By Pauline Yau & Lunaretta Linaura
Youngsters turn to second-hand fashion to reflect a choice of self-expression and environmental consciousness.
Buying second-hand clothes allows Yekaterina Kim to develop a personal style, access to a wider range of clothing options at lower price points, and practise sustainable shopping habits.
“When I shopped in chain stores, my wardrobe did not have its own style. I bought whatever was on sale at the time. But when I thrift, I have more choices which are unique and of different styles at different times. I can develop my own style instead of following trends,” the 21-year-old says.
The Humanities and Digital Technologies major student at the University of Hong Kong used to buy new clothes from fast-fashion brands, and only started buying from thrift shops three or four years ago.
“I shop secondhand because it’s cheaper and more sustainable. Clothes from second-hand stores are also not governed by trends. It’s a fun way to experiment with my style,” Kim says.
Noting that the quality of a lot of secondhand clothes are better compared to new clothes bought from fast-fashion brands like H&M, Kim finds that thrifting not only offers an affordable alternative to shopping fast-fashion but is also a more sustainable choice.
“Fast fashion clothing manufacturing now makes use of more synthetic fiber. That means the clothes are not meant to last for long. Once the clothes are disposed of, the environment becomes more polluted with textile waste. Having higher quality second-hand clothes allows me to wear my clothes more often without discarding them quickly,” Kim states.
Kim also upcycles clothes by sewing new patterns, bleaching or other ways to add more personality to them. The student also resells and donates unused clothing.
A 2024 report by Global Data, a data analytics and consulting firm in London, identifies Gen Z as the driver for secondhand shopping across the world with growing interest in sustainability, resale purchases, and a desire for unique and affordable clothing.
The report further states that the global secondhand apparel market is expected to grow three times faster than the overall market between 2023 and 2028, at a compound annual growth rate of 12 per cent – meaning the size of the market is set to increase by around 12 per cent each year, reaching a gross merchandise value of US$350 billion by 2028.
About 90 million tonnes of textile waste end up in landfills each year, as consumers discard clothes after seven to 10 wears, and fast fashion brands produce twice the amount of clothes than they did in 2000, reports Earth.Org, a digital environmental news outlet.
The news outlet also reports that in garment manufacturing, only 12 per cent of textiles used for clothing are recycled, while 15 per cent of fabric is wasted in the garment manufacturing industry.
With second-hand and vintage clothing gaining popularity among Hongkongers, vintage stores which used to run online platforms are setting up shops in high-end malls.
“We want to introduce our unique style to more people with the opening of our physical store in New Town Plaza. While everyone has their own fashion preferences, vintage clothing offers a diverse range of styles that are worth exploring,” says Wong Tung-hai, supervisor of Midwest Vintage’s flagship store, a second-hand clothes store in Tin Hau.
Wong Tung-hai, supervisor of Midwest’s flagship store in Tin Hau.
“Second-hand shopping is an unstoppable trend. Whether it’s luxury brands or upcycled clothing, people are increasingly turning to second-hand stores. Hongkongers are more eco-conscious now, so the second-hand market is set to grow even more,” Wong adds.
Vintage store, The Palm Tree Office, also sees a rise in the trend.
“With Gen-Z having more purchasing power, their desire for unique pieces fuels the vintage industry. Dressing up is a way of self-expression. This concept is more prevalent now than ever. This can also be seen in the phenomenon of the demise of fast fashion chain stores,” says Chak Sum-li, who sets up his physical store in 2020.
H&M has recently closed its stores in Shatin and Diamond Hill as part of its downsizing efforts, reducing its presence in Hong Kong to just four locations, down from 16 previously.
Chan and his business partner Soyu Fok first started selling second hand and vintage clothes via Instagram in 2018, due to wastage they witnessed in clothing industry.
“I worked in a textile factory. The recycled textiles are not able to be sold at all. Many companies do not want to bear the extra cost involved in recycling. I hope that by selling secondhand clothes, people appreciate the value of sustainable fashion,” Fok says.
“We source our clothing everywhere from anyone who produces secondhand clothing. Sometimes we find used clothes on the streets of Sham Shui Po, or source some clothes when travelling to the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Europe,” she says.
Founders of The Palm Tree Office: Chan Sum-li and Soyu Fok.
Circular Fashion Programme Director, Aurianne Ricquer at Redress, an non-governmental organisation (NGO) which promotes sustainable fashion economy, warns that, regardless of shopping firsthand or secondhand, buyers should always be cautious of overconsumption.
“[Making shopping choices] comes back to the questions: why are you buying the piece? How is this piece important to you?” Ricquer says.
“Whether it’s shopping secondhand or not, if consumers are creating waste with the clothes they buy, then it’s not sustainable from the start. Do you know that you’re going to actually wear it for a long time? And of course, if the answer is no, it’s still not worth getting, even if it’s a good deal,” she adds.
Redress organises a semiannual fundraising campaign, the Secondhand Pop-up Shop, where a curation of clothes collected by the NGO are sold (Photo courtesy of Redress)
Redress places “takeback” boxes in retail stores around Hong Kong, where consumers can drop off any of their unwanted clothes.
Some clothes collected are resold at pop-up events or the NGO’s physical store at Sham Shui Po. Clothes in good condition are donated to charities, and lower quality clothes are downcycled to be other items.
“We have people who come and shop for a special occasion. Even if you buy it second hand, and you may know that you’re only going to wear it once, as long as you then give it to a friend, give it back to Redress or make sure it’s resold. I don’t see the problem with that, because at least it’s second-hand and you’ve not created new production for that,” Ricquer adds.
Edited by Carrie Lock
Sub-edited by Molisa Meng
