Can Thrifting Solve Fast Fashion Issues? Or Does It Increase The Waste Instead…

Modern society is certainly closely connected to fast fashion. This phenomenon illustrates the speed at which the clothing industry produces goods quickly and in large quantities to meet high market demand.

Fast fashion often negatively impacts environmental issues. It is also not limited to employment issues in a country or large brands that employ many people.

Fast fashion can lead to increased production waste that will pollute the environment. Producers must quickly meet market demand, resulting in a significant amount of production waste.

Trends in dressing like K-Pop artists, Hollywood stars, or even just wanting to welcome a season can influence the acceleration of fast fashion.

This high market demand automatically requires manufacturers to improve their performance in producing goods. Producers usually hire human resources and pay them low wages. A second problem arises: employment matters.

Fast fashion is a hot topic in terms of environmental, social, and employment issues. However, this does not mean that there is no solution. One alternative that is present amid the increasing trend of buying fashion clothes is thrifting.

When Thrifting Becomes a Solution

Thrifting is the act of buying second-hand clothes that are still suitable for reuse. Typically, clothes sold in thrift stores are priced lower, even from popular brands worldwide.

Thrifting can be a solution to the fast fashion phenomenon that is deeply ingrained in today’s society. You just need to be clever and discerning in choosing and finding a needle in a haystack.

Thrifting can mitigate fast-fashion behavior by giving ‘life’ back to clothes that are no longer in use. Buying items at thrift stores is a way of reviving those items.

With Great Solution Comes Great Problems

Thrifting is indeed seen as a new and fresh alternative to the fast fashion phenomenon. Reusing second-hand items seems to be a very effective solution to this issue.

However, there are times when thrifting actually creates problems. This is especially true when the items sold in thrift stores are no longer usable. They end up just becoming waste, which adds to fashion waste.

Another issue has resurfaced: Thrifting or buying these second-hand items is akin to usurping the rights of the poor. At this point, society seems to be in a dilemma.

The existence of this fast fashion trend has led people to choose thrifting. Interest in thrifting has also increased among the upper-middle class. 

However, at the same time, they marginalise those who are most dependent on second-hand clothing.

Another problem arises when the upper-middle class buys used goods to be resold at a higher price. They increase the selling price of the goods because they factor in the time and effort expended when thrifting and the brand of the goods sold.

This price increase makes people again compare the price of thrift goods with new products other brands offer.

Fortunately, thrift buyers will sell their goods back in the thrift market, so they will not improve fast fashion.

Ultimately, thrifting can temporarily solve the problem of fast fashion. However, this still brings issues in it. Like other solutions —which have been trending— that are the antidote to this fast fashion problem.

Writer: Rena