Does secondhand fashion really help the environment?

In 2020, for the first time, the fast fashion industry saw a decrease of more than 10% in revenue. Meanwhile, the market share of secondhand fashion, which has been considered a sustainable business system in recent years, has grown strongly and is expected to double in the next five years.

Many argue that this is the driving force for the development of a circular economy model, providing hope for the prospect of reversing climate change. However, there are also many opinions that it is difficult to assess the sustainability of this trend, because the global economy is in recession due to the impact of the pandemic. Many people choose second hand because their economic ability does not allow to buy new ones.

Among other reasons, the rapid growth of the second hand business is sparking a new world debate about sustainability and ethical values in this fashion segment.

Before being as popular as it is today, secondhand clothes used to be considered "discarded" items, only for the working class. In particular, around the turn of the 20th century, they were wholesaled through Jewish and Italian itinerant merchants, who specialized in collecting scraps and rags.

As industry in Western Europe and the United States grew and made ready-to-wear clothing popular, second-hand clothing there began to be shipped to African colonial countries as a way to dispose of excess inventory. 

The increasing of 2nd clothes

On a smaller scale, buying and selling secondhand goods around the world is causing controversy as recently, shops often decorate more lavishly, create a more "gentrification" feeling, and then increase product prices.

This is possible because people today buy secondhand goods not only because they are cheaper (than their original price), but also because of their uniqueness and collectible value.

What is sustainable fashion?

Many experts have analyzed whether we can develop without consumerism. But the answer is still complicated. The key is whether we dare to cut the profit loop of the capitalist economy to save the planet, which means we dare to reduce growth (degrowth).

While waiting for a big change, what anyone can do is to be aware of their own actions. If you buy second-hand clothing, make sure you don't overdo it. If you buy fast fashion, make sure you make the most of it. If you buy sustainable clothing, make sure you spend your money wisely.