Thrifting as a sustainable form of fashion in South Africa

Abstract

The fashion industry has been criticised for being a source of environmental degradation and poor labour practices. As an alternative, sustainable fashion provides consumers of fashion with a different method of sourcing clothing in a conscious manner. Such alternatives include thrifting second-hand clothing, clothing swapping, and renting to prevent clothing in a wearable condition from being disposed. Thrifting as a form of sustainable fashion has developed both globally and in South Africa with motivations centred around environmental and financial benefits, personal aesthetics, and a concern for labour practices by fast fashion brands. Despite these developments, studies on thrifting in South Africa have been limited. This paper aimed to address this paucity by investigating thrifting practices as sustainable fashion consumption in South Africa. The findings revealed varied ethical motivations behind respondents’ thrifting activities, the frequency at which respondents thrift and the challenges they experienced. This paper contributes to the current understanding of thrifting practices in South Africa and proposes recommendations for future research.