Interview: Dale and Sophie (Vintage Tee Day)

Salvos Stores are quite an Australian staple having been around for 130 years and having stores all across the country. They are currently working on coming tp the forefront of modern shopping with their marketing people always thinking of new ways to promote second hand shopping.

The latest initiative is Vintage Tee Day, being held on March 22nd. I recently spoke to Dale, and Sophie, ambassadors for the Vintage Tee Day campaign and former contestants on The Block.

Can you tell us a little about Vintage Tee Day?

Vintage Tee Day is a really important initiative that Salvos Stores came up with to encourage sustainable fashion. It’s all about encouraging people to pull out their old clothes and get more use out of them, all the while helping the environment. Plus – vintage clothes and op shopping have come right back in to fashion. All the hipsters love shopping at Salvos Stores around the country, so people can now be ‘cool’ while assisting in doing their bit for a sustainable future!

Where did the concept come from, and how?

The Salvos Stores’ marketing team put their heads together to brainstorm ideas on how they could encourage people to recycle their clothes and to pull out old favourites from the bottom of our wardrobes (we all have them)… what better way to make this possible than to put aside one date in the year and call it Vintage Tee Day – it openly gives people the opportunity to get extra wear out of their favourite old tees! And we’ve seen a great response so far, so expect to see plenty of vintage/recycled tees getting around on March 22!

Can you tell us a bit about how you got involved in the project?

As Salvos Ambassadors, we learnt of the initiative the Salvos Stores were taking to host Australia’s first ever Vintage Tee Day, and were instantly keen to be involved in any way we could.

What benefits will this event hold for the wider community?

The wider community will benefit from an event such as Vintage Tee Day, by the sheer fact that the more individuals that are awakened to the fact that they themselves can easily help the environment with sustainable fashion.

Can you tell us what you think the most important aspect of an event like Vintage Tee day is?

The event was designed to promote and support sustainable fashion by encouraging everyone to wear a vintage or second hand t-shirt. We’re sure that by creating your own Vintage Tee Day based events at your workplace, school or uni, and by chucking on your fave old vintage tee, that it will be a refreshing break from your daily uniform and no doubt heaps of fun! Fun is an important aspect in this event, and we believe the best way to encourage awareness for sustainable fashion.

Why is it so important that we start recycling more of our clothes?

With the amount of litres required to produce just one cotton T-shirt being an alarming 2,700L it is very important to encourage individuals to reduce their carbon footprint by buying second hand clothing.

The two of you took part in The Block 2012, can you tell us a little about the experience?

The Block 2012 was the most challenging experience we’ve both been through as both individuals and as a couple. In saying that, it was also the most fun we have ever had and very rewarding to see how much we could achieve under pressure. It was a unique experience that not many would get the chance to have and we feel very privileged to have gone through it. It definitely changed our lives for the better.

What is the most rewarding thing about shopping secondhand?

The most rewarding thing about shopping secondhand is knowing that you’re recycling the items you’re buying rather than going out and buying new things all of the time. We have always believed that the the hunt for that special find another thing that makes secondhand shopping so fun and it really is true that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”!

The Salvos Stores have become quite iconic over the years, what do you think it is that makes the Salvos Stores stand out as the place to go for your secondhand shopping?

The Salvos Stores have been around for almost 130 years, they stand out as the place to shop for your secondhand goods due to the fact that all their profits go directly to The Salvation Army to assist in funding the various social programs and support offered to those marginalised and disadvantaged, which means just by buying something you’re helping others less fortunate. They are also well known for the items that they stock, being quality secondhand items.

Thanks for your time Sophie and Dale, it’s been great hearing from you
Pleasure, thank-you

Michelle

I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!