For the environment, the fashion industry is an extreme burden. Moreover, production is largely responsible for depleting the world’s water supplies, for about 35% of the microplastic economy in the oceans, for a large share of the world’s pesticide use and for a very large burden on our landfills. It is estimated that three-fifths of all garments end up in landfill or are otherwise disposed of after they are made.
No more “business as usual”
It is clear that the fashion industry cannot continue like this. If it does, it will consume a quarter of the world’s carbon budget by 2050. This raises the question of how the fashion industry will deal with the issue of sustainability. How can digitalisation convince the fashion market to move away from fast fashion and become more sustainable?
Digital technologies are bringing about changes in the fashion industry. A good example of this is the proliferation of apps and websites designed to facilitate the sale and purchase of second-hand clothing. These services are not only used by vintage lovers. In fact, the value of the global second-hand clothing market doubled between 2014 and 2018, and the trend is still rising. Younger generations such as the so-called “Millennials” and “Generation Z” are particularly involved in this. Buying second-hand clothes is not a new idea, but the convenience of buying and selling them via smartphone is.
When old jeans go digital
The concept is not only aimed at certain groups of people, there are apps for all target groups. It is possible to look for everyday clothes, but also high-end fashion. The most popular apps for this are Vinted on the Western European mainland and thredUP in San Francisco. A market report by the second-hand giant thredUP, whose automation system processes over 100,000 individual garments per day, says that second-hand will grow to 1.5 times the size of fast fashion by 2028.
Another digital alternative is online fashion rental. For this, there are a large number of fashion companies that join the sharing economy. Here it is possible to take out a subscription, which delivers a certain number of garments to the users for a monthly fee. This service offers customers the opportunity to try out new looks before the clothes are returned for washing and sent to someone else. Whether this model is positive for the environment is questionable. After all, each item of clothing ends up being transported and washed several times. It is also argued that the subscription concept without purchase stimulates rather than satiates the fast fashion mentality of consumers.
Fast fashion companies also want their share
The rise of these two fashion trends is also having an impact on the fast fashion industry. Providers such as Zalando or ASOS now also offer platforms for selling second-hand clothing. In the US, a number of established brands are currently setting up their own clothing rental service.
The number of sustainable fashion products is still small, but it has increased fivefold in the last two years. Companies that will not adapt and miss out on these changes are likely to be left behind in the future. Even though awareness of sustainability has increased, the vast majority still buy substandard clothing from the fast fashion industry and throw it away before it is anywhere near the end of its life. Moreover, fashion companies are increasingly encouraging us to consume even more. But what are the advantages of second hand over fast fashion? Find out below!
Advantages of second hand
More Sustainable
You probably guessed it already: Second-hand also means being more sustainable. Since, in contrast to a new product, no further resources are consumed. In addition, the valuable resources used are reused and do not end up in the rubbish. In a nutshell: buying something second-hand is actually ALWAYS more sustainable than consuming a new item. Logically, you should not shop internationally second hand, but rather more regionally.
Cheaper
Another point in favour of second hand: it’s easy on the wallet. Not everyone can afford new fair fashion, so second-hand clothing is often a cheap alternative that is still sustainable and fair. Because we definitely don’t want to support fast fashion just because it’s supposedly cheap!
Appreciative
One more thing is particularly important to us: second-hand clothing creates appreciation. Why? For one thing, we give a new life to a piece we buy second-hand. Things that were previously just lying around unused may become someone else’s new favourite item. Second-hand buying is like a treasure hunt. When you finally find the perfect winter jacket for only 20€ after two months of searching, it’s a pretty great feeling. Due to fast fashion, we have unfortunately forgotten about the appreciation of fashion. Let’s do better in the future.
Inidividual
The fourth and last advantage on our list is individuality. Because fast fashion chains produce in huge quantities and the pieces are neither hard to find nor expensive, it can happen that someone wears the same outfit at the flat-sharing party. That’s kind of a shame, we think! Of course, if you’re looking for second-hand clothes or even real vintage treasures, you won’t have this problem.