Aparna Discusses The Rise of Thrift Fashion: How secondhand shopping is redefining style.
Thrifting is definitely getting the spotlight it deserves at the moment. Forbes recently reported that the secondhand market is growing rapidly.
We have seen celebrities like Alia Bhatt not only repeating her wedding saree for the national award function, but also sell clothes from her wardrobe for charity. There has been a slow but steady rise in sustainable fashion influencers who have been promoting thrifting over buying new. The global second-hand fashion market is estimated to be valued at US$43.49 in 2024 and reach US$125.18 billion by 2034.
As a mom of 2 teenage girls who follow circular fashion principles, we swap and thrift most items in our wardrobe. Over the past few years, we decided to stop buying fast fashion and support second-hand clothing businesses. Over these last few years, I discovered many thrift stores in Bangkok, which is where we live. We made this decision after we understood the dark side of the fast fashion industry.
Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I made because it helped me reconfirm my belief that style and trends are totally different. You can be eternally stylish without following a single trend. The trick is to understand your personal style, once you figure that out, thrifting will become more fun. There are thrift stores where you might find what is trending but my point is that you may not be interested in “just trending fashion” when you understand your personal style.
Here are three fun learnings from a thrifting and swapping connoisseur:
You will be an environmental hero: Thrifting will make you feel less guilty about contributing to mass production. Every time you wear your second-hand clothes, you will feel that the environment is giving you a tight hug. Also, when a piece of clothing in your closet has served its purpose there, it’s a good feeling to know that you can sell it back to the thrift store for it to find another home rather than sending it to a landfill.
You will become super stylish: Thrifting will make you try to think out of the box and you will discover newer aspects of your personal and individualistic style. You will find the most unexpected clothes in thrift shops. I found a super stylish Thai silk skirt once and I have found multiple items that fit my personal style.
You will save money: Thrift shopping is cheaper than buying new. You will get a good bargain for some amazing vintage and modern-style clothes. The choices in thrift stores are endless, your chances of finding what you are looking for are high if you keep searching. I took my daughter to Taylor Swift’s Era tour last weekend and her entire outfit was thrifted or swapped and we saved money. She loved the outfit and the smile on her face for putting together a circular fashion outfit was priceless.
We hope this inspires you to start your thrift shopping adventure, the clothes I have found have never caused any problems for me. If it’s an authentic thrift store, they will ensure that all the items they sell are clean and well-maintained.
(Aparna Sharma, the creative force behind @stylishsuitcase, is a seasoned writer and influencer whose online presence resonates with a diverse audience of 23.4K followers. Aparna is a passionate advocate for sustainable and circular fashion, documenting her eco-friendly wardrobe choices and travel adventures across the globe. As a devoted practitioner of a plant-based diet and yoga enthusiast, she weaves her personal journey of exploration into spirituality and wellness seamlessly into her content.)
