Hannah Ernst

As social media explodes with hashtags like #sheinhaul, we’ve proposed an alternative style challenge in the form of #NoNewClothes. This 90-day campaign asks challenge-takers to refrain from buying first-hand in an effort to pause and reflect on one’s own consumption habits. Those participating in the challenge can turn to secondhand purchases to get their fashion fix with clothing companies that have ventured into the resale market. To sweeten the experience of the #NoNewClothes challenge, we’ve rounded up six small brands offering resale, recycling, and rental programs.

With just about 8 billion people inhabiting the Earth, the fashion industry relentlessly churns out 100 billion garments annually––almost 13 new items per person. At the same time, we wear less than half of our clothes, resulting in 60% of these 100 billion garments ending up in a landfill within a year. Inevitably, looking at the shocking statistics of our lavish consumption underlines the importance of resale models. Not only can resale brands (and brands offering resale programs) prevent the production of new garments, but they can also contribute to saving perfectly wearable clothes from going to waste in landfills. While it is worth noting that circular initiatives can only drive major change in the fashion industry if they replace linear models of production (ultimately lowering the output of new products), resale programs are a valuable first step in making the market shift from new products to pre-loved products.

In a positive forecast, according to ThredUp’s resale report, 10% of the global apparel market is expected to be made up of secondhand apparel by 2024 with the resale market continuing to grow three times faster than fashion as a whole. If brands were to produce one item less for every second-hand purchase, we would see an 8% decrease in new product output — that’s no small feat!