Love second-hand clothing? How to find quality pieces and shop sustainably
Industry experts and shoppers give advice on shopping second-hand sustainably and finding quality pieces that last while looking great
More online platforms are giving second-hand shopping a digital upgrade, rolling out features such as live-stream shopping and AI-powered search to make thrifting faster and more exciting.
Although choosing second-hand over new is often the more sustainable option, experts say it is not a licence to overconsume. They warn that resale has its limits, since buying more than you need still fuels waste, and shopping online can add emissions from servers and shipping, thrifted or not.
Here is how industry experts and fashion-forward shoppers shop second-hand sustainably – and how to find quality pieces that last while looking cool.
At eBay’s “Endless Runway” second-hand runway shows in New York and London, models wore preloved designer pieces that guests could shop live. Such second-hand items make up 40 per cent of the company’s sales, says Alexis Hoopes, eBay’s vice-president of fashion.
“One of our big priorities is making second-hand just as good as shopping in the primary market,” she says.
Online marketplaces ThredUp and The RealReal have reported record sales this year, signalling that the online resale market is growing quickly. Live-auction apps like Whatnot, meanwhile, are giving shoppers more platforms on which to bid for used clothing.