How to build a sustainable secondhand wardrobe

More online platforms are giving secondhand shopping a digital upgrade, rolling out features like livestream shopping and AL-powered search to make thrifting faster and more exciting.

- By KIKI SIDERIS

A MODEL walks the runway at the eBay Endless Runway show during New York Fashion Week in September.

(ANGELINA KATSANIS, Associated Press)

Although choosing secondhand over new is often the more sustainable option, experts say it’s not a license to overconsume. They warn that resale has its limits, since buying more than you need still fuels waste, and shopping online canadd emissions from servers and shipping, thrifted or not.

Here’s how industry experts and fashion-forward shoppers shop secondhand sustainably — and how to find quality pieces that last while looking cool, too.

At eBay’s secondhand runway shows in New York and London, models wore pre-loved designer pieces that guests could shop live. Secondhand items like those make up 40% of the company’s sales, said Alexis Hoopes, eBay’s vice president of fashion.

“One of our big priorities is making secondhand just as good as shopping in the primary market,” she said.

ThredUp and the Real-Real have reported record sales this year, signaling that the online resale market is growing quickly. Live-auction apps like Whatnot are giving shoppers more platforms to bid on used clothing.

Shoppers navigating growing online options with an eye toward sustainability can still end up buying more than they need.