For Singapore shoppers, second-hand stores offer an alternative to fast fashion

Swapping initiatives, from permanent shops to pop-up events, have appeared to encourage consumers to make the most of what is already in their closets

People have swapped everything from casual clothes made by high-street brands to top-end items such as Prada bags and Louboutin shoes

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Nadia Kishlan (left) browsing through secondhand clothes at a pop-up swap event organised by a group of volunteers in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:00am, 15 Feb 2021Updated: 9:00am, 15 Feb 2021

Singaporean Sue-Anne Chng used to wear a different outfit on all 15 days of the Lunar New Year, when it is customary to don new clothes to symbolise a fresh start.

But this year she will wear second-hand items exchanged for her old clothes at a store catering to people concerned about the impact of fast fashion on the environment.

Several swapping initiatives, from permanent shops to pop-up events, have appeared in the affluent city state in a bid to encourage consumers to make the most of what is already in their closets.

The fashion industry is responsible for up to one-tenth of global carbon emissions, according to the United Nations’ environment programme.

Clothes cause emissions in a wide variety of ways – from their manufacture to transport and washing by the consumer.

On a recent trip to her favourite store, The Fashion Pulpit, Chng took along several dresses and a matching blouse and skirt, which a staff member assessed before crediting points to her account.

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