By Becky Chesson and Tali Stutt
Is thrifting a new trend, or is it a direct impact of the cost-of-living crisis?
“Everyone is skint, people have less money to spend on clothes,” said Connie, Assistant Manager at the British Heart Foundation store on Holloway Road, who didn’t want to give her surname.
Inside Blue 17, a vintage shop on Holloway road, photographed by Tali Stutt
Sarah Duffy, 21, a customer shopping at Blue 17, a vintage clothing store on Holloway Road said, “The internet, social media have gotten more people into thrifting, I think it lets more people know where the good spots are, also its so much cheaper for students.”
She added that she had been thrifting for most of her life as “it is the cheapest way to dress kind of cool”.
One possibility is that this trend has come about because of the change in consumer habits, where sustainability has become a bigger talking point in the fashion world and conscientious consumers have stopped the overconsumption of fast fashion.
In some thrift stores, however, SHEIN and other fast fashion brands can be spotted. Discovering these items in second-hand stores reveals a look into the overconsumption in recent years.
About 10%-30% of donated clothes are purchased from these shops, according to the Fashion The Earth. The concept of trying to prolong a fast fashion garment by donating it to charity shops is almost pointless.
It appears that the reasons behind the rise in thrifting in the UK sit at a crossroads between necessity and a conscious choice. While many are turning to second-hand clothing as a response to the cost-of-living crisis, others are embracing it as a broader shift towards sustainability and individuality in fashion.
Whether driven by tight budgets or environmental awareness, the rise in thrifting reflects a changing attitude in consumption
A SHEIN top found inside a charity shop on Holloway Road, photographed by Tali Stutt
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