By Liz ’20

Thrifting has become the trend. It ranges from looking at the local consignment shop to shopping on high end sites like TheRealReal or 1stDibs. Even though some people make fun of it or think it is just not worth it, buying on the secondary market does not only save you money, it saves the world too.

The fashion industry is one of the highest polluting industries in the world due to the production and distribution of the materials needed to make clothes. The two main problems are “Fast Fashion” and synthetic materials. Fast Fashion is a term used to describe the increase in market want for cheap clothing. This means they are often made with cheap labor and cheaper materials which all dominoes into being worse for the environment. Synthetic materials are a mix of coal, petroleum, air, and water. Two of these things are fossil fuels which are very bad for the Earth to obtain and continually burn. 

Everyone wants Fast Fashion, but there is an easier way to get it without harming the environment: The resale market. The resale market ranges from places like Goodwill to places like Plato’s Closet and exists online in Poshmark, Mercari, and even eBay, and for the very high end items TheRealReal and Tradesy. I like these websites to sell my things and find miscellaneous items like keychains or purchase luxury for less. However, I have recently learned they are much more than a way to make quick money and get a good deal. 

Selling on the secondary market means that the lifespan of clothes is longer. If you are done with a pair of shoes or a sweatshirt, there is a fairly high chance someone else out there is looking for it. The person who ends up purchasing that item will either use it until its unusable, resell it, or donate it- all of which is much better than throwing it away into a landfill where it will harm the Earth more than its making already has. 

Outside of helping the Earth, resale also saves a lot of money. Many used listings on resale sites are about half off the original cost of the item and the deals on luxury market items are often pretty incredible. If you are looking for a specific item such as trendy winter boots I would highly recommend checking resale before walking into a store to buy new. You will likely find a high quality and reasonably priced item.

Everyone wants to feel like they are helping the environment. This is one of the easiest ways to do it and get your retail therapy in too.