Second-hand fashion stages a comeback

Few followers of fashion will forget the moment when a super model arrived at a New York fashion week dinner, wearing a 1950s dress. The next day, a hunt for something similar began. That was 2003. Fast forward to the 2020s and second-hand fashion is renewing a new round of craze, and this time, arguably, it’s back for good.

When super models and designers were buying things at second-hand markets and matching them with expensive pieces, the act was more related to the old ideal of what fashion was — very trend-based and very season-based. Today, ordinary people always want to have new looks but they’re becoming more aware of the impact of their choices on the environment, and the best thing we can do in this climate crisis is to limit the resources we take out of the planet. Second-hand fashion speaks to what’s happening right now. And the world is speaking back. It’s estimated that the total resale clothes market is expected to rise in value from $96 billion in 2021 to $141 billion by 2023. More than ‘back for good’, second-hand fashion looks set to become the new norm.

The increased crafts of repair and upcycling offer another contemporary dimension to the trend. There’s a rise in young people looking at things that already exist, not only to take inspiration from, but also to use as material for next-stage creation. Current repair and upcycling skills make their wish a reality.

Even social media platforms are on board. “Once you start finding heat at the second-hand fashion shop, it quickly turns into an ever-growing addiction. Each piece has history behind it,” said an online celebrity with 1.7 million followers. He, along with other celebrities posting visits to shops of this kind, has pushed up sales. Their power in the field can’t be neglected.