Thrifting, Reselling & Privilege: The Good…and the Not-So-Good

Graphic by Aysa Tarana

Thrifting has increased in mainstream popularity over the last few years. With clothing production contributing to carbon emissions and waste, buying secondhand can seem like the most responsible choice. Although it is a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to fast fashion, that still doesn’t mean it’s 100% ethical. 

Something you might have noticed when scrolling on apps like Depop and Poshmark is how heavily marked-up the pricing on thrifted items can be, making the pieces prohibitively expensive for people who can’t afford to shop anywhere else. This is also an issue because a lot of the “trendy” or “cute” items in thrift stores are picked up by resellers rather than people who rely on thrift store prices for access to these more popular items. 

You might have seen an item in a thrift store recently and wondered, if this item is secondhand, why is it so expensive? The recent increase in popularity of thrift stores has led to secondhand shops attracting wealthier crowds than they have in the past, incentivizing stores to raise their prices.

Unfortunately, while these higher prices are affordable for the new wave of thrift shoppers, they aren’t for everyone. This is a phenomenon that some have deemed a form of gentrification.

Influencer culture also plays a big part in the popularity of thrifting among the masses. “Thrift hauls” on YouTube, for example, often show influencers showing off exorbitant amounts of trendy clothes purchased for a relatively low price. Of course, these influencers don’t need to be shopping at a thrift store for financial reasons; in this type of media, thrifting is promoted as a way to essentially get a new wardrobe for cheap.

This goes against the sustainability angle of thrifting. Overconsumption of secondhand clothing is still overconsumption, especially if the clothes end up unworn or donated again. 

That said, if done conscientiously and responsibly, thrifting can still be a positive choice for yourself and the world. If you’re thrifting for fun and not out of necessity, some ways to avoid contributing to gentrification and overconsumption are altering items before reselling them and only buying a few items at a time.

Another great way to do good for the environment and your wallet is to trade clothing with your friends and family. This prevents your clothes from ending up in landfills while allowing you to spend time with the people you care about.

Achieving a sustainable lifestyle might seem pretty daunting, but thoughtfully thrifting can be a great way to lessen your impact on the environment. Through buying secondhand and making informed purchases, you can avoid the endless cycle of fast-fashion and give old clothing a new life.