ACCESSIBLE SUSTAINABILITY

BY JULIETTE HUY

Earth is becoming a trash bag full of the outfits we got sick of. Every second of the day, a new dump truck full of clothing gets unloaded into a landfill. That’s 92 million tons of clothing each year.

As the health of our planet declines, consumer habits and efforts at sustainability are becoming indispensable, and awareness is spreading.

For style fanatics like sophomore Daniel Salazar, this means practices like online shopping just aren’t cutting it anymore.

“I started making little adjustments to my life, where now I don’t really buy anything new anymore,” Salazar said.

What has he turned to instead? Thrifting.

The rise of thrift culture among young people in recent years has made sustainable shopping more accessible than ever before.

In 2022, nearly 40% of Generation Z and Millennial shoppers reported they spent increasing amounts on secondhand clothing compared to regular apparel.

“At this point, I think of sustainability as an ethical and moral decision,” said Rachel Kinnard, a professor of fashion at Chapman.

Kinnard added:

“It depends on how much people value the earth and their fellow human beings.”

For many, their journey in sustainable clothing consumption all began with the hunt for originality.

The global market for secondhand clothing is growing at three times the rate of the world’s apparel market, with an expected growth of 126% by 2026.

Resale companies like ThredUp and the RealReal have also contributed to this increase, leaving brands struggling to catch up alongside evolving markets.

“Before you could only go to your local thrift stores and now you can source things from anywhere in the world,” Kinnard said.

But what began for many as a new form of self-expression quickly accelerated into a consumer-led movement to change their lifestyles and the fashion industry.

Salazar now works as a buyer at DeeLux, a popular buy-sell-trade located in Old Towne Orange.

He recounts getting his start in thrifting in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic first hit.

“I always knew fashion drew me in and that clothes were awesome, but I never really knew how to get the resources for it,” Salazar said.

He’s since become an advocate for slowing consumption by putting old clothes into new hands.

Among young people, the obvious benefit of secondhand is just as Salazar describes:

It’s cheaper. Whereas many sustainable brands and “eco-friendly” products remain costly, thrifting provides an affordable option for the everyday person to shop with the earth in mind.

So how can brands keep up with a new generation of shoppers who are no longer willing to keep spending their money on unexceptional items?

Meeting the demand for sustainable products is a good place to start.

And several companies have already moved towards environmental consciousness by stepping into the world of secondhand.

Patagonia has been at the forefront of corporate sustainability for years with its Wornware program, where customers can trade-in and buy used Patagonia gear.

By using natural materials and helping customers to repair used items, the company hopes to get customers to wear clothing for a lifetime.

Even Levi’s is encouraging customers to buy less by setting up a clothing recycling program, giving timeless denim new life.

The difficulty for customers is differentiating the companies that are truly making changes from the ones that only claim to be.

“I see greenwashing happening. There’s a lot of these ‘direct to consumer’ brands that will say all of our bathing suits are made out of water bottles or something to get people to buy them,” warned Kinnard.

She gives the cautionary tale of TOMS shoes’ “Buy-OneGive-One” model, which hit the market in 2006.

Despite the customer appeal of giving back to those in need just by buying a pair of shoes, a little research brought many questions about the program’s true social impact.

“[TOMS] kind of started the do-gooder consumer product, and it ended up that they really weren’t helping anybody,” Kinnard said.

For consumers looking to be more sustainable, self-education is key in spotting what’s real and what’s not.

“A lot of it is following people that are making a difference, keeping up with sustainable young designers, and trying to avoid those big corporations even though they’re practical,” said sophomore fashion student Moira Wu.

Social media has already helped several consumer-led organizations do their best to spread awareness.

Accounts such as @Fash_Rev (Fashion Revolution) and @Remakeourworld give sustainable brand alternatives for those looking to make a change.

No Kill Mag is an online magazine that shares up-andcoming designers to watch, tips on how to reinvent what you already own, and interviews with young activists working for changes in the culture of clothing.

Other small companies, like LA-based Suay Sew Shop, are practicing “vertical sewing,” which reduces clothing waste through a combination of recycled textiles and domestically grown organic materials.

In 2019, Suay kept over 250,000 pounds of garments out of landfills and has since expanded its industry activism to garment workers’ rights and policy reform for fair wages.

With the support of an emerging generation of conscious consumers, companies like this are just the beginning for the future of retail.

Young secondhand shoppers are at the front of the race toward sustainability, and fashion is running to catch up.

“Honestly today, it’s who you are or what you’re wearing,” said Johnson.

And with 92 million tons of clothing weighing on our shoulders, where you’re buying from means just as much.