Shopping secondhand used to be considered a necessity. Thrift stores like Goodwill and The Salvation Army were go-to places for those looking to pay less for clothing. Now, thrifting your clothes is considered less of an essential habit and more of a fashion statement. In 2023, shopping for secondhand clothing actually makes you cool.
According to ThredUp’s Annual Resale Report for last year, secondhand shopping is becoming a global phenomenon, expected to grow 127% by 2026. The most startling aspect of the report is the contrast it draws with traditional retail. According to its findings, the global secondhand apparel market will grow three times faster than the global apparel market overall, reaching a value of $82 billion in 2026, up $5 billion from the projections of the previous year.
Estrella Sevilla, the head of marketing at Buffalo Exchange, discusses the impact she has seen in the store.
“These days secondhand shopping is becoming the norm and, in many cases, preferred to buying brand new because of the wide variety of clothing available and the affordability compared to buying from a traditional retail store,” she said.
Thrifting started to become a fashion trend during the pandemic thanks to TikTok. Thrifting hauls have become so popular on the app that there is an entire subculture coined “ThriftTok.” The hashtag #ThriftTok alone has 1.6 billion views. Some of the app’s biggest creators made a name for themselves by posting thrifting hauls and discussing their thrifting practices under the hashtag.
When they’re not busy posting videos and comments about thrifting trends and culture, online consumers are flocking to multiple sites to actually purchase items. When it comes to online resale, Depop and ThredUp are currently the leaders. ThredUp works as an online consignment shop, where customers mail their items in for evaluation. ThredUp then sells the items, similar to Buffalo Exchange’s practices in New York. Depop, in contrast, is a peer-to-peer social e-commerce company. Users can create their own pages on the platform to sell their clothes and Depop takes 10 percent of the profits.
Another one of the most influential reasons for the thrifting boom, online and in-person, is the pile-up of daunting climate reports that have been released every year since 2015. News of weather disasters fills daily coverage, from forest fires in California to heatwaves in the Midwest to hurricanes in the South. In PwC’s June 2021 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey, half of all global consumers surveyed reported that they have become more environmentally conscious in their consumption practices.
Environmental scientist Gillian Stewart theorizes that the thrifting boom is helping to offset the damage that fast fashion is doing to the environment.
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“People buy a lot more clothes than they used to,” says Stewart. “Each new shirt, skirt, or pair of jeans uses resources like water and contributes water pollution and solid waste, but also GHGs [greenhouse gasses] due to the energy consumption in refining textiles, weaving, transporting, and packaging. ”
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Major companies are finding ways to compete with the new booming resale market. Target recently had a collaborative line with ThredUp. Fast fashion companies like Princess Polly, known for their trendy dresses and price-slashing sales codes, have introduced sustainable lines. Even luxury brands like Prada are pushing sustainable jewelry and fashion lines.
In a statement to ThredUp in the 2023 report, fashion stylist and writer Julia Gall described the impact of environmentalism on fashion.
“I’ve witnessed a seismic shift among my fashion industry peers in the past several years,” she says. “Gone are the days when we promoted new items to consumers every season. Building a closet of ‘the ones that got away’ is so much more unique and rewarding than shopping [only] for new arrivals—it’s a win for your wardrobe and for the planet.”
In other words, whether you are partaking in the thrifting trend due to environmental efforts or just because you want to join in on the fun, consider it a win-win.
As secondhand shoppers feel like they're saving something from ending up in a landfill, buying used clothing is no longer viewed as inferior to buying new. Thrifting today is "not only not a stigma," Craig said, "it's a badge of honor." Still, even as thrifting has grown in popularity, so have fast fashion
fast fashion
Fast fashion is the business model of replicating recent catwalk trends and high-fashion designs, mass-producing them at a low cost, and bringing them to retail quickly while demand is at its highest.
There is another reason contributing to the young shoppers' infatuation with old clothing: people want to express their individuality through their outfits, but also in a sustainable way. Now, there is a new desire to transition to clothing pieces that are not harmful to the environment.
Some Gen Zers view thrifting and reselling as a challenge to find the diamond in the rough. This generation is known to value their individuality and creativity, thrifting allows them to do just that. Gen Z is making a conscious effort to reduce their environmental impact through sustainable fashion practices.
Some argue that thrifting has essentially become gentrified because of its trendiness. Wealthier people have begun to frequent thrift stores, shopping for the same items as low-income people who were the original customers of the secondhand shops.
Budget is one of the most cited reasons among second-hand consumers. Opting for second-hand clothing is a way to cut costs. These items aren't brand new, thus their prices are significantly reduced. However, “previously worn” doesn't mean the clothes are worn out.
In the 1980s and 1990s, thrifting entered the mainstream. Vintage clothing became a fashion statement, with celebrities and trendsetters embracing secondhand finds. Thrift stores evolved into more organized and curated spaces, catering to a broader range of consumers.
Vintage style reignites memories and stories of a particular time, and that is what makes it special. In addition, the younger generation is generally more open to playing with fashion. Style-wise, vintage clothing has more options and is flexible enough for experimentation.
Baggier jeans and looser-fitting pants ultimately emerged as a happy medium between the athleisure worn throughout multiple lockdowns and the constricting skinny jeans of the previous decade. The silhouettes could be sleek and comfortable without compromising one for the other.
Share of consumers buying secondhand online in the U.S. 2023, by generation. In the first quarter of 2023, a third of surveyed consumers indicated engaging in secondhand shopping. Among the respondents, Gen Z constituted the highest percentage at 42 percent, followed closely by Millennials at 39 percent.
The popularity of thrifting has created an inflation in the prices these thrift companies can get away with. The modern generation is also quick to blame TikTok and reselling apps for the rise of thrift prices. And, while not the main contributor, these apps have proved to be a threat to thrift stores.
The main problems with the increase in thrifting today stem from corporate greed and gentrifiers reselling stock, or just ignoring neighborhood customs and not supporting local businesses.
When it comes to clothing, electronics, and other home goods, it takes a lot of water and energy to make these items. When you thrift something, you are not directly supporting the demand for new things to be made, and this has a positive impact since resources and energy were already used to create that item.
In general, 69% of Gen Z users and 67% of millennial respondents said they have bought secondhand in the last year. Gen X are less prone to buy secondhand at 52%, followed by 45% of baby boomers.
Although thrifting is an old practice, the lifestyle experienced a surge in popularity during 2020 as influencers would share their finds with millions of followers on platforms such as TikTok.
Gen Z's interest in the nostalgic aesthetic may not be as surface-level as it seems. They are a generation growing up in turbulent times, where instability is rife – jumping back into the past is an easy way to circumvent the stresses and anxiety associated with living in the present.
Hobby: LARPing, Kitesurfing, Sewing, Digital arts, Sand art, Gardening, Dance
Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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