© Daniel Farò
It’s late. I'm in my bed, with my laptop and phone. I know it’s bad… Not very mindful of me. But at least I’m not on my phone doomscrolling! Really!! I’m thinking about Lilian’s article, the growing market of second hand retail, and whether it really is the “Trojan Horse of Fast Fashion”. For me personally, it isn’t. I experience second hand shopping quite differently to Lilian: I’m a very pragmatic shopper and usually only look for specific pieces that I need or at least want.
However, I live on Brick Lane. Every day, I see the pilgrims who find their way to the Mecca of second hand shopping and hence physically witness the proof that enough people love to go “treasure hunting” and often end up buying more than they need. That’s why I decided to use that geographic advantage and start some conversations to learn more about the different perspectives on second hand shopping, consumption behaviours, and motivations behind them.
In total, I interviewed 9 randomly selected people - 8 of them FLINTA and all between their early 20s and mid-30s, and my fashionista friend (Alizée Verstraeten).
Surprise: All of them are second hand shoppers!
One person even shops 100% second hand garments, because “there are too many clothes out there – so much cute stuff”. The rest still buys newly produced stuff, especially the basics, and the ratios varied from 80/20 to 20/80 – but all of them wanted to stick even more with second hand garments in the future.
Are we all doomed?
These developments and the numbers (like from The Business Research Company, Research and Markets, or eBay and especially Vinted) show: second hand shopping is on the rise! But what does that mean? Are we all doomed to scroll even longer on our phone, tricked into spending more money than we want or have, and turn into fast-fashion consumers while thinking we are saving the planet? My interviewees gave a less drastic outlook than this dystopian scenario:
First of all, none of them thought that they were shopping too much. While two people were shopping at least once a month, the others only bought garments every couple of months when they felt they needed something new. Two people also mentioned that shopping second hand also usually takes longer, which slows the process down even more.
So, is mindless consumerism creeping up on second hand? Lilian made a point that the "faster, cheaper, more" ethos is not stopping from second hand either, but it is even harder to spot under a generous layer of circular-consumption marketing. However, seven out of ten didn’t see the problem in the second hand market, since “people who are a bit more mindful about how they shop are generally a bit more mindful with their shopping habits.” And since “people shop anyway”, “second hand will always be ultimately a good thing [to me]. Because either way the clothes are getting reused. As long as they are not produced in a sweatshop and clothes getting piled and piled, I really don’t mind”. They rather focused on the ecological consequences and slightly ignored the mental health aspect of the question. They saw shopping as an occasional hobby and took buying decisions quite mindfully: “I think it’s a push and pull. If you know how to, like, have boundaries and be strict with yourself and be decisive when you are shopping then you will be okay.”
Nevertheless, one person mentioned that there is still a huge amount of second hand clothes ending up in landfills (especially in Ghana and Chile’s Atacama Desert), which leads to the question if the system is really that circular. The same person also raised concerns about the resale market that only exists to make money out of certain designer or streetstyle pieces, without the initial thought of circularity.
The answer of a very fashion-interested interviewee builds on that by agreeing with the irrational, fast-decided buying of designer pieces – “if the price is good I buy it instantly, not necessarily because I need it”. She thought her impulsive buying is worse with second hand, because “new clothes you can buy anytime”, while second hand stuff also has the element of scarcity.
© Prada Spring/Summer 1997
But is it still fast fashion buying behaviour?
I don’t think so. But that’s where it gets interesting. It’s a different phenomenon where consumerism is not fuelled by the accessibility of stylish-looking, cheap, “wear-them-once” looks, but by the possibility of affordable, very special, designer pieces that only a group of fashion experts can identify. Hence, it’s a different dynamic and a different affected group. While the fashion pioneers usually don’t tap into the fast fashion trap, as they don’t want to look like everyone else, the opportunity of sharing the latest treasure hunting success (this is a Prada spring/summer 1997 skirt?!) makes them buy more than they usually would. Therefore, knowledge, but also a certain materialistic disposition, as mentioned by Lilian, is the foundation of an “obsessive” second hand shopper. As Alizée said: “For me it’s a passion. It’s something that I absolutely love, even an extension of my personality (…) In that sense I don’t necessarily see it as an issue. On the other hand, do I spend too much money on clothes? Yes, haha!”
My take is that live shopping builds on that feeling of involvement. During the sessions, you can share all the background information that turns a “pretty blue jumper” into the hand-knitted pullover that draws colour inspiration from cerulean Oscar de la Renta gowns, which Yves Saint Laurent picked up in his military jackets and so on – we all know the famous Miranda Priestly monologue. And suddenly everyone who joined the stream turned into an expert on this product and shared the heightened value, which ended up in increased impulsive buying.
So what does that mean?
When you compare the two dynamics, second hand shopping is not the Trojan horse of fast fashion. But also the Trojans had to adapt their strategies based on their enemies, and with that in mind, the comparison definitely makes sense. However, not everyone is affected equally – probably it’s a mix of impulse buying traits, fashion motivation & perceived value, and high consumption appetite in general, and hence the assumption that all “mindful shoppers are shopping mindfully” is probably wrong. But that’s a question for a new text. Until then!
*A big thank you to all the interviewees for sacrificing their time and sharing their knowledge! Our conversations made my day!
When asked what they like about second hand fashion, I received various answers. However, almost everyone mentioned the fact that you can find unique pieces. Some like that they can stand out with them and get external appreciation; others really value the story behind the treasure they just found, as “the value of a vintage piece goes up if [they] know the history behind it”. Many mentioned the higher quality of older pieces, while others appreciate the affordable prices, or even a combination of both factors; especially when it comes to designer pieces.
Most interviewees also mentioned that the act of looking and eventually finding their new favourite piece is “like treasure hunting”. Although the hunting grounds vary:
Vinted was definitely mentioned a lot. The combination of a wide variety, fair prices and low fees is appreciated by many shoppers. Being a trusted platform also plays into their hands; however, other marketplaces, like Vestiaire Collective or eBay, were rated even higher and are particularly used for expensive designer pieces.
However, not everyone is shopping online. Approximately half of the interviewees preferred browsing through physical stores. Most of them see it as a pleasurable and social activity; an opportunity to get inspired and discover pieces that they would never have looked for or gotten at such an affordable price tag. The “fashionistas” also mentioned that they shop certain (high-end) brands or pieces only in physical stores – sometimes even only specialised stores – to check fit, quality, and material first.
On the other hand, one person flagged that second hand pieces in physical stores are usually more expensive, which again pushes some people to the online marketplaces.
And there’s another reason that came up in the conversations: resale platforms are not only about buying. They are a growing community where people sell, swap clothes and create a circular system on their own. And even though I clearly feel this spirit every time I walk around the Brick Lane area, it’s sometimes also a smart marketing message or something we tell ourselves to reaffirm our consumption. In the end, all second hand retailers need to cover their (rising) costs or want to establish themselves, and hence, need to grow and make more money. Others are already huge global companies (like some online platforms that I mentioned) with business models grounded in growth - which is kind of counterintuitive to a sustainable or even circular model.
The next level in this growth process is live shopping, which was mentioned by one interviewee. She loves it, because “it’s so entertaining and so many people are buying”. Even though live shopping is quite a new thing in Europe, the entertainment aspect paired with scarcity and time pressure is gaining quite some momentum. However, my interviewee also mentioned that for her it’s quite tricky to find the right pieces because of sizing and style.
Brick Lane’s Take on Second Hand Shopping
5 September 2026
Words by Stefan Brunner
Cover by Daniel Farò
