Gen Z Loves Thrifting. Why? They Love the "Vintage" Look — The Riverdale Review (2024)
It’s a new year, but Gen Z fashion is all about “a blast from the past.” Current fashion trends embraced by younger shoppers point to clothing that our parents, aunts, and uncles probably still have hanging in their closets. Gen Z is drawn to slouchy suits, flared jeans, graphic tees, long flowy party dresses, tracksuits, mini skirts and trucker hats. They are flocking to thrift and vintage stores in search of authentic retro looks. As much as 62% of Gen Z and Millennials say they look for an item secondhand before they buy a new version of it, according to the 2022 annual industry report from secondhand marketplace ThredUP. The top three reasons Gen Z are buying used clothing is to save money, to be more sustainable, and to have more fun shopping, the report said. The market for secondhand goods in the United States is expected to more than double to 82 billion dollars by 2026, from 35 billion dollars in 2021, according to the report.
Shurland Singh, a manager at a Goodwill store in New York City’s east side, is seeing the thrifting frenzy first hand. Mr. Singh states, “We have a good percentage of the younger generation coming in now. On a daily basis at least 25% of consumers are Gen Z.” Singh listed the most popular looks in secondhand marketplaces. He notes, “Right now the furry look is in and the baggy look is a little bit in.” Singh later explained that the mission of Goodwill is to “provide people with disabilities independence through the power of work. And by doing that, and collecting [clothing] donations, we’re actually keeping tons of clothes out of the landfills.”
There is another reason contributing to the young shoppers' infatuation with old clothing: people want to express their individuality through their outfits, but also in a sustainable way. Now, there is a new desire to transition to clothing pieces that are not harmful to the environment. Ninth grader Jillian Flynn expresses, “I like thrifting because I can find trendy clothes and I don’t have to contribute to fast fashion by doing so.” Furthermore, the trend of buying pre worn clothes allows for people to stop supporting fast fashion companies, who facilitate forced manual labor. Commenting on the unethical practices of creating fast fashion pieces, Flynn states, “The factories that make fast fashion clothing have bad working conditions that I don’t want to support.” Ultimately, by purchasing thrifted clothing, teenagers are becoming more sustainable with their outfit choices, in hopes of helping our environment. Thrifts and vintage stores with community goals like Goodwill, Buffalo Exchange, and L train vintage are likely to stay high on Gen Zers’ radar. The Riverdale Review hopes that you shop sustainably in the future!
It's access. Growing up with access to search engines and social media made it really easy to not just hear about the past, but to experience it. Streaming platforms gave us access to millions of stories and videos and songs throughout history from an early age.
Some Gen Zers view thrifting and reselling as a challenge to find the diamond in the rough. This generation is known to value their individuality and creativity, thrifting allows them to do just that. Gen Z is making a conscious effort to reduce their environmental impact through sustainable fashion practices.
Gen Z is drawn to slouchy suits, flared jeans, graphic tees, long flowy party dresses, tracksuits, mini skirts and trucker hats. They are flocking to thrift and vintage stores in search of authentic retro looks.
Baggier jeans and looser-fitting pants ultimately emerged as a happy medium between the athleisure worn throughout multiple lockdowns and the constricting skinny jeans of the previous decade. The silhouettes could be sleek and comfortable without compromising one for the other.
Spending a significant amount of time on social media has led to Gen Z becoming a heavily comparative generation, constantly studying their bodies against the next persons; so much so that four in ten say social media has caused them to feel anxious about how they look.
Youth nostalgia fosters a sense of belonging. Ho says that nostalgia reinforces relationships through shared experiences, which builds trust. In a time of social and political turmoil, it makes sense that younger generations (specifically Gen Z) would turn to nostalgia.
The phenomenon is explained by the 20-year cycle. As defined by A Magazine, trends that were popular 20 years ago tend to come back with a modern edge added. This is seen with the 2000s taking heavy influence from the 80s, the 80s being into the 60s, and so forth.
Share of consumers buying secondhand online in the U.S. 2023, by generation. In the first quarter of 2023, a third of surveyed consumers indicated engaging in secondhand shopping. Among the respondents, Gen Z constituted the highest percentage at 42 percent, followed closely by Millennials at 39 percent.
Skincare experts warn that getting Botox or using anti-aging creams too early can cause unwanted side effects and that vaping and e-cigarettes, which Gen-Zers gravitate toward, can also cause premature aging.
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