top of page
THE THRILL OF THE CHASE: Work
The slight ever-present musty smell fills your nostrils as a questionable 70s or 80s music mix mingles with the scratchy voices of older volunteers. You take in the organised clutter before you, something resembling that spare bedroom everyone has but doesn’t talk about. You turn to the nearest rack of mashed colours and styles. Your search begins.
***
Second hand shopping, and more specifically second hand clothing, is a pastime which has become quite popular over the last few years in Australia. One might even say it has ‘hit the mainstream’. Once where there was stigma – because who would want to wear a strangers old clothes – is now acceptance and an entire fashion movement.
One must only look to some of the world’s largest fashion magazines to see the impact of second hand clothing. British stylist, Bay Garnett, styled one of the biggest models of her time, Kate Moss, in thrifted finds for a British Vogue spread, shot by Jurgen Teller, in May 2003. Since then the high fashion adoption of second hand clothing has taken off.
THE THRILL OF THE CHASE: Text
Kate Moss Vogue Spread Via Instagram @baygarnett
THE THRILL OF THE CHASE: Image
Avid second hand clothing wearer, Leyla Arrykova, began buying preloved clothing as an early teen when she moved to Melbourne’s inner city. For her, the idea of wearing someone else’s clothing wasn’t foreign or weird. “In my country of birth we have a very communal lifestyle and clothes would always be passed around. I was always given hand me downs from my older cousins or say my mum’s friends’ older kids. That was just the norm, so the thrifting culture in the inner city [was] quite synonymous with that”.
Traditionally, the concept of wearing someone else’s clothing shouldn’t be foreign to us. For many, as mentioned by Leyla, we have grown up wearing clothing passed to us from siblings, cousins and close friends. Once where it wasn’t acceptable, or professional, for an adult to wear secondhand clothing, it’s now considered a conscious fashionable style choice. Often now the phrase “I got it from an op shop’ is directly associated with being on trend and cool. Whilst for some, secondhand shopping may be seen as a trend, for others it is a serious commitment and a way of life.
According to a report by US based label ‘Thread Up’ the secondhand clothing market is currently worth around US $24 billion and is only set to increase. By 2028 it is projected that the pre loved clothing market will outpace fast fashion retail by almost 50 percent. Prior to COVID19, international fashion giant H&M reported a net profit drop of over 20 percent, an indication of a turn away from traditional retail and fast fashion.
The emergence of Vintage as a standalone style, high fashion, the internet and social media as well the concept of sustainability reinforced for younger generations, has made second hand clothing more desirable. This surge in demand for pre-owned clothing has led to widening of the second hand market to include new platforms and concepts, moving away from the traditional op shop set up. Whilst op shops are still very much loved, for someone wanting to start out Leyla says they can be “overwhelming in the beginning”.
THE THRILL OF THE CHASE: Text
Vintage Clothing on Rack, Claudia Skubel
THE THRILL OF THE CHASE: Image
So where and how can you start?
Considering how large, often disorganized and time consuming going through an op shop can be, it is best to NOT start here. Whilst op shops are one of the main places people go to shop second hand, often you can walk out empty handed. As a beginner this can leave you feeling defeated and not wanting to try again. It’s best to start somewhere with a higher rate of success. A great place to lose your second hand clothing virginity is online with websites such as EBay and Etsy as well as the apps Instagram and Depop. The advantage to buying pre loved clothing online, much like regular online clothes shopping, is the larger range available! Items are also curated and you can search for items, sizes and key words. As a first purchase it is a good idea to find something that you were looking for brand new. This ensures you will like the item and build confidence for shopping in this way. And don’t forget most of the things you want to buy new can be bought second hand!
Once you have conquered the online world, it is time to take your newly formed second hand skills and apply them in real world. The four most common stores you will come across are vintage stores – pretty self-explanatory, recycle boutiques – a mix of high and mid-range fashion, consignment stores – designer only, and of course op shops. It isn’t as easy a popping words into a search bar but hopefully shopping online has taught you to sift and scourer. There is always a lot to look through, but take your time and look through everything. If you rush, do it halfheartedly or just simply aren’t in the mood, chances are you won’t find anything. Denise Gadd from the BlackRock Family Life op shop says looking for a specific item just isn’t the way to go. “If you go in thinking, ‘well I need a suit, [because] I’ve got that big business appointment’, you’re not going to find it”. Instead it’s best “to go in with a very open mind” and just browse. You’ll find more doing this than looking for something specific.
Shopping for second hand clothing takes patience, practice and work but there are so many pay offs for the work you put in.
THE THRILL OF THE CHASE: Text
Clothing at Vintage Sole Melbourne, Claudia Skubel
THE THRILL OF THE CHASE: Image
The savings, oh the savings!
Buying second hand clothing is generally a lot cheaper than buying new. For the price of one new item, between 4 and 6 preowned items can be bought. Op shops are usually the cheapest, but it also comes down to where and which op shop you are at. Some places do price things higher than others, but even then it doesn’t compare to buying new. Plus anything you buy counts as a donation. Something for you, something for them. If your look is more mainstream, the internet, social media and Depop are great for buying ‘current’ second hand clothing cheap. If it is a designer you are looking for consignment stores or recycle boutiques can get you that item without the price tag. For some, vintage can be expensive; so keep an eye out for vintage warehouse sales and markets. You’re bound to pick up vintage cheaper than in a store. I do however, recommend investing in vintage, often times you will never see a piece like it ever again.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Every time you buy a piece of pre-loved clothing, you are giving it a second life. Something which may have ended up in landfill now has the chance to be worn again and also worn out. The increase in purchases of pre loved clothing also puts pressure on major fashion labels to make changes to their current design and procurement processes. Less people buying new means companies will begin to produce less and by default look into more sustainable options. These two steps will in turn bring less CO2 emissions and water waste from the production of new clothing. Also, due to the age of most second hand items their quality and make can be much better, so they will last longer for you!
Induvidualised style
For people who aren’t interested in the homogenized look of mainstream fashion, second hand offers a trendless, timeless and season-less alternative. One of the issue with ‘High Street’ fashion is that everyone just knocks each other off. So even when you shop around it is the same look but from a different label. For Leyla “Fast fashion, [is] super boring and homogenous” so she looks to second hand clothing to develop a more individualized style. “Secondhand clothes, which are almost always one off pieces, help me express my individuality”. Understanding you can recreate a mainstream look with your own twist, or building your own individual style, is one of the joys of shopping second hand. You still have the ability to follow a trend but without looking like everyone else. The reality is most Fashion is referential; true original design happens very rarely. Most fashion is referencing another historical style. For example, take the 1970s trend of elaborate lace and ruffles. This referenced the Edwardian look sported on most Womens clothing of the day. This trend can be easily replicated with some key secondhand items. Following fashion can be very constrictive, and stepping outside of the box, even if it is just dipping your toe and trying something different, can be liberating.
Embracing second hand shopping can feel challenging the first few times, however when you start to see the treasures you have accumulated, the payoff becomes apparent. ‘That’s the thrill of the chase in an op shop, to suddenly discover something” says Denise. You never know what you might find or what you will come home with. It could be Leyla’s favorite find of 90s Tommy Hilfiger low rise boot cut jeans or it could be that formal dress you’ve been dreaming of. Give it a go, and hop on the bandwagon, those special finds won’t last forever.
THE THRILL OF THE CHASE: Text
bottom of page