NEWS | STYLE
Written by Caeden Tipler (they/them) | @caedentipler | News Editor
Thrifting has never been more popular. A 2023 report from ThredUp, an online marketplace for used clothing, found the global secondhand clothing market is expected to be worth $350 billion by the year 2027.
The majority of these contemporary thrifters are Gen Z. Where thrifting carried a stigma for previous generations, secondhand items are now worn like a badge of honour. If your response to “Where did you get that top?” is “I thrifted it”, then you’re probably extremely cool. In fashion, individuality is the new uniformity.
This is due to a combination of factors. A more environmentally-conscious generation sees thrifting as the sustainable option. Popular beauty and fashion influencers like Emma Chamberlain, who became famous for her thrifted style, may have also had a role to play. This has only been amplified by TikTok where thrift hauls are ubiquitous content that rack up thousands of views.
With the rise of online shopping, there’s also been a sharp increase in the number of people thrifting online. Designer Wardrobe, an online secondhand clothes retailer in Aotearoa, doubled its membership between 2020 and 2024.
Debate spoke to three students in Tāmaki Makaurau on why they started and continue to purchase their clothing secondhand.
Saahil Singh (@_saahil.s_)
Final year Law student
“I remember in high school we watched this documentary on fast fashion, The True Cost, and that put me off buying clothes from H&M.”
For Saahil Singh, thrifting is a combination of being environmentally conscious and creating his own sense of style. Shopping secondhand prevents Singh from falling into the trap of buying the latest popular item just because it’s trending, and forces him to focus on how he actually wants to dress in the longer term. He’s spent a few years on Pinterest working out what this looks like and now turns to models he finds interesting, like Stucci Gus, for inspiration.
Singh says thrifting has the added benefit of finding clothing that is not just affordable but is made to last - a novel concept in the age of the short life cycles of fast fashion. Singh gives the example of when he recently purchased a leather jacket, an item that was far better quality secondhand than anything he could find brand new.
“It was also rewarding.” Singh added, “Finding a unique item from forty years ago is far more fulfilling because of the effort put in.”
He did note that thrifting is not a perfect solution for the planet. It’s still overconsumption (“thrift hauls are exactly like the people who do Shein hauls”) and ultimately, thrifting is just delaying putting the same clothes in a Landfill.
Stella Roper (@stellyvision)
Third-year Visual Arts student and Debate Arts Editor`
“There's a mix of everything at thrift stores and you can often find things that you'd never see in currently open retail stores.”
Stella Roper’s sense of style has a range of influences. Their queer identity, creative friends, and introduction to Japanese-originating subcultures ‘lolita’ and ‘gyaru’ all play a role. Not to mention her ‘scene’ and rave-inspired fashion and the people with “funky taste” she follows on Instagram.
To them the benefit of thrifting is the range on offer, encouraging her to try on outfits she would never wear otherwise. In Roper’s words, “I've had too many moments to count where I've tried on something "for the bit" or as a prank and it eventually comes into my wardrobe unironically.” They state that the clothes are often cheaper and better quality than similar items in retail stores (“the irony is real”) especially when you find out-of-season discounted items. Her advice is to go to local, randomised style stores over the curated vintage ones for both style and affordability.
Roper also finds thrifting to be a straightforward, eco-friendly alternative to buying new, “my thinking is that there is always an abundance of clothes at thrift stores, so there's no reason for me not to look when it's such an obvious and easy way to lessen your total carbon and consumption footprint.”
Despite the obvious style, affordability, and environmental benefits, they’re also aware of the key downside of thrifting - it’s time-consuming. “I understand why some people can't be bothered. Money equals time and spending a day going around stores doesn't equal you finding items indefinitely.”
Lily Chen (@lil.ychen)
Final year Law, Sociology, and Psychology student
“My sense of style is swayed by two simple factors - availability and affordability.”
Lily Chen started thrifting when she moved out of home to go to university. The thrifting scene in the Auckland CBD became a godsend for her as a student with very limited disposable income. She explained that thrifting became a way for her to express her identity without breaking the bank.
Chen says that although thrifting hasn’t necessarily changed her style, it has opened her eyes to unexpected pieces. The benefit of a cheap piece of clothing allows her to occasionally step out of her comfort zone and purchase an item she wouldn’t have otherwise considered. Thrifting also means she isn’t constrained by any preferences in terms of fabrics, patterns or textures. Every item in every store has potential.
“I love the mystery of thrift shopping.” She added, “I usually buy clothes with a purpose in mind and I would have no idea what I will wear for that occasion until the perfect outfit appears. Honestly, each store is a treasure trove and I am never disappointed by my discoveries.”
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