Is Thrifting Gentrified?
The textile industry produces millions of tons of waste annually. Attribute this massive number to fast fashion, rapid trend cycling, and shortened wear time of garments for the average consumer. In a timeline where our natural resources are being soaked up to fuel the fashion industry, there is a glimmer of hope related to consumer trends. Recently, thrifting has gotten a makeover. Long gone are the days of being embarrassed that you are wearing hand-me-downs. Now, there are flea markets riddled with vintage resellers, from T-shirts to cowboy boots- old is cool. But when something becomes coveted, what happens? Just a little price gouging. Is it reasonable to pay $50 for a T-shirt that has unraveling seams? And what about lower-income individuals who cannot afford the new *trendy* flea-market prices? If those consumers are pushed towards the affordability of fast fashion, is high-end reselling sustainable or elitist?
As humans, we all wear clothes. For utility, comfort, or self-expression, we drape our bodies in fabrics every day, and our wears become an extension of us. In the early 2000s, it was brand mania, from luxury Gucci and Prada to mall staples like Victoria's Secret PINK. There was a coolness to wearing a label everyone could recognize. You were a part of something, and that meant everything. Now, there’s a new type of mania rooted in nostalgia and the love of the pre-loved. Vintage is hot, standing out is the new “fitting in”, and Y2K is vintage. Of course, the label love is still present and thriving but with more of a distressed fit. But isn’t it ironic how far second-hand shopping has come?
Growing up in a lower-income household, as a pre-teen, I was embarrassed wearing thrifted clothes. It felt like a neon sign screaming “POOR” was lit up above my head. Afraid of being ostracized by my peers, I cherished my pair of VS PINK sweats that could pass as a first-hand mall find. I still have those sweats to this day. But the self-loathing days of middle school came and went, and by the time I was in high school and then college, I grew an affinity for thrifting. Who cares if the leather jacket smells like mothballs? It’s $8, I'm broke, and I look cool as hell now. I also found more size inclusivity at the thrift versus the mall. Sure, I might have been wearing pants donated by a mom of three, but in 2009, I was not finding anything at American Eagle that fit me.
So fast forwarding to 2024, what does second-hand shopping look like? There are still Savers, Goodwill, and Salvo, but prices have become noticeably higher. Additionally, a new world has emerged. Resellers, both online and in the flesh, are everywhere. Sites like Depop make reselling easy, whether you’re trying to thin out your closet or build a business. It seems like now everyone is thirsting for that perfect used pair of Carhartt work pants or Levis jorts. A sentence that would have been unfathomable ten years ago. In terms of sustainability, it’s a fabulous new trend. Textile waste is one of the top contributors to climate change, and diversion from landfills is always ecologically preferred. So (to overly simplify), if thrifting is good and fast fashion is bad, why do people like fast fashion? Well, it’s cheap. And while the second-hard world is thriving in a higher price bracket, fast fashion is providing lower-income individuals with the affordability that used to be offered second-hand.
For all clothing, new and old, the life cycle of a garment has shrunk dramatically over the past few decades. We buy things influenced by our emotions, or fleeting trends, wear it minimally, then toss it, donate it, or Depop it. We have a swirling economy of too many clothes surrounding us. But what are the differences in these clothes? Many second-hand finds that were produced decades ago are made from sturdier material and built to last. Compared to the polyester and mass-produced clothing of today, Grandma was right. Stuff used to be made to last.
Thrifting used to primarily offer access to quality clothing to low-income-people. Now, we are seeing a higher ratio of mass-produced/poor-quality garments to high-value materials. And unfortunately, quality vintage items are a finite pool that is being watered down with fast fashion trend cycles. I will emphasize that I am not saying there is a shortage of clothing. In fact, many thrift stores struggle to keep up with the volume of donations. But as the overconsumption of fast fashion continues, we see a change in thrift store inventory. And while it’s true that there are many closets with vintage treasures that have yet to be donated, the question is if their fate is to be purchased for reselling, is that robbing someone in need of a quality item? Or pushing them to fast fashion?
This article is not meant to demonize reselling (I personally resell items I don’t wear anymore on Depop- no shame). What I’m really trying to explore is how the landscape of clothing has changed over the past few decades. I think that emerging circular economies in the textile universe are amazing. And the pricing of items, despite their origins in the goodwill bins, are higher because of the labor entailed in reselling. Whether that is the time and energy to market goods, repair, and cleaning of older materials, or to provide a wage to the individual. These are all valid reasons to resell at a steeper price. But as a consumer, pricing is divisive. Some prefer (or are economically limited) to hunting for their own finds to make lower-cost investments in clothing. And others will pay a premium for having a curated selection at their fingertips.
As for the fashion industry, there needs to be limitations on the sheer excess of production. Although this action relies on government regulatory measures, as a consumer we can also demand more responsibility from the brands we shop. Sustainable actions could include implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (ERP) policies, requiring the brand to take back their product at end of life and be responsible for the recycling or responsible disposal of said item. Adoption of secondary fiber inputs to divert the consumption of virgin materials. Transparency and accountability of brands to share their labor practices, production levels, corporate earnings, and supply chains. Investments in textile recycling technology and circular economy development. These actions may seem like a stretch, but they are all globally needed actions for clothing production.
Any thriving industry is consumer-driven. The root of our issue in fashion is the trend of overconsumption. Fast fashion perpetuates rapid trend cycling and the hero-worship of consumer goods. You will be cooler if you have that leather jacket, you will make more friends if your jeans look like that. It has been brainwashed into all of us by the media for decades. And why? To sell us stuff and make someone money. This greed for material goods feeds into the much larger corporate greed of the big players in clothing manufacturing. That is not to say I think the answer is everyone wearing a potato sack and throwing all our material possessions into a fire. You can pry my leather jacket from my cold, dead hands. All I am saying is that everything we consume is physically sourced from a resource that is limited within our world. We hypothetically share these resources, and to be an ethical consumer, less is more. This is a lesson that I am learning as a consumer. To not define my style by hot ticket items, I will underutilize and throw in the back of my closet. But instead curate a wardrobe of items that are timeless, interchangeable, and will grow with my style evolution.
Abby Rolston merges her love of science with her passion for art and style in everything she makes. As a scientist, artist, writer, and musician, she draws inspiration from the natural world and the social world of human beings. Using art as a means to make sense of it all (or at least try to) she is constantly entering new phases of creativity and discovery. You can check out her website abbyrolstonart to explore her artistic process and available pieces, and see her day to day on
TikTok @ohnoagemini and Instagram @ahhhbeeeeee.