For years, I took pride in my mostly-secondhand wardrobe. Thrifting and online resale platforms felt like a perfect blend of sustainability and style. I was giving preloved clothes a second chance, avoiding the environmental toll of fast fashion, and curating a collection that was uniquely mine. However, my wardrobe never felt 100% right, and when I read this article from The Guardian titled, “Say Less to the Dress: Why I’m Cutting Back on Secondhand Clothes Shopping”, it summed up the problems I’ve encountered too. 

I’m currently committed to wearing only a small capsule of Shein clothes to test out whether fast fashion really is disposable. Living with such a tiny wardrobe (10 items of clothing plus underwear and nightwear) has been a huge challenge — not specifically because of where they’re from but because I long to wear my ‘own clothes’ that I’ve put away for the whole period. 

However, while I miss wearing specific garments, my closet as a whole definitely wasn’t perfect. In the Guardian article, Abigail Austin, host of the The Eco Enthusiast podcast, shares a realisation that I, too, have come to face: my closet was becoming a chaotic collection of impulse buys and quirky pieces that didn’t always work together. 

While these items were often unique, they frequently felt more like compromises than fashion statements. There are some perfect gems, but other items where I compromised on fit, colour or style.  As Austin points out, “the dream of a curated wardrobe quickly turned into clutter”, and I couldn’t agree more. My attempts to be eco-friendly were overshadowed by the sheer volume of clothes I rarely wore.

Another uncomfortable truth hit home for me: not all secondhand items are treasures. The author describes the challenge of finding quality pieces amid a sea of “worn out, outdated, or just plain shabby” clothes. With the influx of fast fashion, thrift stores are increasingly filled with poorly made garments that don’t stand the test of time.

Austin also raises the point — which I don’t necessarily agree with — that by constantly buying secondhand, she might be inadvertently feeding into the same cycle I was trying to avoid. The article highlights how some people “buy excessively, knowing they can make a quick buck by reselling items when the micro-season ends.” 

I tend to see buying second hand as giving a new life to pieces that would otherwise end up in landfill — although perhaps without the ‘safety valve’ of dropping unloved clothes off at a charity shop we would shop more mindfully in the first place? 

So, I decided to take a step back and rethink my approach. My 90 days of Shein challenge has given me some space from the rest of my wardrobe, and I’m hoping to emerge with a bit more clarity over what I actually love to wear. Instead of the thrill of the hunt in thrift stores, I’d really love to have a curated wardrobe that reflects my style and values.

That said, I won’t abandon secondhand shopping altogether. Like Austin, I plan to continue supporting secondhand markets where it makes sense, but with a more intentional and discerning eye.