pay homage to the past. So, I decided to go for a Speak Now look—the Era of glorious purple dresses.

From left to right

Photo credit: Daily Mail

Photo credit: Joseph Cassell Instagram

Photo credit: Pinterest

I searched high and low at Value Village, Facebook Marketplace, and Kijiji for a purple dress that I could fall in love with. The thing with thrifting is that when it comes to finding something you’re truly in love with, the timing is everything—it really comes down to chance. I scoured the Eras Tour Outfits Facebook page again. While I did find some purple dresses I liked, the shipping costs from many sellers in the US were expensive and the shipping to Canada itself seemed to be a hassle for each seller.

And then, just when I was starting to lose hope, I found it—not a dress I merely liked, but one I absolutely fell in love with and needed for this Era. It popped up on Facebook Marketplace for $60, and the seller was just a 25-minute drive away. After a lot of back-and-forth correspondence to secure the dress, I finally got my hands on it on November 7th—only one week before the show. As an added bonus, the seller sold it to me for $50.

There was one huge problem, though—the dress was not my size. In fact, it was 12 sizes too big for me, so I knew right away that tailoring would be necessary (on very short notice).

Aside from thrifting and reusing, I also prioritize shopping local. Just a few minutes from me, Sunita runs her tailoring business out of her home, and she’s tailored many bridesmaid dresses for me over the years. I brought the dress to her the day after I bought it, and she asked the same question I’m sure many of you would: “If the dress was too big for you, why did you get it?” The answer? The heart wants what the heart wants—and I really wanted this dress!

I picked it up just yesterday, now perfectly fitted, but with an added $220 cost to my budget. The total outfit cost of this outfit came to $270. And here it is:

Photo credit: People My Speak Now Era outfit - November 16, 2024

Wildest Thrifted Dreams

Going for a very specific outfit while also trying to reuse comes with a lot of planning—and sometimes, a few modifications. I had a vision for my Midnights Era outfit for over eight months, so I frequently browsed Marketplace and Value Village for potential pieces. But time always flies faster than expected, and to be honest, most of the work on this outfit only happened in the past week. The Speak Now Era look, on the other hand, was more of a rush. Luckily, everything came together in the end.

The downside? Purchasing the outfit on Marketplace, knowing it wasn't my size, resulted as a bigger expense than I anticipated. This dress was already out there, sitting around, just waiting to be used—the preferable option over buying something brand new. For context, the tailoring costs added up due to the numerous layers in both the skirt and the sleeves when it came to shortening their lengths. The sizing difference at the top was actually less expensive to address since it was only a half-length adjustment. As you’ll see below, had I bought this dress off Amazon in my size, it would’ve been over $150 cheaper.

In conclusion, planning is essential if you have a specific costume or outfit in mind but want to make it from secondhand materials. Fast fashion and panic buying often go hand-in-hand, and this is something I encountered firsthand. For example, the original owner of the purple dress bought two dresses for an event—the purple one as a backup, but ultimately chose the other. When the return window closed, they ended up selling it on Marketplace. But it's important to note that even when we return items, we’re still using more energy and creating more emissions.

As I mentioned before, I’m not someone who buys a lot, and clothing is definitely the least frequent purchase for me. Spending over $450 on these two outfits is a lot for me. The lesson I’ve learned here is to take action sooner rather than later. Even though I had a clear vision in my head months ago, I didn’t really start working on the outfits until just a few weeks ago.

While the outfits weren't 100% thrifted, I did what I could to embrace reuse. I strive to lower my consumption footprint every day, but this process was a tough one! Reusing and thrifting often require more planning for costumes, but it's clear that most of the things we need or want are already out there, just waiting to be used.

How do you incorporate reuse into your everyday life? Join the conversation on our socials!