Rags to Riches: What Happens When Social Media Takes Over Second Hand Shopping
Poshmark, Vinted, Depop, Schpock—I would bet money that at least … 80% of you reading this article have one of these downloaded on their phone (no shade; I have 3 out of 4). Sustainable fashion and ethical shopping have taken social media by storm, turning these once simple second-hand selling sites into apps that now give you suggestions on how to get your selling pieces to the top, through tactics such as creating an aesthetically pleasing post or posting unique videos. If you’re on any sort of fashion side of any social media, you probably have seen the iconic category of ‘Depop girlies,’ who have changed the scene of online second-hand shopping. With their glittery posts and ✰ ICONIC Y2K BRITNEY SPEARS CORE MANIC PIXIE BABY TEE ✰ titles, honestly, sometimes you are left wondering, what is the actual style of the top that’s in my cart right now?
Image Courtesy of @lovecara via Depop, @2024. Some rights reserved.
No hate to any ‘Depop girly’ or seller who uses these tactics, you have to respect the grind. Quite honestly, it’s a skill set that takes mastering – being able to turn a £5 Forever 21 t-shirt from 2015 into a £20 ‘rare vintage find,’ write a Jemima Kirke-esque caption, and eventually, sell it? Impressive. Sellers and buyers alike have turned these second-hand sites into thrift-flip and photography competitions, leaving the days behind of when just a simple, decent-quality smartphone photo was enough to make a few pounds of selling clothes from your closet. Searching up ‘pink tank top,’ hoping to find an affordable yet adorable top for a themed night out, is harder than finding a vintage ‘80s Retro Adidas Windbreaker. Obviously, on the flip side, these second-hand sites are perfect for finding pieces such as a ‘vintage ‘80s Retro Adidas Windbreaker’ that one could not find at a store these days, but at times, it seems to be a bit … overwhelming. The ultimate micro trend final boss seems to be these sites themselves – when going on Depop to search clothes up, ‘minimalism,’ ‘coquette,’ ‘Y2K,’ and ‘Boho’ pop up and have their own pages.
Image Courtesy of Depop via Depop, @2024. Some rights reserved.
Forget the days of tennis and skiing, there’s a new competitive sport in town, and it’s called ‘thrift flipping’ and online clothes selling. While shopping secondhand is obviously beneficial in a multitude of ways, it appears that many utilize the sustainability aspect of it as a guise, when in reality, they just use it as an opportunity to cosplay as ‘broke.’ It’s a double-edged sword, with the sustainability aspect of these second-hand sites, but then also some taking advantage of the current ‘trendiness’ of buying second-hand items. With the added usage of ‘Depop girlies’ and ‘thrift flip’ on social media, it’s apparent that these sites are no longer just becoming online shopping sites, but also creations of new personas and niches that everyone wants to take a part in. The staging photos of your clothing that look like you took them in 5 seconds, but in reality took 1 hour. The buzz-word titles and captions like ‘THE famous pinterest dead stock tube top in black/pink with a cute little bow’ (see below) for clothing pieces that could easily be described as a ‘baby pink strapless top.’ The ‘let’s go thrifting!’ videos on TikTok and Instagram. It’s all a new form of cosplaying as ‘broke’ and wanting to fit into another aesthetic that has completely changed the game of these second-hand sites.
Image Courtesy of @misssingaction via TikTok, @2023. Some rights reserved.
Over the summer, Urban Outfitters had a pop-up mini ‘thrift store’ inside one of their main stores, in which you could buy pre-worn, vintage Urban Outfitters items, that had the pre-worn, almost distressed, aesthetic. The catch is though, they were selling for the same price as, if not more, current Urban Outfitters pieces. Granted, they were pieces the store doesn’t sell anymore and had that vintage look to them, but that’s no longer thrift shopping and just vintage shopping. This a prime example of how thrift shopping, a once extremely normal thing to do, has become an aesthetic and an opportunity for people to cosplay as ‘broke,’ for whatever the reason may be. All in all, second-hand shopping and selling has taken an extreme switch within the past 15 years, but especially in the past 5 years with the popularity of social media, especially TikTok. What once was just taking amateur photos on your phone, hoping to snag a few pounds, has turned into a competitive arena with glittery photos and aesthetic-filled titles. On the flip, though, while some sellers and shoppers have most definitely taken advantage of this new-found popularity of second-hand shopping, it has also introduced the concept to people who may have once been opposed to the concept. Whether a Depop girly, thrift flipper, or someone just looking for a cheap going-out top, the effects of the switch of second-hand shopping have been felt by all, and show no signs of stopping.
Image Courtesy of @resolynclothing via Depop, @2024. Some rights reserved.