Is a quarter of your wardrobe secondhand?

ReLondon, and the Institute of Positive Fashion, have set targets for 25% of our wardrobes to be secondhand as a route to reducing fashion's carbon emissions - is that realistic?

I’ve just completed the MA Fashion Futures at London College of Fashion and my dissertation explores the secondhand fashion market’s potential to reduce the fashion industry’s overall emissions.

As part of our graduation show I hosted a panel discussion designed to explore this with Anna Woods, the founder of Positive Retail, Anna Kilpatrick, the writer and influencer behind Not Needing New, preloved fashion expert Emily London and Elizabeth Woods, the campaigns lead at Love not Landfill.

You can watch our discussion here.

Or read my key takeaways below.

The elephant in the room is….

Secondhand fashion has been described in Forbes Magazine as “the most compelling climate-impact story of almost anything in the fashion business”  and “proven ready-to-go, scalable solution to mitigate fashion’s footprint” in Vogue Business.

But, the elephant in the room, or indeed in our wardrobes, is that the growing secondhand market will only reduce the fashion industry’s overall environmental impact if all our secondhand purchases actually replace, and displace, new purchases, meaning the fashion industry makes less new clothes. 

With the secondhand market being a fundamental part of strategic plans designed to reduce the fashion industry’s carbon emissions - ReLondon want 25% of Londoners apparel purchases to be secondhand, and The Institute of Positive Fashion are targeting 25% of our wardrobes being secondhand - and I want to understand whether we finally heading for a tipping point where secondhand purchases are starting to displace new purchases?

Will a quarter of our wardrobes be secondhand in future?

Everyone agreed it could be possible for a quarter of all our wardrobes to be secondhand. But, panellists flagged that it won’t be easy for everyone. The secondhand market can be sizeist, ableist and there are big disparities in the availability of preloved apparel across the UK.

But there is lots of potential for online resale platforms, and alteration services, to make secondhand shopping more inclusive and accessible.

There needs to be something for everyone

For a quarter of our wardrobes to be secondhand, there will need to be lots of different ways to shop preloved. From luxury airport boutiques selling preloved Gucci through to jumble sales providing affordable clothing in communities. We need them all and, in a market that is oversaturated with stock, there is plenty of space for everyone.

There are also lots of different types of secondhand shoppers. Whilst some people love rummaging through overcrowded rails in search of hidden treasure, others may find charity shops terrifying and need Positive Retail to “take away the overwhelm,” or Emily London to share tips on her charity shop tours.

Secondhand shopping does require a mindset shift

Emily London explained that, for consumers, choosing to shop secondhand requires a “real mindset shift” away from following trends and towards understanding what you like to wear.

While this may be a challenge for Gen X’ers who, as Anna Kilpatrick says “cut their shopping teeth” in the heady days of the 1980’s, many Gen Z’ers are already actively rejecting the idea of trends and embracing secondhand shopping as a way to develop their own individual style.

There are reasons to be hopeful

Based on Love not Landfill’s work with Gen Z consumers in London, Elizabeth Woods believes there are “reasons to be hopeful” that their love of secondhand shopping is far more than a passing trend. As research from Depop and Relondon shows secondhand displacement rates are highest amongst Gen Z - could this start to reduce new apparel sales in the future?

Why should secondhand clothes be cheap?

Elizabeth also pointed out that secondhand prices are “all about supply and demand.” While it might be easy to find current season, fast fashion items selling for low prices on Vinted, real vintage pieces are becoming harder and harder to find and therefore more and more expensive.

And Anna Woods questioned why, in the current fashion system, a new coat can be worth £1000 in Harvey Nichols at the start of the season, and just £200 six months later in the sales. Why do clothes lose value so fast? Her Positive Retail business wants to “honour the value in clothes” and challenge this cycle of discounting by never having sales.

How can we, as individuals, support a secondhand future?

Everyone agreed that, as Anna Kilpatrick said “the party is over.” That the last forty years of overconsumption and consumerism were an aberration. There was agreement that things need to change and here’s what we can do.

Use your spending power to push for change

While those of us who had worked in fashion were sceptical that an industry predicated on growth would ever choose to make less new stuff, the other panellists suggested we were underestimating the power of consumers.

They believe we, as individuals, can influence the behaviour of businesses by shopping secondhand first, or even by choosing not to shop at all. I hope they’re right!

Repair don’t replace

Projects like Repair Week are gaining momentum, visible mending is on trend, and mainstream brands are starting to open repair centres. Whilst there’s a lot more that could be done, including teaching mending skills in schools, perhaps it’s not unreasonable to think that fashion’s future will be not just secondhand, but mended too?

And stop buying clothes you don’t need

There were real concerns that it’s easy to transfer fast fashion consumption habits into the secondhand market.

Anna Kilpatrick advised us all to stop buying clothes for a “fantasy life” we want but don’t have. Explaining that, if your personal reality is working from home and walking the dog in the rain, you should probably step away from that wafty gossamer dress - no matter how beautiful it is.

Before buying anything, new or secondhand, always ask yourself “do I really need it?”

Or might I be happier without it?

I’m here to learn and to start conversations about a secondhand future..

If you’ve read this far I’d love to hear what your thoughts on whether the secondhand market can be a stepping stone to reducing fashion’s carbon emissions.