Over the past decade, thrift has grown from a Salvation Army parcel box to an Instagram account dedicated to reselling used clothing.
The fashion industry is changing, and with specialist thrift and vintage stores operating online, they are at the forefront of evolution.
At least 52% of shoppers purchased clothes from specialty stores like St Vinnies, 33% used online platforms and 15% saved at markets and specialty vintage stores.
The demand for thrift stores available online has never been higher. Just last year, US online second-hand designer goods store The Real Real made him nearly $300 million from online sales alone.
The new face of vintage fashion
Cara Weinstock has always loved fashion, but as an 18-year-old high school student, she couldn’t afford expensive, high-quality items.
So she turned to thrift instead. She was rewarded for sifting through her piles of clothes in markets and shops.
“I started buying things I knew didn’t fit me, but they were such a good deal…like a used Versace dress for $20…who wouldn’t buy it?” ?” she said.
After bypassing the firm as a practicing attorney, she opened a second-hand vintage shop on Instagram in 2012.
Instagram has become a popular platform for thrift stores to promote second-hand clothing, but Weinstock had no other choice.
“That (Instagram) was a big social media platform for promoting the fashion business in 2012.
“At the time Instagram was a really great tool to promote your business. It was a lot easier to grow organically and reach an audience. I think.”
She also launched a website, but continued to use Instagram to promote her store. Today, Cara Mia Vintage has become her one of Australia’s most trusted second-hand designer shops.
The store is completely online, and unusual pop-up shops are frequently opened. When Cara Mia Vintage started, he was one of the first vintage stores to enter the online marketplace.
“I’ve tried other apps, but I think the best way to do that is to maintain your own website and use Instagram as a promotional tool,” she said. rice field.
“For example, if you decide to only sell on Depop, what if one day Depop decides to close your account? It’s the same on Instagram.”
There are now hundreds of specialty vintage and second-hand shops in Australia, most of which use social media as a means of advertising.
“Social media has made it easier for people to access affordable second-hand fashion,” said Weinstock.
“It also helps educate people about brands they may have never heard of before…that information is now more accessible.”
The Role of Frugality in Fighting Fast Fashion
Jasmine Ypermacho, upcoming designer and founder of sustainable slow-fashion brand Jas the Label, says frugality is key to stopping fast fashion from destroying the environment.
“Thrift initiates a cyclical fashion model, reusing discarded fast and slow fashion pieces and allowing others to reuse them.
“If we feel that a piece is no longer ‘our style’ or lacks timelessness, frugality makes fast fashion pieces more valuable and less expensive to buy clothing. less, slowing the cycle of toxic fast fashion.”
Australian clothing before fast fashion
However, second-hand clothing prices have risen significantly over the past decade due to increased demand for high-quality second-hand clothing.
To meet demand, the St. Vincent de Paul Society today opened its first city center store in over a decade in Surry Hills.
“It’s more important than just a commercial existence, it’s about a social existence. We’re a place where people turn to for help, and we’ll never leave,” she said.
“I think things have changed. Today, it’s getting harder to find quality second-hand clothes at the right price. Not impossible, but more difficult,” Weinstock said.
Ypermacho said consumers need to be mindful of low-income households when saving or reselling items.
“Let’s make people in need more aware of the options they have and create a safe place online to share with these communities,” she said.
例文 There are many second-hand clothing circles and online groups that sell second-hand clothing at low prices.
Even if frugality isn’t for you, consumers can minimize their carbon footprint by buying new clothes in an environmentally responsible way.
“You don’t have to buy 50 fast-fashion items. Buy less and buy better quality that lasts longer,” Weinstock said.