Why buy a second hand dress?  As you may already be aware, the fashion industry generates billions of clothes each year and is one of the most polluting industries in the world after oil. 

Obviously the least polluting fashion choice would be to never buy any more clothes ever again – new or second hand. No resources would be used: no virgin fibres spun, no  transportation, no oil used or water wasted, no more silk worms killed. 

However we’d then have to consider the prospective loss of jobs if this were to happen; an ethical challenge that is characteristic of dilemmas we face when trying to determine the most constructive approaches towards achieving a sustainable wardrobe fit for all the varied parts we play in our busy lives.

This choice is not about money and what we can afford - it's about living as lightly as we can on our unique planet.

We should be able to say in answer to the question "is that dress new"? - "No, I'm proud to say it isn't".