Second-Hand Fashion: Trends, Gentrification, Circularity Challenges & Why It Matters

Thrifting has moved from necessity to trend. Once a way to stretch budgets, it is now a global movement, particularly popular among Gen Z. The second-hand market grew 15% in 2024, already accounting for 9% of apparel sales, and further growth is expected in the next decade. Platforms like Vinted and Depop have turned resale into a digital treasure hunt, making unique and affordable pieces more accessible. Almost half of Gen Z now begin their clothing searches in second-hand shops.

Historically, clothing was carefully valued and made to last. Early thrift stores in the 1920s grew out of immigrant communities, providing affordable garments when resources were scarce. What began as a survival strategy has today become a fashion statement, often shaped by trend cycles and commodification.

Buying second-hand reduces the demand for new production and keeps textiles in use. Oxfam launched an annual Second Hand September series in 2019 to promote a shift in the way we think about shopping by encouraging consumers buy nothing new, or shop only second hand throughout the month. 

Campaigns like Oxfam’s are great in highlighting these ecological components, but the reality is more complex. High-quality items increasingly bypass local charity shops, which are left with lower-value donations and the labour-intensive work of sorting. Often only 10 – 20% of donations actually reach the racks, with the rest exported or creating environmental burdens elsewhere.

The type of store also matters:

• Curated vintage shops select pieces and raise prices to meet demand, often appealing to a wealthier audience.
• Donation-based shops operate with limited resources and remain essential for affordability. 

Thrifting should not exclude those who rely on it for financial necessity. Low-income consumers already have smaller footprints, yet the commodification of resale risks reducing their access.

Europe exports large volumes of used clothing to the Global South. While this appears to be a circular approach, much of this ends up being unsellable and ends up as waste, polluting air, soil, and water. EU policies like Extended Producer Responsibility, launched in early 2025, aim to improve textile collection and recycling, but fast fashion’s short-lived garments continue to overwhelm donation-based systems, creating structural challenges for truly sustainable reuse.

The destigmatisation of second-hand fashion has clear benefits: more awareness of slow fashion, textiles kept out of landfill, and broader adoption of reuse. However, true circularity requires more than convenience and aesthetics. It must remain inclusive and accessible, while reducing pressure on both people and planet. Take Pardaf in Antwerp, for example. During Second Hand September, the store transforms into a curated playground of designer clothes, vintage furniture, retro toys, and nostalgic children’s pieces, styled in collaboration with architect Evy Bouwen of SIS Antwerp. For owner Charlotte Vrydaghs, it is ​“more than a shopping experience it’s an inspiring story.” The shop proves that second-hand can be stylish and full of character, without losing focus on affordability or accessibility.

Next time you shop second-hand, whether online or in a charity store, consider who benefits, and how your choices fit into a fashion system that values longevity over fast turnover.

Want to learn more about second hand shopping and the fashion industry? 

• Read more about what happens to the fashion industry’s textile waste here
• Discover how textile recycling really works here.
• Learn about second hand shops’ supply chain here