ARIANA RIGGI

United States of America

global winners 2026
Journalistic

From Stigma to Status: Gen Z Redefining Fashion Through Resale

“Everything we want already exists.”  

Sabriye Yilmaz, a Rowan University student and Depop ambassador, is one of hundreds of college students recruited to market the platform to peers. In a 2025 interview, she captured the logic of resale, suggesting that fashion need not be new to be fashionable. Today’s biggest fashion statements are reclaimed by a generation that sees consumption, style, identity, and values as inseparable.  

Historically, second-hand clothing often existed on the margins of mainstream culture. Thrift shops, like Goodwill and Salvation Army, were widely associated with customers shopping out of economic necessity. At the same time, much of mainstream fashion came to be dominated by fast fashion, churning cheaply produced goods to meet seasonal trends. Generation Z, treating clothing as a signal of identity, has changed the narrative, turning secondhand fashion into a values-driven, aspirational practice rooted in sustainability, affordability, entrepreneurialism, and self-expression.

Growth of the Secondhand Fashion Market

The emergence of the internet revolutionized retail, then eBay, founded in 1995, normalized and scaled the exchange of used goods. Later, companies like ThredUp, Vestiaire, Poshmark, The RealReal, and Vinted professionalized resale by streamlining logistics and offering luxury authentication. These companies built the technological backbone of the online resale industry. However, the industry did not truly take off until Gen Z entered the consumer market. The global secondhand market, currently estimated at $210-220 billion, is growing at 10% annually, 3X faster than the firsthand market (Moizant), while 90% of Depop’s 30 million users are under the age of 26 (Dockterman). 

Sustainability and the Rejection of Fast Fashion’s Disposable Model

Beginning in the late 20th century, retailers like H&M, Forever 21, and Zara transformed the fashion industry by drastically shortening production cycles and lowering prices. New collections were continuously introduced, creating a sense of novelty and urgency that encouraged consumers to buy clothing more frequently. Garments came to be seen as disposable, made possible by the low cost of fast fashion which allowed consumers to participate in a cycle of constant consumption without significant financial consequence. According to the World Economic Forum, while people bought 60% more clothing between 2000 and 2015, they kept them for only half as long (McFall-Johnsen). In that 15 year period, clothing utilization decreased by 36%, causing nearly $500 billion of value to be lost as more than half of fast fashion was disposed of in under a year (Ellen MacArthur Foundation). 

Generation Z has rejected this model. A 2025 study found that pre-owned items comprise 32% of Gen Z’s closets (Moizant). Confirming this shift is ThredUp’s 2025 Resale Report which found that 48% of younger consumers first seek secondhand options when shopping for apparel (ThredUp). 

Raised amid climate crisis, sustainability is a defining priority for Gen Z. 65% of Gen Zs say that the environment is a major source of anxiety and that environmental concerns influence their consumer behavior (Deloitte), revealing that sustainability is not an abstract concern, but an emotionally salient issue that informs their everyday buying decisions. The apparel industry produces 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually and contributes 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Prisco). As Gen Z is one of the most purpose-driven generations in history, with 76% of Gen Zs hoping to engender meaningful change and 50% having used social media to support a cause (Bolshaw), it is not surprising that fashion has become a focal point for change. For Gen Z, buying fashion is intertwined with environmental responsibility, making circular consumption of clothing both ethical and practical. 

Financial Pragmatism in an Era of Economic Constraint

Economic realities have contributed to the rise of resale among Gen Zs. Today’s young people entered the consumer market during a period marked by economic uncertainty, including the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, and concerns about student debt. Cost of living is a top concern for Gen Z as 48% say they do not feel financially secure (Deloitte). These economic conditions have made affordability a practical consideration when purchasing clothing. Buying secondhand allows consumers access to higher-quality or brand-name items at significantly lower prices than traditional retail.  

Resale also allows individuals to recoup part of their spending by selling items after they have worn them. Rather than viewing clothing as a permanent possession, young shoppers treat garments as temporary assets, creating a fluid approach to garment ownership that enables resale marketplaces to act as financial tools.

Resale as a Vehicle for Entrepreneurship

This generation is even more entrepreneurially minded than its predecessors and resale platforms have given rise to “closet entrepreneurs” who generate income by reselling clothing, whether by monetizing their personal wardrobes or building businesses around sourced and curated thrift. For some, resale that began as a hobby has evolved into a significant source of income, enabling young people to earn money to buy houses and cars that might otherwise be unattainable (Hanbury). Platforms like Depop encourage this entrepreneurial culture by providing tools that allow users to build personal brands and generate followings. Marcie Merriman, Executive Director for Growth Strategy and Retail and Innovation at Ernst & Young notes, “The idea of working hard and building your own success has been ingrained in U.S. teens from such an early age [and] because of technology, Generation Z is the first generation to really have the tools and ability to go after their dreams at a young age” (Hanbury). 

Social Currency in the Age of Digital Identity

Gen Z has made secondhand shopping socially desirable as the quest for uniqueness also drives secondhand purchases in an era otherwise filled with mass-produced, homogenized fashion. Social media creates network effects and in fact, a study found that 58% of customers associate brands being resold often with trendiness (McKinsey). Reselling clothing helps digitally native Gen Zs wear “new-to-them” outfits that they have not yet posted on social media, allowing them to refresh their online identities without contributing to the churn of fast fashion that is antithetical to their values. 

Additionally, thrifting has become a social activity and marker of taste, with 14.6 million Instagram posts tagged #thrifting as of November 2025 (Chew). Platforms like Depop support this shift by blending resale with social media, providing an interactive, community experience that allows users to create profiles, like listings, and follow sellers aligned with their style.  

Technology Stimulates Continued Industry Evolution Toward Circularity and Gen Z’s Lasting Impact

Notably, brands have also sought to capitalize on this cultural change, with163 brands having launched in-house resale programs as of 2023, up from just 5 in 2019 (Schenkman). As circular models increasingly gain popularity, many brands are experimenting with resale partnerships, not viewing resale as competition but rather as a part of their business model. Continued advancements in algorithmic technology and artificial intelligence will further reduce friction for both buyers and sellers, supporting the secondary market as it matures into a core segment of contemporary fashion. 

While Gen Z did not invent fashion resale, they have reimagined it, imbuing retail behavior with ethical conviction and modern social aspiration to catalyze a structural shift in the fashion industry. Gen Z’s influence has impacted retail norms, prompting the market to challenge overconsumption. By participating as both buyers and sellers, they have simultaneously expanded demand and supply in resale markets. In doing so, they have amplified its cultural visibility and signaled a clear shift in consumer preferences, pressuring the industry to adapt. This disruption came not from inventors or executives, but from young, digitally native, socially conscious shoppers, proving that ethics and aesthetics can coexist.  

Works Cited

1st Place GLOBAL WINNERS 2025

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  • Smiling boy with short dark hair, wearing a black shirt, outdoors with blurred green foliage in background.

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    Justin Yu
    United States of America

  • Young man with dark hair smiling

    argumentative

    Aarav Jain
    India

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