Good as new: how to resell clothes successfully and responsibly | Vintage fashion
IIt is well known that one of the most pressing issues related to fashion and sustainability is clothing underutilization and overproduction. Too much clothes are made, too many clothes are bought, and too many of us own clothes we don’t wear. The net result is that too many items of clothing are thrown away – a recent report suggests that Australians send 10kg per person to landfill every year.
To combat this alarming level of waste, organizations like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have been campaigning for a circular fashion industry for years. A key pillar of this is increased product adoption, helped by the recent surge in popularity of resale and rental platforms such as Vestiaire Collective, Depop, The Real Real and AirRobe.
According to Justine Porterie, head of sustainability at Depop, “fashion resale…reduces waste and slows demand for ‘new’.” In 2020, a report by McKinsey and Co found that resale is a much larger part of the industry must if fashion is to meet its emissions reduction targets.
But while resale is believed by companies across the fashion industry — from Stella McCartney to Patagonia — there’s currently no evidence that the surge in resale has translated into a decline in overall new clothing production. (Though Patagonia told Vogue Business it’s absolutely a goal for its resale platform to eventually replace the production of new products).
Additionally, the rise of #thrifthauls — a trend that involves buying massive amounts of second-hand clothing and showcasing the swag on social media — has made sustainability advocates question whether the focus is making resale popular the more toxic Elements of fast fashion consumption are similar to trends and constant novelties. “We know there’s absolutely no shortage of clothing in the world… and while resale is one solution, we recognize it’s not a silver bullet,” says Porterie.
To tackle textile waste comprehensively, fashion companies need to put in place systems to avoid unnecessary overproduction, among other pillars of circular models for collecting, repairing and recycling garments.
While these solutions are structural, with a discerning eye, reselling garments so that items can be purchased in place of new pieces, rather than in addition, can be something any consumer can do — and make a little extra money in the process.
take care of your clothes
If you stop wearing a garment because it’s tattered, stained or started to smell, it’s unlikely that someone else will want to buy it. AirRobe’s Beth Glancey says: “Laundering and caring for your garments will go a long way towards preserving their value”.
For designer shoes and handbags, keeping the original packaging can also add to resale value, says a spokesman for resale platform Vestiaire Collective. They also stress the importance of proper storage before a piece is sold. “Avoid long exposure to the sun, especially on leather, avoid harsh chemicals, and use a dust bag for storage.”
Do your articles justice
When it comes time to sell a piece of clothing, “ads with great pictures and detailed descriptions move fast,” says Glancey. “We’ve seen a lot of incredible designer clothes, sold at great prices, lying around because the pictures don’t do the item justice.” She cautions against photos with “poor lighting, wrinkled clothes” or too few images.
In addition to using multiple images to show the garment from different angles, Vestiaire also recommends capturing “close-ups of key features, like the label with the brand name or a size tag, and any areas where there might be damage.”
When writing descriptions, opt for more detail rather than less. This includes the material of the upper as well as the lining, whether the fit is true to size or not, any additional features such as pockets or French seams and the measurements of the garment when laid flat.
A detailed listing also ensures that your buyer knows exactly what they are getting; So the piece doesn’t end up exactly where it was before, unworn on the floor of a closet or on the way to the landfill.
Sell for the season
Another thing to consider when selling second hand items is timing. According to Vestiaire, seasonally appropriate pieces sell faster. They also recommend listing items early in the month and in time for the weekend. “Most of the sales happen in the first half of each month. Sunday is the most popular day for shopping in our community. When sellers make sure their items are online at the right time, they tend to sell much faster.”