Secondhand clothes-shopping and environmental impact

Post date: 2026-09-23 02:30:38

I buy the vast majority of clothing second-hand, with only a few notable exceptions. This is because I want to lessen the environmental impact of my purchases. What things am I not considering, when thinking about environmental impact? CW: body size mention.

This is my second question about managing a wardrobe during a period of changing body-size; as you can see this continues to be something I am figuring out! But this question is specifically about doing that in an ethical way, and one that has the least detrimental environmental impact.

I've been losing weight intentionally and as a result a lot of my long-standing wardrobe has stopped being fit for purpose. I've therefore sold on a lot of it and am in the process of gradually repopulating my wardrobe with clothes that fit.

I want to know how to do this in an ethical way, because it feels rather complicated. At the same time, self-presentation is important to me and I want to dress in a way that feels right for me and authentic. This is particularly important to me at a time of changing body-size when I know my appearance is changing. I buy almost everything second-hand and for a time this felt like 'enough' from an ethical/environmental point of view, but I'm realising it's far more complicated than that.

I'd really rather avoid fast fashion at all, but is the impact of buying fast fashion reduced if you buy it second hand? Are you saving it from going into landfill? Or are you prompting people to buy more fast fashion because they're thinking they can wear it once and then list it for resale in the knowledge that people will buy it? What else am I not taking into account when choosing to buy almost everything second-hand?

A few clarification points:

I'd rather not buy high-quality investment pieces second-hand; I want to funds from that purchase to go to the makers. But given my budget, life and self-presentation, a small well-chosen high quality capsule wardrobe is not an option for me, no matter how much I might want this to be the case. I need choice, not least because I fluctuate massively in size depending on where I am in my cycle.

I'm not buying clothes constantly; just to fill in the gaps because what I had wasn't fitting me anymore. I do find shopping fun, but I'm not shopping for fun. I'm only buying things I need.

What am I not considering in order to do this in the most ethical way

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