Yes, that’s fine, but where do I find an elegant (sustainable) red dress now?

I have two or three of them in my wardrobe, not for evening wear. In the group of friends, some are already looking in the windows of the city, others have flocked to Amazon… I obviously decide to proceed in a different way. Not only. I said to myself: “What if I tried to arrive with a ‘Wow’ effect dress by telling that I have chosen the path of sustainable fashion? It could entice other people by showing how not so difficult it is to dress green and ethically (which is the slogan of Dress ECOde)”.

Taking advantage of the passion for research on the net, I put myself into action by browsing the second-hand shops.

If one day I get bored or find myself leaving it parked in the closet, I can always sell the dress by putting it back into circulation. Vinted seems to me to offer ample choice for a limited budget. After having scanned dozens and dozens of ads, I realized I have a list of about fifteen options between 7 and 40 euros. In the end I chose a dress with an Italian brand label, Elisa Landri. I looked and looked at the photo: it seems to me that it can fit more body shapes, in order to go more or less without fail. The transaction is fast, the seller is precise and the dress arrives as it is in the photo, practically new.

A vintage clutch bag by Furla, inherited from my grandmother. A pair of shoes that I have carefully kept for about ten years. A second-hand shrug. Here we are! I show you the result in the photos.

On the evening of the dinner I repeated to each “What a beautiful dress!” the choice of second-hand (“It’s used, would you ever say that?”) and vintage. I had already told of this way to solve the need for the dress code in the chat of the group of friends. And right in the chat my decision is intertwined with that of Antonella. A different path, always with a view to sustainability, which she tells us about here.

(You can listen to Antonella’s interview also on Spreaker)

Hi Antonella, thank you for agreeing to share your experience with regards to this occasion in which we participated together. The first question I want to ask you is: what did you think when you read about the dress code?

“When I received the email with the directions for the evening and I discovered that the dress code required red, specifically Christmas red, I was anxious for a moment as I knew for sure that there weren’t totally red clothes in my wardrobe”.

So you didn’t have a ready-made red dress in your closet? Why did you never have them or did you have them and got tired of them? Is it a color you don’t wear?

“Actually in the past I had made the mistake of buying a totally red dress that I fell in love with when I saw it in the shop window. It also valued me as a dress model. I tried it, I fell in love with it, I bought it (among other things, it also cost a lot of money). I wore it for that night, it was a New Year’s Eve, and I haven’t worn it since. For a long time I wondered why I didn’t wear it, being a model that enhanced my shapes. But I didn’t understand why in the end the choice always fell on something else. I had paid a lot for it and therefore I couldn’t throw it away or at least take it out of my closet. Then when I discovered the color analysis I realized that in my color palette, the ones that highlight my complexion colors, the undertones of my eyes and hair, there was no red, specifically Christmas red. At that moment, therefore, I became aware of this thing. I knew I would never wear it again or anything except modifying it, taking it to a seamstress, trying to make some appliques or whatever. But this would have required an expenditure of energy, time, the purchase of other fabrics, applications, etc. So I chose to donate it, eliminating it from my closet”.

Antonella, did it only happen with the red dress or are you reviewing your way of managing your wardrobe and the clothes that are inside, so are you really changing your approach to clothing as well?

“Let’s say I’ve been doing this over the last year, the last couple of years. Because I understood how much marketing and advertising focus on our emotional factor and lead us to buy things that seem fundamental, essential to us. It seems that we can’t do without them, but then once they are placed in our homes they become a burden. So I really started doing some very thoughtful and thorough decluttering, trying to figure out what specifically in the closet, actually throughout the house, was stuck there. Only because there was an emotional hook and not because it was functional to make me feel good, make me feel at ease. So I’ve been making decluttering choices for some time, donating these clothes to people I know can give new life, because they value them more, or just to Caritas, to people who need it. Furthermore, being very sensitive to eco-friendly issues, to nature, to animals, I am really reflecting a lot on every purchase, that is, when I do it I reflect on whether I really need it”.

When you read about the dress code what did you decide to do? Because we saw I decided to go on one way, what did you think instead? And in the end what was your choice?

“I chose not to buy a new dress because I knew it would go the way of that gorgeous red New Year’s dress, it would hang there in the closet. So I had to find a solution using what was there. I opened my closet and looking through my party dresses, let’s say a little longer, a little more formal, I found this dress, well hidden in cellophane. In the top it is black with transparent veil. In the part of the top, from the bust to the waist, it is shiny with sequins. In the lower part, however, it has a long skirt, very wide in tulle, a little transparent, with very large red flower applications and with a red and black belt at the waist. So this could have been the solution, even if looking at it I had the feeling that there was little red. Nevertheless it hadn’t been specified that the evening should be total red, in any case the visual impact would have been on the black of the bodice and then later on the part red. I thought I’d find a solution to increase the red of my dress. At that point I wrote a message on the Whatsapp group of a personal growth course I’m doing to look for a brainstorming asking my friends for help. Arianna promptly intervened giving me advice on how to enhance and how to increase the red in the upper part of the dress. She kindly lent me her red clutch bag”.

Yes, Antonella, it’s a vintage red bag, with the initial A too, which stands for both Arianna and Antonella.

“It was in the hand, and therefore increased the red on the body, on the upper part. She had also offered me a shawl, not being sure of the point of red I tried it on but in reality it didn’t fit very well. So thinking and looking for images on the internet, I came up with the idea of gloves. Among other things, I had a pair of red gloves because I had used them at a dance I think. However, they were gloves only on hand, so let’s say that they were a little more red anyway, but not enough, being that the arms were still totally uncovered. So the idea fell on red long gloves. Unfortunately we were reduced to the last minute, so it was truly almost magical: that evening Arianna arrived with long red satin gloves!”

Yes, Anto, the chat where we helped each other worked for this, in the sense that we brought some more accessories, something more red and I saw these red gloves emerge from Eleonora. I immediately thought: “These are perfect for Antonella’s dress!”

“Which I wore, totally increasing the red in the upper part. I tied my hair up, so as not to let the dark of the hair prevail together with the bodice which remained black. Overall the dress has increased red over the black. It also had a really beautiful effect, as well as giving an extra note of elegance to the dress which, despite being long, I had tried to make a little more sporty by putting boot underneath”.

How do you think this experience went, Antonella? What was the result in the end?

“The result was absolutely fantastic”.

Would you do it again? So would you recommend it instead of buying a new dress for a special occasion, as in this case?

“Precisely because I realized that this beautiful result came out of an idea launched in a group, after a few days I repeated the experience. When a friend of mine called me in a panic because they had given directions to a wedding she was invited to. Women should have kept to colors that oscillated between wisteria and pink. Having nothing and putting herself at the last minute to look for a dress (even for winter) for the wedding and having found nothing, I advised her to send messages in different kind of Whatsapp groups. Friends, colleagues, middle school classmates, in short, all those groups that swarm on our cell phones, asking for advice and support for this situation that had arisen”.

How did it go?

“She managed to find a pair of gloves too, a clutch bag, a hairstyle, a very light veil scarf and a shrug. All this, which precisely matched the shades that she had requested, added to the very light powder-colored dress that was what she had thought of, in the end the result was fantastic. She was delighted. I too, equally happy to have been able to replicate a fantastic experience that had brought me a beautiful result, and that also had given her this equally beautiful result”.

How nice, Antonella, it makes me really so happy! Because then there are possibilities other than just picking up and going to buy a dress, an accessory, something new just for a specific occasion! So, summing up, what do you feel like saying about this experience?

“I am happy that I was able to find this solution in my difficult situation, let’s call it that. And happy that I have understood that there are many possibilities in addition to the simpler one of buying, going looking for into the new. I’m glad I’ve already replicated. Because precisely for the reason that  it gave a positive emotion, experience, it will in turn be replicated by my friend as well”.

Thanks Antonella for taking the opportunity to try a different way of dressing even when these requests and needs arise. Thank you for repeating the example with your friends as well. It’s very nice to imagine a positive chain of this type, and who knows maybe someone listening to this podcast have the same idea and continue this positive chain, in order to stop sometimes compulsive, sometimes even a little useless purchases. And then, let’s say it, it was also a lot of fun exchanging accessories and exchanging tips! Thanks again Antonella for your experience.

Antonella Minardi, whom I met during a personal growth journey, is a nature lover, likes cats, lives and works in Salerno in Cilento area.

Hi Michela, nice to see you again! Here we are, after the previous  fun episode recorded when we met in Villa Borghese. This time we are in the setting of Piazza Vittorio in Rome. There is a little bit more traffic than last time.

“I’m very happy to see you here Arianna and let’s talk about vintage together again”.

Yes, vintage, always in a very funny way, because the last time the episode of the podcast together was a success. We have enlivened someone’s evenings and we hope so again this time. Among other things, there is a small background that we will then reveal at the end we have already started well, in the sense that we have also begun to involve the people who pass here in the park!

“Not voluntarily but that’s okay!”.

Last time we talked about style falls, about clothes that have a long history, about vintage clothes. We haven’t seen each other in a while so the first thing I ask is’ How’s it going? And how is it going with Cadute di stile?

“That’s good enough. Unfortunately, with Covid, the opportunities to make markets have been very limited. The main part of the Cadute di stile business has failed a little. But I could be able to sell something through apps, especially De Pop and Vinted. So yes, it’s a bit slow but that’s okay ”.

And how is the research going? Because apart from the sale… are you able to find pieces even in times of pandemics and therefore without the markets?

“Unfortunately, the search for pieces has also slowed down a bit. The only positive thing is that I still had a fair number of items to sell that I had accumulated during that period, in which I could easily go and refuel. So I live a little of what I had accumulated in other periods “.

Luckily you had this stock, in order to be able to sell even in this period! Today we are here because I was intrigued by your last post you published on Cadute di stile blog. I have read it and I must tell you that I am among those who groped in the dark in front of the term retro and that, by dint of blunders as you say, I arrived on your blog looking for this term. Let’s shed some light on the meaning of vintage and retro.

“Yes, they often get confused, they are used distinctly with each other and vice versa. But vintage is, as we may have already said last time, everything that was produced at least 20 years ago and that to some extent has become iconic, therefore very recognizable even after some time. For example, the Nay Oleari folders from the 1980s”.

Gorgeous! I always tell you, when you get one let me know!

“Sure! Or the 90s Invicta backpacks, the ones with bright colors, let’s say. Or even the Swatch. These are examples that are also relatively close to us. So vintage is what was produced at least 20 years ago and that has an iconic quality to some extent. Instead retrò is something that has been recently produced with a line that recalls lines of past periods, styles, colors of past periods. They may be similar from the point of view of how they appear to the eye, but they are very different in the sense that they were produced in two different eras, and also in different ways to a good extent. We will go into more detail”.

So is retrò a copy of vintage? Is it a sort of  ‘I would like but I can’t find what I’m looking for, so I buy something that looks like it’?

“Yes, it depends on the type of retrò. In the sense that there is a retrò specialized in reproductions that are historically also very accurate, while instead there is the back of H&M, when it brings out a collection that has lines and colors that refer to the 80s or the 90s, with particular patterns. So retrò is an atmosphere, a mood and, yes, retrò is actually as if it were a vintage that is more at hand. In the sense that you have that atmosphere that refers to a bygone era, but you don’t have the actual provenance, you don’t have the original. And you can play hard not to have the original because maybe they are pieces inspired by historical periods of which there is not much left. Because for example 20s or 30s dresses, especially in silk for example or that have sequins attached. They were much more perishable garments than in other historical periods, which preferred other fabrics or other processes. So in some cases the retrò is the only solution that one has to be able to dress with pieces that refer to that period”.

Now, because we mentioned also fast fashion, I get a straightforward question in relation to this, but are vintage clothing and accessories more expensive than retrò ones? The fact that they are used by some retailers but not only. Is vintage more expensive than retrò?

“We say yes in general, but this is also a simplification, because you can also find vintage on the market stall, at that point it is not expensive at all”.

For a few euros it will happen to you too, maybe you will find some very affordable pieces of the past!

“Yes, vice versa, for example, you were talking about swing before, those who dance swing very often dress with a whole series of garments that refer to periods such as the 40s, with shoes that have the shape similar to that of the shoes of the years 40 and also have a feature that allows you to dance. They are such a specialized product that it is very difficult to think of finding them for a few euros”.

Yes, let’s explain that the hint for swing dance is because I told you, Michela, that I did a swing dance course, now obviously interrupted also due to the pandemic. I tried it for the passion I have for vintage, for what is of the past. So I understand that there is not only fast fashion that takes the lines of the past, but there is also a whole other type of production, like the one you mentioned, of clothing accessories for example that are used for the swing. Another type of producers than large companies.

“Yes, among other things, for those who, for example, are part of some subcultures for whom it is very important to dress in a style that is faithful to that of a particular era, it may also happen that you buy vintage pieces because they resemble those that they refer to their own historical epoch. For example, those who dress with the style of the 40s. Often not finding in abundance clothes actually dating back to the 40s, they turn to those of the 80s, in which there are the so-called fantastic powersuite also for women, the jackets with very padded shoulder pads , structured”.

It makes me remind of the one I wore last time!

“The one with all the glitter!”

That’s right, this makes me think of another question I wanted to ask you. What is the profile of the person who chooses vintage? Who choeses the retrò? Now you are actually describing to me who has both: when someone perhaps chooses to have a style of a particular reference period, he tries to draw a little from one type of piece, a little from another.
Or have you identified particular profiles of people who buy both?

“You know, I think not, in the sense that it is precisely because they are very close in terms of availability and also in meaning that it is also difficult to say ‘there is someone who only dresses vintage or only dresses retrò’. They are two worlds that often meet and the problem arises when maybe a retrò piece is passed off as vintage”.

Indeed! People who are listening will be wondering ‘Why do these two find themselves one day in Rome in a square, in a park, talking about the differentiation between vintage and retrò? Mental lucubrations?  Don’t know they how to spend the time?’ No, because there is actually a reason why we ask ourselves this question! Why ask the difference between the two terms? Michela let’s explain why it is important.

“Because, for example, it has often happened to me lately on the apps I use to sell and buy vintage and second-hand garments, I have often read descriptions where retrò garments were considered vintage. Where vintage simply means something that has a look of the past. So this is above all a misconception that must be dispelled. Because it may happen that you are buying a piece of H&M and maybe you pay even more for it than if you had bought it in the store, because someone called it vintage. Because it seemed plausible to you that it was vintage. I say ‘you’, but also ‘me’, in general”.

This makes me think that you have to keep your eyes open, because honestly buying something that you later discover is from H&M and instead you had the idea of ​​buying vintage, especially if you are attentive to sustainability you get even more nervous. Because if this choice, on the other hand, is dictated by a slightly more responsible approach to buying clothes, and maybe you want to avoid having a certain brand, you think you are taking something from the past, that’s a great rip off. That’s why we’re here to talk about it.

“Then above all because it is very difficult to understand from the photos. It is one thing if you are in the shop. You can’t see all the details you need to understand where the garment comes from. If you have to rely on the photos you see then it is more difficult to understand”.

So when we talk about the vintage garment, that remains the sustainable choice. When instead we take H&M or any other fast fashion brand (because we don’t necessarily want to put this brand in a bad light), when we choose instead a piece of a retrò fast fashion collection, the choice is not so sustainable. Because we always talk about fashion.

“Of course, because we find ourselves with a garment that cost the environment a lot, it cost a lot to those who physically produced it, it will cost us a lot because we will find it in tatters after wearing it 3-4 times, so it’s not a very responsible choice”.

Does it happen that someone asks you this difference, that they turn to you just to ask you for help in understanding if something is retrò or vintage? Was the article born because requests were received or because you yourself got burned on the subject?

“Definitely the second you said, in the sense that it was I who wanted to talk about this. Because in my opinion it is a big misstep that we are always there to do”.

Yes, it is a misstep that is easy to take, it can happen to any of us to be misled. On the Cadute di stile website, in the blog, I saw that you explain in detail how to understand if a garment is vintage or retrò, since the two types of clothing can be confused. But, Michela, apart from going deeper into the article you wrote, can you give us a couple of suggestions? For example, are there any differences in the labels?

“Yes, the differences in the labels are perhaps the easiest thing to control. A vintage label carries much more fragmentary information than a contemporary label, which we know well for being a papyrus. First of all, vintage labels have fewer colors, slightly more antiquated fonts, there are usually very different sizes from the sizes that show current garments. This may already be something to look at”.

Of course it’s more difficult online as you said, because maybe you don’t see the label well in a photo, but we can ask to take a photo of the label right?

“Yes, the label is one of those elements that it is certainly very feasible to ask to be photographed. Or, for example, zips, zippers: those that have metal teeth are much more likely vintage than those of nylon, which are much more recent production, let’s say from the 1980s. Before this period they had metal teeth”.

From the photos it is always a bit difficult to be able to figure out the zip, so you should ask for more information. I generally find that it is not wrong, especially when shopping online. Then maybe in the role of a seller like you is a bit of a nuisance when people ask questions. However, it is always better before buying these pieces and perhaps finding yourself with something of the fast fashion, which you wanted instead vintage. Perhaps it is better to bother a  little more.

“But I would like people to ask me things like that! Because it would mean that he/she is already aware of something that could happen!”.

I smile because in the other episode we talked about customers, you have made an article on how to defend ourself from somewhat strange customers! I smile for that (for those who haven’t listened to the other episode). Because they actually ask you a completely different kind of question!

“The most popular of which is ‘can you go down 60%?'”.

That’s a classic!  60% … really with great courage. It is not that it asks you to make a discount, but 60%! Among other things, on Cadute di stile we are not talking about prices of thousands of euros, the prices you propose are always very affordable. This makes a little bit smile

“Another thing that makes us understand very clearly that it is a retrò piece instead of a vintage piece is when there are so many different sizes and colors available. This is because the production limits that were in a previous historical period are no longer there now, in which it is very easy to produce pieces in series with different variants. This makes us understand that maybe it is a retrò piece”.

In certain eras there was still no mass production of fashion.

“And even if it started to be there, a lot of time has passed and therefore not all the pieces have reached us”.

So, if we see that for example there is the possibility to choose between more sizes, we already understand that we are facing the new retro, due to the availability that exists. But then we said before that it can also be small businesses and many seamstresses, tailors, artisans and many very small brands that make these collections with cuts from the past come to mind, we are facing a slightly more sustainable approach than fashion. We do not want to condemn retro in favor of vintage, we must always go and look at the different realities as they are. One question, however, Michela … The other time we talked about the pieces of Cadute di stile, we saw many vintage pieces that I also tried to wear, we took photos with the pieces and with Cadute di stile we always talk about slips. Because the name comes from this. But have you ever made a slip into retrò? Are there any retrò pieces also in Cadute di stile?

“Voluntarily not, but I think unconsciously there are quite a few!”.

Without wanting to, you too have fallen into the trap, as we said before, so maybe are there any?

“Yes, yes, of course, because in any case Cadute di stile is both vintage and second-hand. In the second-hand world we now find everything and the opposite of everything in terms of style, so yes, surely there are some retrò pieces”.

But it is second-hand, so we are always in the field of responsible fashion.

“We always land on our feet!”.

That’s right, we can’t go wrong with Cadute di stile!
This time I would say quietly even with the noises in the background, in short, we were able to record and carry on this episode too. Michela is there still something we want to say at the end of the episode? We will do a third part, we reveal that we will find another topic and we will do a third episode always live outside if you like.

“Okay, yes, very happy”.

So we keep company with a chat always about sustainability, telling precisely about the pieces. If there is something particular that happens to your hands we meet again,  so you tell us about, and we hope to meet at a market  too.

“Maybe! it would be nice”.

Outdoors maybe it would be very nice. So if you participate in the market we come to visit you and ask you a few questions about the pieces you have for sale.

“Gladly, we hope!”.

Meanwhile, thank you very much for your availability Michela!

“It’s always a pleasure, thank you!”.

You can find Cadute di stile here:

Site: https://cadutedistile.it

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadute_di_stile/

Vintag: https://www.vintag.store/meezedd?lang=it

Depop: https://www.depop.com/cadute_di_stile/

Photos: Michela Zedda

• COVID-19
• Digitization of the offer
• Economic uncertainty
• Interest in sustainability
• Influence of social media
• Search for the unique piece

30-40 billion dollars, the value of the second-hand market

A report by Boston Consulting Group created on behalf of Vestiaire Collective, the French online sales platform for luxury second-hand clothes, estimates the current value of the global second-hand market between 30 and 40 billion dollars, equal to 2% of the entire fashion and luxury market. The growth forecast is between 10% and 15% per year by 2024.

The youngest generation is showing that they want to help solve fashion waste in the long run

According to another study from 10 billion in 2009, the expected growth is considerable. A phenomenon that goes beyond a temporary fashion trend. About 40% of Generation Z respondents planned to buy used, 30% of Millennials and 20% of Generation X. A figure that inspires optimism: the younger generation is showing that they want to help solve fashion waste in the long term (1).

The trend of second-hand purchases comes from the United States, where the second-hand market developed already in the hippie years (70s), giving everyone the opportunity to sell and buy clothing no longer used, making room in the wardrobe for one part and enriching it at an affordable price on the other.

And in Europe? At DressEcode, we wondered about this trend in 3 countries (United Kingdom, France and Italy) to understand how much consumption habits are culturally pervading. Is it one of the changes in consumer paradigms in the post-Covid era?

United Kingdom

Second-hand, pre-owned or pre-loved shops are part of the clothing market with a stable number of stores over the last 10 years (about 4,000 between 2008 and 2018) (2).

Sales of used items on eBay have saved the equivalent of 900 double-decker buses of clothing from being dispersed, thrown away or incinerated

 An eBay study reveals:

• The lockdown period prompted 12 million Brits to buy used clothes in 2020
• 66 million second-hand pieces have found a new home
• A sales rate of 2 second-hand fashion items every 3 seconds, between January and July 2020
• Sales growth of 30% between March and June 2020 and of 1,211% compared to the same period in 2018
• The sales have made it possible to avoid the equivalent of 900 double-decker buses of clothes from being dispersed, thrown away or incinerated.

UK sales of second-hand fashion even surpassed US sales on eBay. Emma Grant, head of the second-hand fashion department of a well-known online sales site, said that in the UK the quarantine has accelerated the transition to a more conscious and sustainable society (3).

France

The second-hand phenomenon (d’occasion) was born with the antiques markets, called marchés aux puces. Here from the 2000s onwards there are more and more vintage fashion items. As in friperies shops (from fripe, old rag).
If in 2009 25% of the French bought second-hand, in 2018 48% bought used (4). In 2019, 39% bought at least one dress or accessory used on mobile applications

The retail giants  are about to create second-hand departments

Hélène Janicaud, head of the fashion sector at the analysis firm Kantar, says that during the confinement 40% of French people lightened their wardrobe. In the second quarter of 2020, the number of articles published on Vinted app grew by 17% (Le Monde).

A market, that of second-hand fashion, estimated at 1 billion euros, growing by 10% annually according to the Institut français de la mode.

An attractive figure also for the giants of retail, who are preparing to develop collaborative projects with clothing brands to create second-hand departments. This is the case of Auchan for example, which has already opened used departments in 5 of its supermarkets, or of Zalando, which will extend the presence of the second-hand department to France, after Germany and Spain.

The success of the Vinted platform in France brings the French market to the top of European sales of used clothing:

• 21 million users of the platform worldwide
• 8 million French users, with an average daily consultation frequency of 1.5 million visitors, thus placing the Lithuanian app in the top 10 of e-commerce, just behind eBay (5).

The Lithuanian giant’s competitors in France are many. In our opinion there are two main ones:

• Once Again, which aims to interface between sellers and buyers, with a guarantee of quality and the possibility of buying clothes in bandle regardless of the seller;
• Vestiaire Collective, the French platform created in 2009, which defines itself as the world’s first market place for the sale of luxury fashion items and which benefited from an investment of 40 million euros in June 2019 by Condé Nast to dedicate to its development international.

Italy

Precise data on the consumption of second-hand fashion in Italy are not available, but we do have an overview of second-hand purchases in general made in our country. In the last 5 years, the second-hand sector has grown by 33%, reaching 24 billion euros in 2019, equal to 1.3% of the Italian GDP. The “home and personal products” sector, which includes clothing, is worth a total of 2.8 billion euros. The trend, already underway before the pandemic, was mainly driven by online (in 2018 it generated value of 10.5 billion euros) (6).

Between March and June 2020, Italy recorded 128% more orders for second-hand clothes (on Vestiaire Collective)

Second-hand fashion has literally exploded during 2020, thanks mainly to 3 levers:

• Economic: in addition to limiting access to physical stores, the economic crisis accompanying the ongoing health crisis has favored the use of second-hand purchases with items whose price is more accessible, in line with the decrease in purchasing power during the lock down period.
• Environmental: the sale and purchase of second hand are in 4th place among the most widespread sustainable behaviors among Italians (49%), immediately after separate collection waste (95%), the purchase of LED bulbs (77%) ) and zero km products (56%) (6).
• Social: the growing phenomenon of fashion bloggers, who propose the latest outfits, increases the desire of users/followers to frequently renew their wardrobe. The preference for the second hand increases. A trend encouraged by the same fashion bloggers who, according to Nss G-Club, after showing new clothes, resell them on the second-hand market.

With 41% of European fashion production, Italy is the first country in Europe for the production of textiles, clothing and accessories (7). Is this also why, until a few years ago, second-hand fashion was not such a widespread consumer habit?

From a data processing by Vestiaire Collective for Il Sole 24 Ore, between March and June 2020 Italy recorded an increase in second-hand clothing deposits of 137%, and 128% of orders, with a particular boom in 3 categories: menswear (+ 190%), women’s ready-to-wear (+ 149%) and women’s accessories (+ 108%).

In the study, the data indicate that:

• Those who buy are on average between 30 and 50 years old
• The seller is between 35 and 45 years old
• The biggest buyers of second-hand fashion are women between the ages of 25 and 34 (75%)

The consolidation of this trend as a real new consumer habit is confirmed by the development of online sales proposals, but not only. In addition to the well-known Depop, Armadio Verde and the newcomer to Italy Vinted, Italy has many physical outlets for second-hand clothes and accessories (you can find them in our map of sustainable clothing stores).

Despite the perceptions that were still found a few years ago, Italy is also following the global trend of preference for second-hand fashion items.
If the main reason for this fervor still remains the economic one, the new generations, mainly Gen. Z, are the driving force for this cultural change, proudly displaying their second-hand purchases in the name of sustainability.

Fast fashion is experiencing its final years at the top of the industry sales ranking

An important figure in our opinion is that of the forecast of the trend between now and 2028 of the value of the second-hand market that will surpass fast fashion. Reading several reports (BCG, thredUP and some national observers), fast fashion is experiencing its final years at the top of the industry sales ranking.

A beautiful opening for a different future of the fashion world, which we hope will benefit first and foremost the workers of the countries exploited by the big fashion buyers in the production phases, but also to protect the environment: the biggest global challenge in the next 30 years.

Anne-Laure Petton

Photos: Dress Ecode; Priscilla du Preez; Onur Bahçıvancılar; Thomas Vogel; Jaclyn Moy; Dress Ecode.

(1) Report thredUP 2020

(2) Statista.com

(3) Fashionunited.uk

(4) Report 2019 di Centre de recherche pour l’étude et l’observation des conditions de vie

(5) Report of Médiamétrie

(6) 6th edition of Osservatorio Second Hand Economy, BVA Doxa.

(7) Carlo Capasa, president of Camera della moda italiana in an open letter to government, published on La Repubblica, April 11 2020.