6 Reasons Why Reselling Is a New Must-follow Ethical Fashion

The fashion industry is slowly edging towards sustainable, eco-friendly trends, and the resale market is booming because of it.

The world is now embracing the second-hand clothing trend, and according to Statista, the global market value of resold clothing items has reached $96 billion. Moreover, the recent acquisition of the clothes reselling app “Depop” by Etsy has accelerated this movement and bought a brand new audience to this genre.

It’s a great step in the right direction, as it not only keeps clothes from ending up in landfills but also provides budget-friendly options to people who can’t afford expensive clothes.

6 Reasons why you should try reselling

Still not convinced? Here are 6 reasons why reselling is a new must-follow ethical fashion trend.

1. You make an extra income

According to WRAP, the value of unused items sitting in wardrobes is around £30 billion.

Honestly speaking, the clothes sitting at the back of your closet are not adding anything to your life. They’re not even sparking any excitement in you anymore. They’re simply sitting there, gathering dust.

Reselling is a great way to get a little value out of them. Once you decide that you don’t really want a certain piece of clothing, you can put it on online shopping platforms like Poshmark, Re-fashion, or thredUP, where people shop for second-hand clothing items exclusively. In fact, according to thredUP, the brands that have their own resale shops have seen an incredible increment of 275%, so this is definitely the rising trend in fashion to follow.

Here’s an excellent tip for reselling clothes: you can crosslist your items as well. It’s basically a process that allows you to feature a single item across multiple platforms so that a greater number of people can come across it.

2. Promotes affordability

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On the flip side of the sellers making an extra income, the buyers also get a shot at affordable yet trendy fashion items thanks to reselling. A recent poll conducted by Business Waste concluded that almost 45% of participants say that they would definitely go for pre-owned clothes. 

The keywords to remember here are never to make the mistake of considering preloved items’ bad quality. In fact, interestingly, there are quite a few second-hand clothes that come with tags. 

The Business Waste poll also concluded that 90% of people are influenced into buying second-hand clothing items if they see that their friends and family are doing so as well. An overwhelming 94% agreed that they would do so if they see celebrities moving toward this trend.

3. Environmental factors

Here’s how fast fashion brands make their clothes cheaper: 

• they opt for cheap textiles, 
• they indulge in mass production, 
• they do not invest in fair working conditions, 
• and they cause a boat-load of environmental problems. 

Even if you’re buying moderately good-quality cotton shirts, remember that the Ellen McArthur Foundation has stated that it takes around 93 billion cubic meters of water to make their clothes. That’s the equivalent of “37 million Olympic-size swimming pools” – which is quite a lot!

Buying second-hand items is an excellent alternative to that. Not only are you keeping the old things in circulation, but you’re also investing in good quality clothes while also protecting your environment. If you come across something vintage (the 80s or 90s specifically), then you’ll notice a distinct change in the quality of the fabric. It will be much softer compared to the polyester-based clothing that we’re used to these days.

4. Supporting a cause

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News Week’s coverage of H&M’s foray into sustainable fashion (Conscious Collection) revealed that only 0.1% of all donated textiles are recycled into new pieces. This is why it’s so important to buy from these stores if you want to live a conscious lifestyle.

On the upside, the Air Ambulance Service concluded that there has been a whopping 17.9% increase in the sales made by various charity shops across the UK. That’s an overwhelming number!

Most thrift stores or charity shops that resell clothing items tend to donate a portion of their earnings to a good cause. In fact, there are dedicated thrift stores that work in support of certain causes (the Red Cross, Cancer Research, and more). Every time you purchase an item from them, your money goes towards a charity that’s worth supporting. 

5. Supporting Circular Fashion

Here’s an interesting fact: according to the UN, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global emissions. This is why the rise of recommerce is also a step in the direction of promoting circular fashion. It’s basically a concise name for keeping existing clothing items in circulation instead of indulging in the “take-make-waste” model supported by the fast fashion industry. 

The idea is to dispose of your existing clothing in a responsible manner instead of promoting a way where you’re consciously aware that they’ll be ending up in a landfill somewhere.

6. It’s easy and accessible

Times are changing at breakneck speed, and if you think that going to thrift or consignment stores is the only way to get access to second-hand clothes – you’re wrong.

The fact of the matter is, that finding a great quality second-hand item is now as easy as logging on to a popular online reselling store and browsing. And remember: it’s not just donated clothes either. Gucci’s recent venture into resale with RealReal has totally redefined the whole second-hand shopping genre. Then there’s ASOS, the online British cosmetic, and clothing retailer that’s also delved into luxury reselling. With such easy access, good quality, and popularity, buying second-hand items is now becoming a great new venture to embark on.

Conclusion

In these fast-paced times, it’s all about capturing the attention of the eco-friendly consumer, and “ethical fashion” is the buzzword to get it. 

Most people only wear a single item of clothing 7 times before discarding it. This means that it’s in relatively good condition for reselling. Therefore, buying it is definitely a great step in the right direction, especially if you’re opting for a sustainable lifestyle.

Gilles Couvreur is the founder of Crosslist, a productivity tool that allows sellers to list quickly on the world’s largest online marketplaces. In his free time, he loves to share simple tips that help resellers reach more customers.