The Not-So-Sustainable Reality of Buying Second-Hand Fashion

When the hunt for thrifted gems becomes a haul, we could end up overconsuming — and accumulating.

- Karen Tee

I pride myself on being a savvy second-hand shopper. A gently used vintage Jean Paul Gaultier blazer from a second-hand store in Taiwan; a silk Moschino scarf from a flea market in Tokyo; a novelty Kate Spade box clutch from a charity sale in Singapore — these are just a few of the treasures I have unearthed over the years at a fraction of their original prices.

It gives me great satisfaction to uncover something unique that is still in good condition and that I feel represents my personal sense of style, especially when I can justify it as a more sustainable consumer choice.

After all, buying second-hand fashion means that I'm extending the lifespan of existing clothes and ultimately reducing waste in the fashion industry.

In fact, about half of my wardrobe is made up of my second-hand finds.

But after a recent shopping stopover in Japan, I found myself trying (and failing) to cram a stack of T-shirts into an already maxed-out drawer. That was when it hit me, almost as hard as the teetering pile of jeans threatening to avalanche off my top shelf.

During the pandemic, I had painfully Marie Kondo'd my wardrobe. But now, it was chaos. The hanging racks were stuffed to the brim, shoe boxes and handbags were piled on the floor, and my still unpacked suitcase of "new old" treasures had nowhere to be emptied into.

Was I saving the planet, or just slowly drowning in discount fashion?

GOING MAINSTREAM

In a way, my out-of-control closet is a sign that the circular fashion economy — keeping clothes in use longer through resale, repair or reuse — has finally taken off in a big way in Singapore.

While there used to be a stigma around buying and wearing second-hand fashion among the older generations, a global shift towards sustainability and changing perceptions among Gen Z and millennial shoppers have popularised it as a budget-conscious way to update wardrobes — and unearth some thrifted gems in the process.