How to shop secondhand

Buying secondhand used to mean thrift-store luck. Today it is a mainstream way to shop, with dedicated apps, managed consignment services and resale programs run by brands themselves. This guide sets out what published figures say about the market and how to buy well within it.

How big is secondhand fashion?

The most widely cited annual snapshot is the online reseller thredUP’s Resale Report. Retail Dive’s coverage of the 2025 edition, published in March 2025, summarized these headline figures. They come from a company with an interest in the market, so read them as industry estimates:

The environmental context helps explain the interest. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 17 million tons of textiles were generated as municipal solid waste in 2018, and that clothing and footwear had a recycling rate of just 13% that year. Every garment bought secondhand is one that stays in use for longer.

The main ways to buy

Peer-to-peer marketplaces

On marketplace apps, individuals list their own items and buyers purchase directly from them. Poshmark is one of the largest in the US: according to Wikipedia, it was founded on 10 May 2011 by Manish Chandra, Tracy Sun, Gautam Golwala and Chetan Pungaliya, is based in Redwood City, California, has more than 80 million users and over 200 million listings, and was acquired by South Korea’s Naver Corporation in a deal agreed in October 2022 and completed in January 2023, valued at US$1.2 billion. Because sellers write their own listings, quality and accuracy vary from seller to seller.

Managed resale

Managed services take items from sellers, assess and photograph them, and list them centrally. thredUP, founded in 2009 by James Reinhart, Chris Homer and Oliver Lubin and based in Oakland, California, works this way: Wikipedia describes how sellers receive a “Clean Out Kit”, send in clothes for free, and are paid in cash or store credit, or donate the proceeds. Buyers then shop the sorted inventory by brand, type or style. The company also runs resale programs on behalf of other retailers.

Thrift and charity shops, consignment boutiques

Local stores remain the place for trying things on before you buy, which removes the biggest risk of buying secondhand: fit.

A checklist for buying preloved

1. Know your measurements, not just your size. Sizes differ between brands and have drifted over time (see the US sizing guide). Compare a listing’s flat measurements with a similar garment you own.
2. Ask for the labels. A photo of the fiber-content and care labels tells you what the item is made of and how to look after it. US garments are required to carry a permanent care label under the FTC’s Care Labeling Rule, so a missing label may mean it has been cut out. See the fabric guide to decode it.
3. Look at the stress points. Underarms, collars, cuffs, zips, buttons and the inside seams of trousers show wear first. Ask for close-ups if a listing does not show them.
4. Check for pilling, stains and odor. Natural fibers such as wool and silk can need specialist care; synthetics can hold odor. Read the care label before assuming a stain will wash out.
5. Read the return policy. Platform and seller policies differ. Check before you buy, not after.
6. Buy what fits your wardrobe. A bargain that matches nothing you own is not a bargain. A capsule wardrobe plan makes secondhand shopping more focused.

Selling as well as buying

The resale loop works best when clothes keep moving. The thredUP survey reported by Retail Dive found that nearly half of consumers had cut back on cheap, low-quality clothing because it cannot be resold, which suggests that resale value is starting to shape what people buy new. Keeping care labels intact, following the care instructions and storing clothes well all help a garment keep its value for its next owner.