Is there such a thing as over-thrifting?Â
I confess: I take great pride in the fact that the majority of my clothes are second-hand purchases –Â âthriftsâ if you will. But you see, this pride, grounded in sustainability and my own personal environmental concerns, is constantly aggravated by the thrill that I get from securing a bargain piece, or a one-of-a-kind Vinted find (I know you know the feeling). At first, these two things seem to go hand in hand: excitement in the hunt and post-consumption satisfaction. But with a wardrobe rack starting to droop under the weight of all my clothes, I fear I’m teetering closely to the reconfirmation of mindless consumption I so characteristically claim to be out of.
Hence, I ask myself: where is the line between sustainable thrifting to help the planet and getting greedy when it comes to bargain shopping? Is there such a thing as over-thrifting?Â
The answer, as I shall go on to explore, is yes.Â
I would assume that the inexpensiveness of second-hand clothing is what draws most people into the world of Vinted and charity shops. Charity shopping, or âthriftingâ in the American sense, undoubtedly offers an affordable, sustainable practices, reducing the demand for fast fashion and making small contributions to the minimisation of the textile industry’s environmental impact; and with ÂŁ40 being the new reasonable, it seems odd to write an article warning people against the practice of second-hand clothing commerce. Climate change is rife and the fashion industry is one of its greatest contributors – but the thing with excess is as much as it is said to surfeit desire, desire is the very thing that creates it âŠ
In line with this, the in-expense of these clothing options, seems to become increasingly debatable in the age of the âDepop Girlâ. As proven to us by the algorithms of our social media and the endless thrift hauls and charity shop vlogs, second hand is (slowly and subtly) becoming second nature – well, at least more mainstream. Speaking experientially, I can confirm the steady rise in prices across Depop and Vinted, with the added postage fees now making transactions seem slightly offensive in comparison to the ridiculously cheap prices we once saw. Of course, second hand commerce through these streams (and charity shops) is still cheap enough to avoid protest, but the newfound trendiness of thrifting has arguably led to second-hand clothing being priced up in line with consumer demand, and charity shops run the risk of pricing people out.Â
The politics of thrifting therefore become slightly more complex than just a more sustainable, more affordable alternative.Â
With charity shops now seeing greater footfall and âvintage shopsâ finding a corner in every city and village, the second-hand top is becoming increasingly exclusive and âvogueâ, the result is a steady inflation, and the market audience is subtly changing to a more middle-class demographic. There runs the risk then of people who are in need of inexpensive, affordable clothing no longer being able to access it. Are we soon to experience garment gentrification? Pricing out those who need it and monopolising affordable clothing?
I’m sure we can all recall stumbling across a âvintage, Y2K, camiâ which on closer inspection is a Topshop top we all had when we were 16, bought for ÂŁ13, going for ÂŁ30.Â
Price isn’t the only thing on the rise; consumption is still growing.
Buying things for the sake of it – even if cheap and second hand – doesnât mean that the practice is wholly and innately sustainable. Sustainability runs through the production, consumption and disposal of the items. Buying something under the justification that it is second-hand but only wearing it once and then reselling it for profit or disposing of it is still mindless and excessive consumption. In 2022 a study by the Hot or Cold Institute argued for the “Rule of Five” – we should only be buying five new items of clothing annually in order to stay within the boundaries of the Paris Agreement – which has now been breached… Ultimately, the glorification of thrifting and re-sale that we have seen on our social media and through the making of the âDepop Girlâ known for her strategic âfind and sellâ lifestyle, is still the glorification of consumption. All that seems to have come from the subtle shift in consumer purchasing patterns is a re-positioning of consumer greed through âethical consumptionâ – it is still overconsumption. âFor the sake of itâ thrifting parallels fast fashion consumption, our access breeds excess where it should promote change.Â
Not only are we continually contributing to mass textile waste and eco-damage as a consequence of our unhealthy consumption habits, but by pedestalling second-hand clothing we run the risk of gentrifying accessible clothing streams – pricing out those who rely on charity shops and âcheapâ re-sale sites. This is not to say that we shouldn’t shop second-hand, but we still need to buy less. The thrill and excitement you get from securing your dream bargain piece, or oneâof-kind top that none of your friends have, ends with you – it is not carried forward with the item once it is discarded and disposed of. It is not our shores that it ends up on. I urge that we, should be more conscious when consuming. Buy second-hand but buy less. Responsible consumption does not just mean second hand, it means slow, it means conscious and it means less.