In the world’s current age of fashion, trends and styles change rapidly due to the growing popularity of unsustainable fast fashion companies such as Shein and Aliexpress. Environmentally conscious individuals turn to options such as thrift stores or online resellers. Apps such as Depop and Poshmark allow individuals to buy secondhand clothing and resell it to others, which offers both economic and environmental benefits such as decreasing textile waste by reusing clothes. However, the concept of profiting off of affordable clothing resources largely depended on by lower income individuals raises the question of whether this act is ethical.
The act of clothing resale is the purchasing of second-hand clothes for an affordable price from either a thrift store or a garage sale, then resold to generate a profit. Therefore, it is important to recognize one’s own privilege as a clothing reseller, in being able to purchase second-hand clothing not out of necessity, but to acquire an income. The purchasing of large amounts of second-hand clothing to sell at a higher price robs the lower income community of the chance to purchase quality clothing at a reasonable price. Reselling second-hand clothing for higher prices than purchased means that those who can afford to buy new retail clothing are more likely to benefit from the resale market. Those with lower incomes may not have financial access to the same quality items, reinforcing class divides. Therefore, the concept of clothing reselling exists on a foundation of classist ideals.
Due to the increasing popularity of second-hand apparel, the consumer demographic has shifted to include members of the middle or upper class, causing thrift stores to raise their prices to further profit off wealthier customers (Delgado, 2020). Susana Toner, an employee of Old Mission School Thrift Shop in California, stated that she’s noticed an “increase of prices of used clothing overall” (Vanderlip, 2022). The gentrification of thrift stores raises prices, making it increasingly difficult for lower-income communities to access affordable clothing. In 2019, the second-hand apparel industry was worth approximately $28 billion, but is expected to increase to $64 billion in 2024 (Marino, 2020).
The concept of reselling remains morally questionable, as resellers may exploit the desire for certain clothing styles by significantly marking up the prices of items which may otherwise have been reasonably priced, especially if they are rare or in high demand. This coincidentally reflects the broader ethical dilemmas of our consumer-driven society such as overconsumption and the vicious pace of fashion trends. Though the purchasing of secondhand clothing offers a sustainable alternative to fast fashion consumption, the motive to profit off the reselling of these items raises challenges of economic fairness. As consumers, it is important to approach clothing resale with a thoughtful and ethical mindset, considering the broader consequences of our actions, and maintaining a balance between sustainability and fairness.
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