Young people lead vintage revolution

The resale market has grown 21 times faster than the UK retail fashion market since 2017, according to ThredUp.

 

It echoes a transformative trend in consumer behaviour, with the global vintage market expected to jump from $24bn to $51bn (£40bn) by 2023. The changing landscape is driven by teenagers, with Gen Z being twice as likely to shop vintage clothing as their parents, a Forbes investigation has shown.

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Clothing influencer Frida Ottosson believes we see two parallel movements. “One that’s drawn to inexpensive and accessible clothes that’s fast fashion, and one that’s more into vintage,” she says, arguing that fast fashion has thrived because of ideal conditions and collaborations between brands and social media influencers.

 

She adds: “But influencers need to take responsibility and we’re in for a transformation. With that said, vintage is as much of a trend than anything else,” Ottosson says. She points out that the UK public sits on around £30bn worth of unused clothes and that one t-shirt consumes 2,700 litres of water to produce.

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London’s vintage scene has similar projections. “People come here for the price, quality and the environment, says Alberto Ricca, who arranges vintage fairs in London for P&A Antiques. “It’s high on the agenda and there’s a general acceptance that things and have to change,” he says.