When Eve Perez was in middle school, she remembers feeling embarrassed to shop at thrift stores. Surrounded by peers in name brands, Perez felt like there was a stigma associated with wearing used clothing.
Something shifted around five years ago, she recalls — right around the time the social networking platform Tumblr grew in popularity. She noticed a change in how people perceived buying and wearing used clothing. It became an edgy, countercultural thing to do.
Now, Perez, 21, makes upwards of $1000 each month by selling both handmade and secondhand clothing on Depop, an online resale marketplace with a young user base.
"Thrifting has been normalized," Perez said, 21. "Since so many people are doing it, it's now seen as cooler. It's seen as better than going to the mall. Younger people find it fun, like a game. A hunt for something unique."
The increasing returns of that hunt have transformed thrifting into a viable, $28 billion industry that is expected to eclipse fast fashion by 2029, according to findings from ThredUp, an online consignment store. Secondhand shopping is no longer just a local, community-driven hobby — it has wings.
WHO ARE MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z?
Teenagers driving the popularity of secondhand fashion is a pattern that can be observed throughout history.
Millennials are considered to be anyone born between 1981 and 1996. This generation is actually the largest generation in history, even larger than the Baby Boomers. They are considered to be the generation that killed off department stores and malls.
Gen Z, also known as Generation Z is the population between the ages of 1997 to 2012. This generation is actually the first generation to grow up online. They grew up having access to the internet and social media. This influenced everyday aspects of their life like communication and shopping habits.
WHY DO MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z LOVE THRIFTING?
People tend to have the misconception that Millennials and Gen Z spend all their time on their phones taking selfies and doing dances on TikTok.
What people tend to forget is that these two generations are changing the way people shop. A report found that Millennials and Gen Z are buying secondhand clothes 250 percent faster than other generations.
Both Millennials and Gen Z love to thrift because of its sustainability, affordability and creativeness.
Thanks to Millennials and Gen Z, the demand for sustainable fashion has increased and more people are learning the benefits of thrift shopping.
Sustainability is an important part of their buying decision. Thrifting has allowed these generations to get clothes at affordable prices while not compromising on the environment’s health. This gives them more eco-friendly options than shopping fast fashion.
38 percent of Millennials and 40 percent of Gen Z consumers say they are willing to pay the total price for sustainable clothes. However, some Gen Z are not always willing to pay full prices for sustainable products. Fifty-seven percent of Gen Z say they want eco-friendly items without the high prices.
This is where thrifting comes into play. One of the benefits of thrift shopping is eco-friendly fashion options without the high prices.
Aside from affordability and sustainability, Millennials and Gen Z love thrifting because of one-of-a-kind fashion. There is the allure in finding a vintage gem that everyone else isn't wearing.
For many younger generations, finding clothes that allow them to express themselves is important.
They want to distinguish themselves from the previous generation and to participate in creating those styles with their peers.
Young people are generally more open to experimenting with styles and reinventing different versions of themselves.
Thrifting allows them to get creative and stand out from the crowd with unique pieces.
THRIFT BOOM BOOSTED BY SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS
Generation Z has embraced secondhand fashion faster than any other age group and accounts for over 40% of global consumers. Trends are now driven by social media influencers and retro/vintage clothing.
The changing consumer habits and vast purchasing power of Gen Z are driving the value of resale Apps such as Depop, which stands as a capsule of teen fashion in the digital age. It reaches a younger and digitally-native audience - with 90% of the app's active users under the age of 26.
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