Young Indians snap up second-hand clothes as more seek unique, sustainable alternatives to fast fashion

Many Indian thrift shops on Instagram began with users decluttering their wardrobe, who gave away or sold cheaply the clothes that they no longer used

Second-hand, vintage shopping gained traction in India after Covid-19 kept people home and closed shops

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Bodements sells designer clothes, footwear and accessories bought from vintage stores and flea markets, across the world. Photo: Divya Saini

Published: 2:00pm, 13 Nov 2022Updated: 2:31pm, 13 Nov 2022

Jahnvi Prakash, a 19-year-old student in New Delhi, is an average Indian Gen Z who loves fashion and spends a lot of time on Instagram, looking at new trends. She buys most of her unique pieces, from boho to party wear, from thrift stores on Instagram.

“I love the thrill of finding a unique piece like a corset or a blazer, and scoring a bargain. Recently I got a smart trench coat for just 1,500 rupees (US$18).”

Preloved or second-hand and vintage clothing and accessories, as well as upcycled clothes are having their moment in India in light of the Covid-19 pandemic that kept people home and closed malls and shops.

“There has been a perceptible perception shift. In the past there was a lot of stigma attached to wearing hand me downs because of the belief that it carries the old energy of the previous owner. Ironically, Indians have been always thrifting and upcycling- converting old saris into kurtas or dresses and passing down saree collections to the next generation,” says Prakash.

Divya Saini of Bodements, that sells preloved luxury designer wear. Before setting up Bodements, Saini admitted to not understanding fully the background and environmental and social repercussions of fast fashion, in addition to growing “tired” of it. Photo: Handout

Over 80 billion pieces of new clothing are purchased globally every year. About three in every five of these clothing products end up in landfills within years of production.