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Americans are ditching their old clothes as COVID-19 vaccinations continue, restrictions are relaxed and offices reopen. The clothes are intended for online resale sites as well as donation centers.
Used Clothing Marketplace ThredUP paid research firm GlobalData to find information on the movement of used clothing. GlobalData projections show the company is expected to double from $ 36 billion to $ 77 billion in 2025.
James Reinhart runs ThredUP. He said the growth is being driven by new sellers bringing high quality clothing to market. He estimates that Americans collectively have at least $ 9 billion worth of products they don’t wear.
Buying and selling used clothing was popular before COVID. However, since the pandemic, the movement of buying and selling used clothing has strengthened.
Reinhart said buyers are thinking more about the environment now. He said more and more of them are looking for products that have good resale value instead of cheap, low-quality clothes called fast clothes. fashion.
Reinhart said the change demonstrates a new belief among the public of clothing buyers.
“It’s not buying, wearing, throwing away,†he said, adding that people are much more sensitive to the idea of ​​waste.
TheRealReal is a luxury resale site with over 22 million members. A report from the company says the total value of used goods sold this year through May was around $ 239 million. The report states that this number represents an increase of 53% compared to the same period in 2019.
Jessica Richards studies and predicts movements in the fashion industry for the Accessories Council, a nonprofit business group.
She said the group is seeing a lot of people investing in their clothes. Richards said they were reexamining what they owned and why they owned it.
Now, she said buyers are simplifying their clothing collections. They are working to build what Richards has called a “desired personal style image“.
Others like the style they adopted during the pandemic, like Cameron Howe.
The 33-year-old from Lynchburg, Va., Says there is one type of clothing she plans to continue wearing: leggings.
Howe bought at least 15 leggings during the pandemic.
“Fortunately my old and new employer accept leggings,†she said, adding, “I don’t really want to wear real ones. Pants again.”
While a lot of clothes go to donation centers and online resale sites, some people keep them in the family.
Samantina Zeon, 31, lives in New York. Like so many people, she gained weight during the health crisis. She has a lot of beautiful clothes that she can’t fit in anymore. So, she plans to send them to a relative in Haiti.
Zeon said, “This is something that a lot of people who have families in different countries are doing. I have already done this to send food. She said her Haitian relative planned to sell the clothes in her neighborhood to earn extra money.
I am Grégory Stachel.
Leanne Italy reported this story to The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.
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Words in this story
waste – nm an action or use that results in the unnecessary loss of something of value
luxury – nm a condition or situation of great comfort, ease and wealth
fashion – nm the business of creating and selling clothes in new styles
leggings – nm women’s pants made of a material that stretches to fit tightly to the legs
Pants – nm a garment that covers your body from the waist to the ankle and has a separate part for each leg
barrel – nm a round container usually made of wood with curved sides and flat ends
cash – nm money in the form of coins and banknotes
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