Particularly popular among the younger generation, thrifting is seen as a sustainable alternative to fashion consumption. Thrift shopping helps to reduce textile waste and provides an opportunity to reduce the negative impact of fast fashion on the environment (Zahro & Dhona, 2023).
Environmental Impact: Reducing demand for new clothing production by thrifting and upcycling lowers carbon emissions, conserves resources, and reduces waste. Cost-Effective: Thrifting and upcycling are budget-friendly alternatives to buying new clothes, making sustainable fashion accessible to young adults.
If you can't shop second-hand or buy locally, opting for ethically made clothing is one of the best approaches to avoiding fast fashion—especially when it comes to items that cannot be purchased at a second-hand shop (like undergarments, for example).
Thrifting has made the fashion world much more diverse, and people are not as afraid to express themselves through their clothing. This trend has helped construct a mindset that it is okay to dress differently than everyone else and has encouraged the idea of embracing your own sense of style.
It's also great for the environment. If you choose thrifting over fast fashion, you are helping cut back your fashion-footprint. There will always be a concern when it comes to second-hand shopping, but the real concern should be aimed at the unnecessary waste. Nowadays, second-hand shopping isn't only done in-store.
While the popularity of second-hand shopping has empowered sustainability, it can simultaneously drive up prices to unaffordable ranges, which can be concerning for lower-income individuals who often look for second-hand shopping out of necessity rather than a trend.
For Gen Z, thrifting is more than just an affordable practice; it's a form of self-expression. With a wide range of one-of-a-kind items in thrift stores, they're able to find unique pieces that reflect their personal style. Some Gen Zers view thrifting and reselling as a challenge to find the diamond in the rough.
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.
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. The term fast fashion is also used generically to describe the products of this business model.
Thrifting offers an alternative to the fast fashion model by promoting the reuse and recycling of clothing and other items. By shopping for secondhand items, you can: Reduce waste: Purchasing pre-owned items helps prevent them from ending up in landfills or being incinerated, thereby reducing overall waste generation.
Waste occurs at every stage of the garment manufacturing process, harming wildlife, degrading land, and polluting soil and water. The fast fashion industry is a significant contributor to the climate crisis, responsible for as much as 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Ditching fashion would lift a huge burden off our planet. We'd save water (used in crop-growing and dyeing processes) and carbon dioxide emissions (from the industry's energy use). And we'd also prevent pollution from the fertilisers and pesticides used in cotton farming, and hazardous chemicals used in dyes.
Secondhand shopping significantly reduces textile waste, lowers our carbon footprints, and helps conserve water. Recirculating clothing through thrifting is a solution that benefits both our world and our wallets.
At the end of the day, reselling cannot be 100% ethical because nothing is ethical under capitalism. However, being mindful when it comes to reselling and being well researched in the merchandise you are putting out is the only way we can keep reselling and thrifting morally ethical.
Thrifting has become a way the younger generation sees a solution to reducing their environmental footprint and contributing to anti-capitalist solutions while still being able to develop a sense of self through expression.
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.
Why the 90s? Well, for Gen Z it's about the whole vibe. Many feel that the era represents a carefree time that was about having fun. Considering the stressful reality we've been experiencing over the last few years, it's no wonder Gen Z are feeling nostalgic for a simpler time.
“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.
Instead of skinny jeans, Gen Z shoppers are embracing the low-rise, baggy pants that were all the rage in the early 2000s. Gen Z's love of baggy pants can be partially attributed to the way they think about styling their outfits: Rather than the going-out top, it's all about the fun pants.
Gen Z loves free stuff. Who doesn't? But it goes deeper than our inherent desire to enjoy free product. This is not an open endorsement to give away your product 100% of the time either.
Some of the disadvantages of thrifting include the long time it takes to sort through the many, often unorganized, clothing items. Often the clothes have no warranty and no return policy, says the Odyssey. The worlds of fast fashion and thrifting are both equally fun and exciting!
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.
Not everyone who resells is a terrible person. But one should take into consideration how their overconsumption and price-gouging affects others. An example of this is influencers who do thrift halls, and then sell the items on apps like Depop. Actions like this are taking advantage of a good resource.
