Opinion: Second hand fashion: A trend or a necessity?

Over the past few years apps like Vinted and Depop, and second hand clothes shops have snuck up on us to become an essential tool in the fashion-minded student’s toolkit. With our generation being significantly more conscious of their environmental impact, as well as the looming societal pressure to wear new and exciting outfits, second hand clothing seems to have naturally become the way forward. According to data from statista, in 2021, sales in the UK’s rose by 27 per cent and second hand clothes could be found in over 3,800 stores.

So why are students buying second hand?

Second hand fashion has attracted students in particular: It’s cheaper, more environmentally-friendly and also allows shoppers to find unique pieces they may not be able to find on the high street.

The attitude towards charity shopping and hand-me-downs has dramatically shifted over the past decade – partially due to the many social media trends involving influencers showing off their “hauls” of their second-hand purchases, as well as OOTDs showcasing unique “vintage” pieces from local, second-hand clothing sorters. 

Armstrong’s forever has my heart

Why is fast fashion so taboo?

The prevalence of “micro-trends” is clear in 2024, a phenomenon created by social media’s fast-paced, ever-changing, nature. Fast fashion is the result of large corporations exploiting and commercialising this.

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Recent statistics show that globally we generate 92 million tons of textile waste every year, to put that into perspective, that’s 18,400,000 elephants (that’s 41x more elephants than currently exist on earth). And this statistic is currently expected to double by 2030. The UK is one of the worst contributors to this terrifying amount.

Pictured here is the BEST Vinted find… £10 for this dress is insane.

How can we help?

Luckily, while Gen Z do contribute to this problem by wanting to stay on top of trends, we also are pioneers in the revival of second-hand buying, doing so most frequently.

There are many ways that you can turn to second hand, for example: Popping into charity shops, hitting up “for-profit, second-hand clothing sorters” (including the Edinburgh institution, W Armstrong’s and Sons), handing down clothes to friends, and of course, getting yourself on Vinted, Depop or something similar.

Formals done well… On the left: A great W. Armstrong find.
On the right: a handmade dress.

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