Recycle Resell

Recycle Resell

As I reminisce the last two years over a steaming cup of chai on this crisp California morning, it all seems a haze. Long walks, outdoor dinners with family and friends, cautious hugs, masked faces, zoom calls, and never-ending Covid tests.

Well, it finally feels like we have overcome this pandemic and arrived on the other side. Perhaps changed? And hopefully better!

The home huddling definitely made me reevaluate my closet and lifestyle and broadly ponder over the shifting consumer values in this post-covid era. As fashion pundits worldwide debated these past two years on the “road to recovery” for the fashion industry: 1920’s opulence, discreet extravagance, transcendental luxury, casualization, sustainability, etc., etc., a transformative force in fashion was taking shape.

Thrift shops, anyone?

I am not talking about your local Goodwill store but multimillion-dollar marketplaces for authenticated luxury consignment. A disruption of the fashion industry, a modern-day renaissance movement redefining and recalibrating the luxury market. 

As consumer values move towards a more sustainable approach to life, the luxury resale market is in a sweet spot of sorts. Buying products that last longer, coupled with a desire to purchase well-crafted pieces, Real Real, Vestiaire Collective, and Poshmark are now mainstream marketplaces. While everyone cannot afford the high price tag luxury products command, these platforms have made luxury accessible and the clothing we purchase as assets.

I go back to Quality vs. Quantity. As per, cleanclothes.org, In 2021 alone, there were 100 billion articles of clothing produced. More than half of these clothes land in a landfill within a year. Even worse, non-biodegradable fabrics will sit in these landfills for 200 plus years. So what can you do as a consumer? “Buy less but Buy well, Recycle, and Resell.”

Whether you are a buyer or seller of secondhand fashion, there is a place for each one out there. Rather than sitting in the corner of your closet, these pieces can be loved again and worn again! Hence, giving a new life to each piece. A circular economy of luxury goods. A community of global fashion lovers who shun trends and embrace self-expression through well-crafted, vintage, or one-of-a-kind pieces from these “global closets.” 

While I am a skeptic of trends, this trend is here to last and need of the hour. So what are these platforms?

RealReal – Authincated Luxury resale Platform. Their motto is “Make Well. Buy Well. Resell.” Extending the life of luxury goods enables more people to own and appreciate them while allowing their original owners to maximize the value of their investments.

Vestiaire Collective – Launched in Paris in 2009. Vestiaire Collective is the leading global app for desirable last season, vintage, and pre-loved fashion. Take your closet assets digital or buy one-of-a-kind vintage and hard-to-find pieces. 

Collectors Square – This Parisian-based company specializes in preowned Ultra-Luxe European bags, watches, jewelry, and art. The team also collaborates with Artcurial, to evaluate the quality and value of items put on sale. Himalayan Birkin, Anyone?

Rebag – A New York-based platform founded in 2014 that is great for buying and reselling authenticated luxury bags approved by the rebag team. Their state-of-the-art image recognition technology lets you upload your bag to their website and evaluate its resale value. 

Fashionphile – Curated high-quality pre-owned luxury accessories, rare and hard-to-find pieces that are authenticated. They make luxury further accessible by offering these pieces thru their “Layaway” program.

Poshmark – A social marketplace where users can buy and sell secondhand clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, and home products. Users can bid on pieces or list pieces with a few easy clicks. Each piece is “Posh protected,” as they like to call it, where the buyer receives the money only after you have received the product. 

Tradesy – A marketplace to buy and sell pre-owned clothing and accessories. Create a circular economy, reduce waste, and say goodbye to disposable fashion.

Style Alert – A personal stylist service that will find pre-owned items that you will love.

ThreadUp – An antidote to use and throw fashion culture, Thread up is an excellent resource for closet cleanout and clothes that your kids have overgrown. Extending the life of clothes fights fashion waste. Shopping secondhand displaces the need for new clothing production and diverts items from landfills. Resale moves us one step closer to a circular fashion future.

Depop – A social marketplace for peer-to-peer clothing and accessories for millennial and Gen Z consumers.

Grailed – A marketplace for high-Quality streetwear and designer pieces for men.

StockX – A Social marketplace for coveted and one-of-a-kind items like sneakers, bags, clothing, or trading cards. Pokemon anyone…?

Patagonia Worn Wear – A leader in sustainability and true to their ethos, the company makes high-quality stuff that lasts for years. Furthermore, bored and need a change from your Patagonia gear? Join Patagonia’s “worn wear” to repair, share and recycle your gear. Because the best thing we can do for the planet is cut down on consumption and get more use out of stuff we already own.

Urban Renewal – Urban Outfitters’ way of making old new again. The Urban Renewal team hand-picks merchandise from around the world. Then, it sorts it into categories – Remnants, Authentic Vintage, one-of-a-kind, and recycled. As a result, you can expect to find vintage furniture pieces, eclectic throw pillows, and hair accessories galore.

The fashion industry is undergoing a revivalist movement. In Particular, it has been forced to disrupt itself over the previous two years. One of the last bastions of old-guard business models, it’s being transported to the future of fashion as if by a Japanese Shinkansen train.

So my dear fashionista, will you be a renaissance woman or man in this new era?