Fast fashion of second hand
The websites selling second hand clothes are becoming more and more popular. But does they really help to reduce the ecological consequences of fast fashion and overconsumption?
With the fashion industry being criticized more and more for its ecological impact, the second-hand fashion platforms are tapping into the awareness of consumers who want to buy clothes in a more ethical way.
Unfortunately, it seems like those platforms are far from being the panacea to combat fast fashion. On the contrary, they encourage the rapid turnover of models, largely from fast fashion, by giving purchasing power to consumers, who easily resell products to repurchase others.
Of course promoted “ecological benefits” attracts many users, but the main advantage of that market is above all the low price of the articles. All the positive sides of those platforms are neglected though if together with emptying fast your dressing, they help you to fill it with new clothes even faster. Manteau dior for half a price sounds good right?
It’s easy to use, you can subscribe to keywords and brands you prefer, to influential people who have a nice wardrobe and this way you can start checking tha website for updades more and more often (hello Instagram). Plus to that the act of buying is super simple and we quickly find ourselves with pieces that we don’t really need or that don’t fit us in the end.
So, even if, at the beginning, you enter this platform with good intentions, everything is done to push to consumption, with adrenaline level rising from each succeseful purchase.
Buisness model
Probably the good side of that buisness is that the major part of the money collected by selling old clothes is not reinvested in fast fashion and turns in “closed circuit” by being “reinjected in the purchase of second hand on the platform” via a “wallet principle” (the money earned on the platform is stored on the application for future purchases). But at the same time isn’t it encoureging to continue buying fast fashion second hand?
Transport
When speaking about transportion and carbonemissions associated with that, an option to select only clothing and accessories available nearby, and pick them up yourself comes in handy. Unfortunately, sometimes it can be removed because it didn’t work completely and for user data protection reasons. It is the case of french platform Vinted, for example. While before you could choose to pick up your purchase, now you should go through the platform and send packages which can sometimes be transported miles away.
Second hand platforms, at first sight are promoter of responsible consumption and are against overconsumption, though in reality they are not as efficient as it may seem. Offering an attractive and relevant alternative, they still allow to encourage the purchase of second hand items.
However, how do we react to this controversial second hand? Should we rethink our purchases on this platform by boycotting certain brands or simply favoring local businesses such as thrift stores? The appearance and reality of second hand platforms allow us to admit that once again, the actions proposed for a new eco-responsible world are never finished and must never stop being rethought.
Do not hesitate to share you toughts and ideas in the comments
Stay safe and sound, see you soon
Vika
