The article in the first url below makes the case that secondhand clothes no longer carry the stigma they had in the past:
"Last year, [shoppers worldwide] spent $227 billion on secondhand apparel, accounting for nearly 10% of all global spending on clothes."
As well as "a growing online ecosystem for buying used, including eBay, ThredUp, Poshmark and other sites where customers can directly sell and purchase items," more mainstream retail brands are also beginning to incorporate "online resale offerings" into their range of clothes offered (such as "outdoor apparel maker Patagonia Inc and sneaker seller AllBirds Inc"). Such innovations are fueling the trend, which is anticipated to grow:
"Global secondhand fashion sales, which rose 15% in 2024 from the previous year, are projected to surpass $250 billion in 2025 and then exceed $300 billion in 2027."
Part of this trend reflects a rejection, by some, of the fast fashion business model, as noted in the article in the second url below, which also contains a visualization of the massive amounts of waste the industry produces (see also Strategic CSR – Slow(er) fashion):
"The U.S. throws away up to 11.3 million tons of textile waste each year – around 2,150 pieces of clothing each second."
Take care
David
David Chandler
© Sage Publications, 2023
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Why Buying Thrift Clothes Is Getting More Appealing
By Zahra Hirji
March 19, 2025
Bloomberg
The Global Glut of Clothing Is an Environmental Crisis
By Rachael Dottle and Jackie Gu
Febaru 23, 2022
Bloomberg
