The Lie Dream Of The Second Hand Clothing Scene

In no way is this a statement about the end of the second-hand clothing trend, well, that is to say, ‘I hope it's not’. 

Buying second-hand clothing has many positives in that it can help to reduce our overproduction and consumption, and the quality of a lot of the older garments is superior to a lot of modern equivalents. 

In a recent Vogue article by Sue Poole, she said, ‘second-hand has allowed me to discover how I actually want to dress’.

This is very important; stepping away from the mainstream of fashion is more fun and empowering in our current influencer-led environment. 

It’s not just a personal view; a recent article in The Guardian questions when personal taste fell out of fashion. 

The internet changed everything, at times for the better, as our access to information is better than ever. With access to all of this information, why are we not using it? We also have a natural desire to fit in; it feels to me that this has gone into overdrive. 

Yohji Yamamoto said Start copying what you love. Copy, copy, copy. At the end of the copy, you will find yourself.’

This is a process I went through when I was younger, and I am still not averse to adopting something new when I see it. The reasoning always did and still comes back to something I like. 

Copying to fit in, following a trend, or a specific look is always that. It’s not you!

If you have managed to reach this point, well done, as you are probably thinking, what is the point? 

I believe the potential positives are in complete contradiction to how the market has been commercialised. As the market has grown, what we have created is the exact opposite of the dream.  

Product lines are created, and we are moving low-quality waste around the world. All of the environmental benefits of not buying new are being eaten up by shipping and dumping clothing waste. 

The deadstock and reworked pieces of Carhartt and Stussy are basically a new name for FAKE. 

All the trends you see in the vintage market are based on access to a volume of stock rather than it being based on quality garments with longevity. 

When you walk around a charity shop in the UK its full of low-quality high street fast fashion. Walking around your average vintage shop and looking through the online platforms, you are getting the same. It just happens to have been shipped halfway around the world to disguise the fact. 

We are not going to solve the problems when the tactics of the vintage market are the same as mainstream fashion. There is a whole system ingrained into our behaviours, and changing that is even more difficult. 

Overconsumption is killing us. 

I am not saying that we have the solutions, but a big part of the answer is to step back, think and start taking care of what we are buying. 

Clothing can be a story; that story is you, and telling that story needs to be a considered action.