Product Range Distribution: Second hand fashion

Second-hand fashion is an ever growing market and style. Prevalent most among thrifters and younger people.

Why?

Style
Second hand or thrifted clothes has become a big market. Whereas places such as charity shops once seemed uncool and dusty, more and more young people have begun to shop in them. Many items are donated to charity shops every day and the variety of clothes can be even bigger than clothes in high street shops, as the clothes are in all different styles and from all years and seasons too. Often found in charity shops are items from big name brands, donated by people unaware of their value in reselling. Finding clothing from designers such as Calvin Klein is not unheard of, and given the resurgence of popularity in sportswear brands amongst younger people, finding outdated Nike, Adidas or Fila can be a win in young shoppers eyes.
As well as charity shops, vintage stores are becoming more popular. Places such as Rokit and Beyond Retro have been around for years, with Rokit starting from a stall in 1986 and expanding to high street stores a few weeks later due to popular demand. Featured in fashion magazines and owning the biggest vintage warehouse in the UK, new styles are added to stores and the website almost daily. In Leeds, Blue Rinse is a popular haunt for vintage clothing, frequented by students. 

Money
Many people tend to shop in charity shops due to the cheap price of the clothing. Getting a piece of clothing for £1 as opposed to £15+ in high street shops is a bargain and easily done in charity shops. 
Students in particular struggle with money and finding clothes for cheaper prices seems to be the main reason to shop second hand. This is directly backed up by the survey I carried out into second-hand fashion - with most respondents giving low cost as the reason as to why they shop second hand.
However, a low cost doesn't always go hand in hand with second-hand clothing. Some vintage shops can charge high prices due to the style of clothing being fashionable. Blue Rinse, for example, charges a lot higher prices than a charity shop as they are selling for fashion as opposed to supporting charities. Similarly, Rokit and Beyond Retro can charge at a higher price point as the clothing they are selling is marketed as rare, or even one of a kind in some cases. This raises the price, yet some fashion followers are willing to spend this money because of the individuality of the clothing they are buying.

Resale
As proved by big-name companies such as Rokit and Beyond Retro, the money to be made from selling vintage and reclaimed fashion can be lucrative. Selling items of clothing due to their rarity and uniqueness can make a seller a lot of money.
Apps such as Depop, a resale app which primarily features clothing, takes up this corner of the market. Sellers can sell their old and unworn clothes easily, which makes them money, and by doing this inadvertently reducing their and the buyer's impact on the environment.
The money seems to be the biggest draw for sellers. Selling clothing fashionable brands such as Fila and Adidas can make a lot of money, due to the sportswear style being in high demand by young people at the moment. A lot of people find these items in charity shops for a low price point, eg a few pounds, and raise their price point and resell the item for double or even over the original price. This can lead to a source of income for some sellers, and in rare cases can become successful businesses. In popular culture, this has been represented too. In the Netflix original series Girlboss, the story of the origins of the clothing brand Nasty Gal is portrayed. Nasty Gal's founder, Sophia Amoruso, inadvertently built a business reselling vintage fashion she found in second-hand shops. She became very successful and the brand is still going today but has strayed from its vintage roots.

Ethical 
Some people may choose to shop second hand due to the ethical ramifications of the fashion industry. Creating new clothing in a lot of cases can exploit workers, damage the environment as well as animals. In the case of vegans, animal products such as leather, wool and fur are avoided at all costs to minimise the harm animals come to.
While this could be a reason to shop second hand for some people, it seems to be less of a priority for most. In my survey, respondents reasons for buying second hand were centred primarily around money and style, with only one response mentioning the environmental impact fast fashion has on the environment.

Other reasons to shop second hand are

The thrill of the hunt
As mentioned earlier, clothing from designer and popular brands can be found in charity shops for a fraction of the retail cost. Finding bargains such as these can be a massive reason for people to buy second hand, as the thrill of saving money can be addictive and give a sense of acheivement and fulfillment.

New items added all the time
As opposed to high street shops, which rotate and replace clothes by season, second hand shops sell all seasons of clothing regardless of age. This gives a wider variety of items to choose from and the range of clothing is updated frequently, instead of every few weeks or months. 

However there is still stigma around second hand clothing and some people tend to avoid it altogether.
Why not?

Social stigma
There is a lot of social stigma around second hand clothing. Buying other's used items is not preferred by some people, as they would prefer to buy brand new. 

Media pressure
There can be a lot of media pressure to have the newest, most fashionable clothes. Advertising from clothing brands and the shiny world of high fashion encourages you to buy new clothing to keep on top of trends and be fashionable in order to make them money.

Misconceptions
Some misconceptions of second hand clothing are that the clothing may not be as good a quality as brand new clothes, or that the clothes are not clean or cannot be made to look fashionable.