Second-Hand Shoppers Are Likely to Be More Stylish, According to Science

It's called grandmacore sweetie, look it up.

If you dabble in op-shopping or love a Depop scroll, you’ll be stoked to know you’re likely to be more stylish, according to new research.

A study from the University of Tasmania has found that style-conscious Australians were more likely to shop second-hand.

Our grandpa jumpers and vintage tees are feeling #seen, justified, and validated, so let’s dive into this research, shall we?

How do we measure style?

Tassie experts, Louise and Martin Grimmer set out to investigate the 72 per cent of Australians who purchased at least one item of second-hand clothes in the 2020-21 financial year.

So, they surveyed 515 Australian female-identifying consumers' shopping preferences and behaviours.

What they found was the higher people rate on style-consciousness, the more likely they are to shop second-hand.

And in fact, style-consciousness was a bigger predictor of second-hand shopping than being budget or environmentally conscious.

The researchers say there’s a difference between style and fashion.

Essentially, fashion consciousness = new, constantly evolving and buying to stay on trend. Style consciousness = expresses themselves through clothes for long-term individuality.

Why is this good news?

We already know the long-term impact of fast fashion and the environment.

Globally, the fast fashion industry creates 92 million tonnes of waste per year and uses 79 trillion litres of water, while less than 15 per cent of clothes are recycled or reused.

That’s why the rise of second-hand shopping is a great sign beyond style.

James Reinhart, CEO of online second-hand fashion retailer Thredup, has predicted the global second-hand market will be double the size of fast fashion by 2030.

That’s thanks in part to the growth in popularity of thrifting, especially via online platforms like Depop and marketplace.

So, why not drop into your nearest op shop to see what’s on offer? Help the planet and do it in (research-proven) style, bestie.