Katherine Corrie is bringing pre-loved country pieces to women on the land. Photo: theprelovedcountrystore/Instagram.
A pop-up boutique featuring handpicked country clothing will set up shop this month at the Thriving Women conference at Charles Sturt University.
Katherine Corrie is a “lifelong devotee” of pre-loved clothing – she wore a “pre-loved number” to her Year 10 formal in 1995.
When Ms Corrie left her corporate career to become a farmer, she decided to turn her love for thrifting and sustainable fashion into The Pre-Loved Country Store, a social enterprise that offers women on the land pre-loved pieces. Thirty per cent of profits go to Bush Heritage Australia, a not-for-profit conservation organisation that protects ecosystems and wildlife across the continent.
Ms Corrie will be bringing more than 140 pieces of pre-loved clothing to the Thriving Women conference on 18 and 19 August, where attendees will be able to browse and purchase the curated pieces.
The annual conference hosted by industry group Women Together Learning (WoTL) is designed for women and men across all areas of agriculture, from farming and agribusiness to education, research, policy and beyond.
Ms Corrie has run a number of pop-ups before, but the one at the Thriving Women conference will be her biggest yet. She is “delighted” to be one of the six trade partners to be chosen for the conference.
“It’s the perfect synergy between what I’m here to do. I mean, you couldn’t get a more perfect environment for The Pre-Loved Country Store to show up,” she said.
“It’s an interesting and growing area.
“People are now realising [thrifting] makes sense. It’s becoming far more mainstream and more accepted. There’s renter rack stores, consignment stores, vintage stores, online stores and even the big fashion brands are participating in the circular economy.”
Each year, Australia sends more than 300,000 tonnes of clothing to landfills. Thrifting or sourcing pre-loved clothing is a cost-effective way to be fashionable while preventing more clothing from ending up in landfills.
“Pre-loved wear for the country context is actually harder to find than you would think,” Ms Corrie said.
“It’s probably because people on the land typically wear their pieces for quite some time. They’re typically higher quality in terms of the craftsmanship, so they last a long time.
“When I moved to a farm myself, I wanted to only source pre-loved clothing. It took me a long time to find them, and once I did, I realised that there were other women that would benefit from having that type of service.
“It’s just been really incredibly fulfilling to find these beautiful, beautiful garments that are potentially going to landfill eventually, or maybe just sit in someone else’s wardrobe that they don’t really have a purpose for them.”
Her favourite thrifted item is a sheepskin vest.
“It’s leather and sheepskin on the outside, but sheepskin on the inside,” she said.
“It’s quite long, perfect for layering to kind of go from season to season.
“Whenever I wear it, or when people see it online, they message me and say, ‘If you find another one of these, please let me know’.
“I have found another one, but it’s really small – a size six to eight, so it’s not going to fit too many people. But it is a beautiful piece.”
She loves giving these pieces a “second life” and thinks it’s more than fashion.
“There are so many good pieces,” she said.
“I can tell you that I struggle, saying to myself, ‘No, Catherine, you don’t need that. You don’t need to keep that’.
“It’s about honouring quality, reducing waste, and putting money back into the landscapes that sustain us.
“I’m inviting women to discover how good sustainable fashion can look and feel. This curated collection of garments is not about making a compromise; it’s an upgrade.
“Both your wallet and nature will benefit.”
The Pre-Loved Country pop-up store will be open throughout the conference, giving attendees the chance to browse through more than 140 garments handpicked by Katherine.
The Thriving Women conference is on 18 and 19 August in Joyce Hall at Charles Sturt University. Those interested can book tickets here or visit Thriving Women 2025 for full program details.
Keep up to date with The Pre-Loved Country Store on Instagram.
