The not so sustainable truth behind op-shopping
It’s no news flash that conversations around fashion sustainability are becoming a firm fixture in our zeitgeist. They’ve moved from sidelined conversations to main headlines, splashed centrefolds in digital magazines. The question, “where did you get that from?” is more loaded than ever.
We have a climate anxious generation who cling onto metal straws and reusable produce bags like they’re silver swords. It makes sense that we’re questioning the garments we toss on our bodies.
To combat frighteningly high price tags, many of us have turned to op shops to appease our fashion desires. On paper, they’re great. Sift through unique, one-off items like you’re the main character in an indie coming-of-age film! For $8, you too can look like Emma Chamberlain! And you’ll be helping charities!
Like most good things, there’s a catch (or five). Second-hand clothing, while paramount to extending the life of clothes and contributing to a more circular economy, is not the answer to affordable, sustainable fashion. It’s easy to point people in the direction of op shopping as the be-all-and-end-all answer to shopping more ethically. I know I have been guilty of pushing people onto a thrift store conveyor belt without considering individual circumstances.
Dumping your 2014 Dotti tee at your nearest Salvos unfortunately doesn’t wipe your hands free from the sins of fast fashion. In Australia, only 15% of clothing is sold in op shops, the rest is thrown to landfill or offshored into third world countries like Mozambique and Nigeria which can inhibit the growth of their local economies.
While the affordability of op shopping is usually associated with lower socio-economic classes, the time privilege of op shopping often goes unnoticed. Trawling through racks upon racks of cluttered clothes is time-consuming and requires unwavering persistence and rolled-up-sleeves determination. People who work double shifts or multiple jobs may not have the time to spend Saturday afternoons on op shop crawls. Neither do single parents who are trying to dress four separate kids.
Op shops have been cheerfully embraced by the middle class who frenetically search for quirky band tees and The Perfect Vintage Levi’s. But with the continued gentrification of op shops and the popularisation of resale platforms like Depop, prices have been hitched up. Instead of buying out of necessity, thrifting has become a marker of status; it is now undoubtedly cool to flex your scratched-up Vinnies leather jacket.
The fashion industry is unquestionably fatphobic – and there is no exception when it comes to op shopping. Holding size privilege makes second-hand shopping infinitely easier. With the rise of thrift flips, which usually entails cutting, trimming and cropping items, larger sized pieces are also being hoarded by the masses. Oversized fits and baggy crops are sought after and while there is nothing inherently problematic with this style preference, it becomes contentious when it leaves less stock for people who wear plus-size clothes.
Cultural stigmas and East Asian superstitions have also tainted the allure of op shops. Second-hand clothes have traditionally been viewed as inauspicious in China and there are traditional Chinese customs that say that a deceased person’s clothes should be burned so the clothes can reach them in the afterlife.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to sustainability. We need to consider classism, fatphobia and cultural differences before we herd people off to their local Savers.
The most sustainable thing we can do is not overconsume. As founder of Fashion Revolution Orsola de Castro says, “the most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe.” Care for your clothes like you would a close friend. Treat them with respect and try to hold on to them for as long as possible. Read their care labels, mend any broken bits. Change out of the mindset that clothes are disposable. Donating to op shops shouldn’t be the first point of call. Pass hand-me-downs to your friends and younger family friends so you know they’ll be well-loved.
There’s a privilege to be able to op shop with ease. Whether you’re in close proximity to second-hand stores, have time to sift through piles of clothes, fit easily into most items or have the funds to purchase from curated vintage stores, just remember that not everyone else is afforded the same luxury.
Words — Maggie Zhou
