Sprawled out across a colossal expanse of Chile’s Atacama desert lies one of the world’s largest fast fashion dumps. This mountain of discarded clothing is so large that it can be seen from space. The BBC has dubbed it a ‘fashion graveyard.’ The UN declared it ‘an environmental and social emergency.’
But with some of our most beloved brands producing anywhere between 12,000 and 1.3 million new clothing styles each year, this is the inevitable outcome for items that fail to sell. It is estimated that around 59,000 tons of garments arrive in Atacama each year, the majority of which are non-biodegradable.
A Preloved Revolution?
The case of Atacama helps put into perspective what our shopping habits cost the planet. And this is only a fraction of the problem. The global fast fashion industry produces an estimated 92 million tons of waste a year, enough to refill Buckingham Palace with discarded textiles every day. For the last decade, fashion giants have lorded over the industry, raking in billions of dollars a year in profit and leaving a trail of environmental destruction in their wake.
But the commercial landscape is changing. The recent rise of resale apps like Depop and Vinted, as well as the continued success of more established businesses like eBay, is evidence of a growing preloved revolution. This desire for secondhand clothing has even permeated the online world. The number of Google searches for sites like ‘Vinted’ and ‘Savers’ (a popular preloved clothing store in the U.S.) has doubled since this time last year, whilst interest in terms like ‘thrifting’ and ‘secondhand’ has quadrupled. Social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube are inundated with hundreds of millions of preloved shopping videos, as popular influencers, fashion enthusiasts and bargain hunters flock to the online world to exchange tips on how to sniff out the best deals. What’s more, eBay is now the official sponsor of the wildly popular show ‘Love Island,’ with many contestants now strutting about the villa in secondhand garments. Everywhere you look on the internet, preloved fashion is trending, particularly during Secondhand September.
Is it any wonder then that secondhand clothing is on track to take 10 per cent of global fashion sales next year? Perhaps not. But when I read this statistic, I couldn’t help but question the factors that contributed to its popularity. Whilst this sudden boom in secondhand fashion sales can be attributed to a rise in the number of environmentally-conscious shoppers, it cannot account for the whole truth. Climate change and environmental issues have been centre stage in global politics since 1988, so why is secondhand clothing having its moment now? Let’s examine some of the potential reasons behind this.
Cost-Effective Alternative
In addition to its environmental benefits, secondhand clothes are more affordable than pieces from high street brands. According to the Reading Climate Action Network, not only does secondhand shopping reduce your carbon emissions by 500 pounds a year, but it also means that you are buying clothes at ‘a fraction’ of their RRP. This is possible thanks to apps like Vinted. Founded in 2008, Vinted is an online marketplace where users can buy and sell clothing and accessories. Whilst it is evident that ‘social and environmental concerns’ have begun to influence buyers ‘over the last few years,’ the majority of shoppers opt for secondhand clothing to help their bank accounts, says Natacha Blanchard, Consumer Lead at Vinted.
‘Based on regular surveys in our community, people come to Vinted to buy mainly because they want to save money and receive greater value for money,’ she says.
She adds that ‘the key drivers for selling [on Vinted] are also financial.’ But there’s no surprise there. After economies across the world have been brought to their knees by rising inflation, it’s no wonder that ordinary consumers are turning to secondhand shopping. For buyers, the rising cost of essentials reduces their disposable income and creates a parallel market for affordable clothes to meet everyday needs. Meanwhile, attractive incentives from resale apps, like letting sellers keep 100 per cent of their sales, means that more people are reselling clothes they no longer want, creating the perfect storm for a boom in secondhand fashion sales. A recent survey found that for the average Brit, a quarter of our clothes are secondhand pieces. And across Europe, the vast majority of Vinted users say that over half of their wardrobe consists of preloved clothes.
Not only does secondhand shopping save consumers money, but it also prevents those garments from ending up in landfills:
‘[Vinted] are providing a solution to extend the lifetime of a garment and hopefully encourage the buyer to buy secondhand instead of new,’ says Blanchard. ‘We hope this will help positively reinforce the habit of keeping items in circulation.’
Craving Individuality
The rise in popularity of secondhand clothing also marks changing attitudes around what it means to be fashionable. Not long ago, there was a stigma around wearing secondhand clothing. Whilst it might have once been something people felt ashamed of, being a prolific charity shopper is now almost like a badge of honour. But why? Thank Gen Z. Young people’s acceptance of thrifting is a reflection of some of the qualities that this generation finds appealing: being environmentally conscious, sticking to a budget, having a keen eye for fashion and standing out from the crowd.
This last point is particularly important. We’ve probably all experienced walking into a room and seeing someone wearing the exact same top because the majority of us shop at the same stores. However, secondhand shopping eliminates this issue. When you browse eBay or a charity shop, you never know what you’re going to find. From discovering a little-known brand to acquiring one-of-a-kind vintage pieces, having a unique wardrobe helps people carve out their own identity in an increasingly homogenous world. Offering affordable pricing and an eclectic selection of clothes, it’s no wonder more people are turning to secondhand shopping. But unlike most trends, which come and go in the blink of an eye, the preloved revolution is here to stay.
DISCLAIMER: The articles on our website are not endorsed by, or the opinions of Shout Out UK (SOUK), but exclusively the views of the author.
