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As we all know, a cost of living crisis has become an increasingly growing problem in the past year for all of us in the UK. Students in particular are facing financial hardship as well as deteriorating mental health concerns. We understand and share your concern for sustainable practices whilst trying to balance affordability, which is why we want to share other fellow students' crafty ways of recycling, upcycling and creating with COW. COW vintage is a recycling business at its core therefore we have a responsibility to help you through education and information.
Turning to fast fashion may seem like the more affordable, easier option however we want to share with you what some of our customers are doing in order to encourage you to get creative with being on a tight budget and to show that sometimes with a budget it forces you to become more playful with the clothing you wear and styles you may try dependent on your lifestyle and hobbies. Whether your style is more eccentric or laid back, colourful or neutral, sporty or chic, with COW vintage all second-hand goods from various era's can align with your lifestyle and your personal style - just remember to have fun and play around a 'lil.
COST OF LIVING CRISIS
Anyways... I think it’s time for you to all meet Daisy! ❀
Daisy is a Gen Z student, who is directly impacted by the current cost of living crisis in the UK. Daisy prioritises fashion as a form of self expression and chooses to style pieces that are practical to her interest in skating. Daisy is concerned about the future surrounding sustainability and the environment and the impact this will have for her generation and those to follow. She believes that not only does shopping second hand and vintage provide individuality but is also
an ethical approach to consumption by recirculating clothing.
THE SKATER GURLL
Daisy has also pushed herself to learn practical
techniques to make her own clothing that is affordable and creative. Her favourite approach to this is currently knitting and crocheting in which she learnt through YouTube tutorials and Tik Tok.
WWDD?! - WHAT WOULD DAISY DO?!
Daisy: My name's Daisy I'm from Preston but I moved to Manchester for a degree in fashion art direction.
Q. What are your favourite pieces?
Daisy: So I got these two from COW vintage in the Northern Quarter. These boots are a statement piece but I love them and will probably keep them for a while and the skirt goes really well with them.
Q. What’s your style?
Daisy: When skating you do need to wear something that is practical and comfortable but I can
still incorporate my own style into it by shopping second hand and vintage.
Q. What’s your fashion interests?
Daisy: One of my main fashion interests is definitely secondhand shopping and vintage. It kind
of gives the item a new lease of life and you get to see things differently, get to style different
things to help them complement your style.
Q. Where do you buy vintage clothing?
Daisy: When I moved to Manchester I started shopping a lot on Depop because I still wanted to shop vintage but I didn't know where the shops were. I've had a few experiences with sellers that have been quite bad where they've tried to rip me off and they've just overcharged. I kind of went out, found COW vintage where you can have an actual tangible experience there you can go and see the quality of the clothes, check their authentic and know you're not getting ripped off, because for me they are more of a recycling company.
Q. Are you affected by the Cost of Living Crisis?
Daisy: I think being a student in a city, the cost of living crisis and inflation have definitely affected me but I think it is so important to be able to create space for fashion and self-expression because it is a form of self-care for me.
Q. How else do you save money on clothes?
Daisy: Sometimes I feel like I've got nothing to wear but instead of buying new pieces I started getting more creative with it and I've started knitting and crocheting maybe some tops and skirts. I think it's great for me because similar to vintage fashion, I know someone's not going to be wearing that specific piece.
Q. What do you achieve by shopping vintage/ secondhand?
Daisy: I think if I could achieve anything it would be to contribute something positive to the environment and actually create a brighter future for myself and my generation.
INTERVIEW Q&A
On the right is a top Daisy has created herself from wool she'd bought from a local charity shop. Although this is slightly less practical for her hobby of skating, it shows a creative approach to being on a budget but still expressing her personal sense of style