“Giving an item a second chance at life.” That is how you could define second hand. But will pre-owned clothing be the future of our fashion industry? This Article discusses the topic of second hand fashion as an alternative to fast fashion. There are many reasons why second-hand clothing can be a great sustainable alternative to the wasteful fashion industry which is dominating the market these days.
We interviewed Danai Danaka, fashion director at Kilo Shop Greece & Concept Store Athens and founder at Art & Industry. She is an expert in the field of second hand and gives us a deeper insight into the second hand market and its pros and cons.
What is second-hand fashion nowadays?
Pre-owned fashion is the new big trend of the industry. Creating many options to buy more sustainably and distinguishing oneself from the fast fashion trends everyone seems to follow. By 2029 the second-hand market is expected to reach a value of $80 billion, doubling the size of fast fashion. Nevertheless, there are also some downsides to the sudden hype of pre-loved clothing, such as prices that are becoming unreasonable and unattainable for many. Second hand has become a market for fashion enthusiasts and lovers who are on the lookout for unusual pieces.
Pro’s: Why we should buy pre-loved fashion
There are a few options to your usual fast fashion clothing. Either you buy from sustainable brands, wear handmade clothes or go second-hand shopping. All are great ways to help create less waste in the world. Here are some aspects of why it is especially great to buy pre-owned items:
- You are extending the garments life cycle
Every clothing item that is worn and loved by more than one person is one garment less on the landfill. The life of the individual product is extended and also the appreciation for it grows.
- You are saving natural resources
The way we produce fashion nowadays uses up enormous amounts of natural resources like water, of which 93 billion cubic meters are used for the textile industry a year. Buying second hand eliminates the usage of new resources.
- You reduce the demand for fast fashion
Yes, you as an individual can influence the production levels of the big fast fashion conglomerates by simply choosing to not buy from them. This also means if you opt for second-hand items which may be from the fast-fashion producers you are still reducing the demand for new items from them.
Con’s: What are the disadvantages of pre-loved fashion ?
Unfortunately, there are also some downsides to second-hand clothes… here is a list of what to look out for:
- Second hand becoming a trend which makes it unattainable for many
These days many buy vintage clothes as collectables rather than a cheaper and more sustainable fashion alternative. It sometimes seems like the idea of passing a garment on the flea market or second-hand shop has become a cult status instead of something especially poor families have to do. Vintage websites promote the idea of second-hand as a status symbol which makes the prices online but also in stores skyrocket. This development causes people who could only afford second-hand in the past, to now have to opt for fast fashion to be able to buy clothing.
- When buying second hand the demand for sustainable businesses drops
Second-hand items are unfortunately mostly not circular yet. Meaning that when their life comes to an end, recycling or reusing is often not possible. Sustainable and circular brands create garments that can easily be recycled after their life cycle. Therefore, a good balance between buying second hand and from sustainable brands would be the best. Let’s hope that someday most of our second hand and vintage clothing is made with sustainable materials so we can give these clothes a new life as well.
How did you get involved in the sustainable fashion industry?
For the last 50 years, my family has worked in vintage clothing from generation to generation. It all began when my Dutch grandmother opened her business in vintage second-hand clothing during the ’60s in Amsterdam. For the last 8 years, my family has had two vintage stores in the centre of Athens. One is the “Kilo-Shop”, which is a French franchise with vintage and second-hand clothing priced per kilo and the other one is the “Concept Store”, which is a vintage boutique with special collections. Through my work experience in vintage fashion, the idea of an ecological fashion brand was born – “Art & Industry” in 2017. A sustainable fashion brand that would upcycle vintage or second-hand clothing to reduce textile waste that’s polluting our planet.
How do you see the second-hand market impacting the fashion industry?
The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter in the world, just after the oil industry. Fast fashion unethical practices in manufacturing are polluting our planet more and more. As time goes by it has become aware to most people that we must live more sustainably to preserve our planet. A way to pursue that is definitely choosing second-hand clothing. Second-hand goods are of better quality, much cheaper and last for many years. We see more and more people embracing an eco-friendly lifestyle by buying second hand, trading or reselling their clothes.
Has second-hand become too much of a trend rather than a sustainable alternative to fast fashion?
Second-hand clothing has become a thing nowadays and in general adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle. People are trying to cultivate a responsible commitment to sustainability and make eco-conscious decisions before consuming. During the economic crisis in Greece, consumers began to search for affordable clothes and that’s when the second-hand market started to escalate. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened this trend as it made us rethink a lot of things and one thing was the importance of REUSE-REDUCE-RECYCLE. These two factors have empowered the second-hand market and have made it so popular in the last years. Therefore I believe it has become a trend but that’s a positive aspect, as consumers choose it as an alternative to fast fashion.
What are you focusing on right now?
Right now, I’m focusing on making a Fall/Winter collection of upcycling clothes for my brand, Art & Industry. Also, I’ve met some wonderful people that are taking part in sustainable development and we are working on some new projects like sustainable workshops etc.
One final thought on the topic of circular fashion?
Circular fashion is not just a trend, it’s a requirement in the world. It should be a matter that concerns everybody from the fashion designers, the manufacturers to the consumers. I hope in the next few years the fashion industry achieves a zero-waste approach towards sustainable consumption and production.
Conclusion on the topic of second-hand clothing as the future of our fashion industry
Second hand fashion has become a big trend in the last few years. But different to fast fashion trends which seem to change every month, the trend of second hand clothes is contributing to an improvement of our world’s state. Buying only second hand as a consumer is neither feasible nor realistic, but as long as people consciously choose to not buy fast fashion but from second hand stores or sustainable brands, we can build the perfect base for an environmentally friendly clothing consumption.
