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Sustainability is one of the most important components of the current global fashion industry. Or at least that’s what fashion moguls claim, primarily thinking of their profitability and continued market dominance, which is often tainted by greenwashing. Following this global fashion trend, the market is not only reaching for new clothing labeled ‘sustainability‘, but is increasingly turning to stores and platforms for selling quality and well-preserved second-hand clothing, whether it’s second-hand, vintage, or retro clothing and fashion details, and the ‘good catch’ of rare pieces, especially those with labels from top global fashion brands, is becoming a new fashion luxury.
Once, buying such clothing was viewed with stigma and ridicule, but now second-hand clothing buyers are increasingly common among the younger population. A market that once attracted mainly rare fashion collectors, expert vintage enthusiasts, and retro fashion lovers is now actually a story with ecological components, as well as a reaction against ‘fast fashion’ where everyone wears the same things, as young people increasingly seek their identity in their fashion style and want clothing with a personal touch. Therefore, when discussing the rapidly growing European second-hand clothing market, we are also talking about ecological awareness, thriftiness, and fashion individuality. And price, of course, plays a significant role, as second-hand clothing is cheaper and significantly more sustainable than most newer collections from high street brands.
‘Boom’ of the second-hand goods market
The second-hand clothing and fashion accessories market is currently growing three times faster than the overall fashion industry. It is expected that by 2030, the second-hand clothing trade will be twice as large as the sales of new street fashion collections.
The European market for second-hand luxury goods reached a value of $15.2 billion in 2021, and it is projected that this market will reach a value of as much as $24.8 billion by 2027. There is an increasing number of platforms for online resale of second-hand clothing and fashion accessories, which further stimulates demand for second-hand luxury goods. These platforms are even entering into strategic partnerships with luxury brands to further enhance the reputation and value of second-hand products, so we can truly speak of a real renaissance of circular fashion.
The emergence of numerous advanced technologies to improve authentication and quality verification processes has provided an even safer and more reliable environment for customers in the resale and purchase of second-hand and branded goods. The dominant European markets for selling high-quality second-hand clothing are France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia.
To understand why the search for vintage pieces and the purchase of second-hand products is becoming increasingly popular and frequent, especially in the post-pandemic era, we asked for the opinion of Bojana Radović, a journalist and editor at Večernji list, as well as a knowledgeable expert on the fashion scene and global fashion events.
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– The issue of sustainability, fortunately, is becoming an increasingly significant question in the development of global fashion, as the data on how much water and energy the textile industry consumes worldwide ranks it among the largest environmental polluters. This means that by indulging in our fashion passions, we are literally destroying the world we live in. These figures are indeed shocking, as we know that every production consumes water and energy, but few of us think that, for example, the production of just one pair of jeans requires one liter of pesticide and 25 liters of oil. Therefore, buying second-hand means thinking much broader than just trends and one’s own wardrobe, says Radović.
Second hand has always existed
In Zagreb, it’s our popular fair at Hrelić, where goods were sold even when I was a little girl, whether it was second-hand pieces or the first jeans from Trieste. The emergence of stores, especially those that nurture vintage fashion, is a response to the emergence of a fashion audience that increasingly avoids looking like everyone else. Thus, second-hand stores are actually an excellent way to showcase personality and skill in the fashion game. Environmentally conscious Scandinavians are miles ahead of the rest of us, but the strong French have always been prominent in this offering, especially when it comes to luxury products. On the other side of the channel, the British have managed to make a good business out of it, so, for example, in London, there are second-hand stores where goods from specific periods are bought, such as the 1950s, punk fashion…
In recent years, all major fashion names have somehow been ‘recycling’ their ideas from the past.
– This is at the very essence of fashion, as it is always cyclical and returns to some old ‘settings’, just as we now see ‘oversized’ pieces with very pronounced shoulders that marked the fashion of the 1980s everywhere. And when we talk about the vintage look, the strongest house is Chanel, which actually returns to what the great Coco Chanel did in every new collection, and yet the tweed suit and little black dress always find some new face. Also, these are the most expensive vintage pieces (when we talk exclusively about clothing, not handbags, some of which have true collectible value and are more valued than jewelry pieces) that can today be found for sale on online portals. Of course, it should be noted to buyers that they check on the brand’s own pages what an original piece from Chanel should have (there are many hidden codes, stamps, and numbers that prove authenticity), Prada, and YSL, so they are not deceived by (very expensive) counterfeits, adds Bojana.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of second-hand clothing?
The biggest advantage is a good catch, and everyone should decide for themselves about the disadvantages. One of the longest streets in Zagreb, Ilica, has long been a true paradise for lovers of second-hand clothing, as it has the most stores with second-hand clothing. Not far from Ilica, in Jurišićeva, there is another well-known address for all true vintage lovers, the store Ulični Ormar, one of the first and also the best Croatian second-hand and vintage stores, whose owners are Radmila Grba and Andreja Latinović Kler.
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– Ulični Ormar opened its creaky doors in Zagreb’s Jurišićeva street just over 11 years ago. Behind it all are, first and foremost, friends, and now we have been business partners for years, both having grown up with fathers who were true ‘hoarders’ who threw nothing away. Everything was kept because ‘you never know when it will be needed’ or it was a memory of grandma, grandpa, uncle… So we learned from a young age to appreciate and not throw away. During our student days, we regularly visited second-hand stores and flea markets, so when the desire arose to try to start something together, to work for ourselves, the idea of Ulični Ormar naturally emerged. Vintage was still a relative unknown in Croatia at that time, and the beginnings were quite challenging. At that time, there was a certain aversion to buying second-hand clothing, as it was considered for poorer people. So we had to work hard to explain that vintage is a completely special story, that it is about unique, quality pieces that come from times when there was no mass production, when things were made to last, with special attention to detail and quality of workmanship. We can happily say that Ulični Ormar quickly gained its loyal audience and we have recorded constant growth from day one. Certainly, in recent years, the popularity of such stores has been contributed to by the global slow fashion movement, the strengthening of awareness about sustainability, recycling, and environmental protection. The textile industry is the second-largest polluter in the world, and we all need to change our habits and attitudes. We really don’t need overcrowded wardrobes of cheap clothing of questionable quality, produced in inhumane working conditions. We are particularly pleased to notice that more and more young people think this way. It is a misconception that vintage clothing is more for older people. Our most numerous customers are precisely young people and generally those who want to build their own style and stand out in the crowd, say Radmila and Andreja.
