What Makes Secondhand Fashion So Popular Right Now

Walk into any fashion conversation right now and you’ll probably hear the word secondhand come up. A BBC article notes that by 2027, the fashion resale market is expected to reach 3.5 billion dollars (2.76 billion pounds), almost double its current value. 

A report by ThredUp found that about two in five items in Gen Z’s wardrobe are pre-owned suggesting that this generation is beginning to prefer secondhand fashion over buying new. Maybe your friend just scored a vintage Levi’s jacket, or maybe your favourite brand now lets you send back your old clothes for store credit. Either way, something sustainable is here to stay in fashion.

Secondhand fashion simply means buying something that has already been owned and giving it a new life. It’s also becoming a part in the sustainable movement. If we start with the obvious, it’s affordable, but that’s not the only reason. Many people are tired of fast fashion. The clothes fall apart quickly, everyone ends up wearing the same thing, and it’s not even that satisfying anymore.

Thrifting valuable items, on the other hand, feels personal. You discover pieces with a story. You own something nobody else has. As social media fills up with thrift hauls and swap finds, it’s now just as cool to say "this is vintage" as it is to say "this is new."

Brands like Patagonia and Levi’s have their own take-back and re-wear programs, part of what the industry calls re-commerce. The idea is to take something old and make it part of the new.

Why secondhand is sustainable?

Fashion is one of the biggest polluting industries in the world. The production of new clothing takes a ridiculous amount of water, energy, and resources. And most of it ends up in landfills.

Buying what already exists is one of the easiest ways to reduce that impact. WRAP UK says wearing clothes for just nine months longer can cut their environmental footprint by up to 30 percent. That’s massive.

Plus, every time you buy secondhand, you’re not buying new. That’s one less product being made, one less shipment crossing the ocean, and one less thing heading to a landfill in the Global South.

When doom-scrolling shopping apps turn into checking thrift or swap groups before buying new, it helps us slow down and think about what we’re buying and why. It’s about finding things that last. Things that matter.

The stats show secondhand is becoming part of how we shop. The future of fashion might not be new at all. And honestly, that’s kind of exciting.

If you want your clothes to find a second home or want to swap or thrift, join here to get introduced to circular fashion that keeps quality clothes in the loop and never out of style.

Because what we wear shouldn’t come at the cost of the planet, and every time we choose secondhand, swap instead of shop, or pass on a well-loved piece, we extend the life of clothing that still has value. Small actions like these spark a bigger chain of change. A closet can be personal and powerful. And together, our closets can create an impact that is no longer landfill fashion.