From fast fashion to fast thrifting

Once upon a time, before vintage became ‘cool’ before op shops had websites and well before pre-loved racks were tagged with a ‘may as well be brand new’ price label, it was just me and the thrill of finding something one-of-a-kind.

Having spent my late teens and early 20s in Perth, Australia, finding fashion inspiration was challenging. During that time, the go-to’s were a mix of boob-tubes, Roxy boardies and havaianas. Confused by the rapid adoption rate among my friends I couldn’t quite understand how these quintessential basics were so popular. Style was defined by either one of two camps: surfer chick or skater girl. You had to pick a side otherwise you’d run the risk of being left out. A little dramatic? Perhaps, but reflecting on ‘this or that moment’ got me thinking...

“Are we dressing for ourselves or the approval of others?”

Craving something outside the status quo, I would spend my weekends devouring every copy of Vogue that I could find: Vogue UK, Vogue FR, Vogue AU, it didn’t matter. I would curate all my favourite runway looks and off-duty street style looks, carefully placing them in my secret blue notebook, which today, of course, would be the perfect Pinterest board. Piles and piles of Vogue’s stacked in my bedroom. I would patiently wait for the latest edition every month, drive to the local newsagent and pick up a freshly printed copy. It was a time that felt so simple, experiencing fashion at its core - a gateway to self-expression. One without judgment, offering me absolute freedom to show up exactly as I was. I loved what they represented: that we, small-town girls, had endless opportunities to think big and go out into the world with our wonderfully bold ideas.

Pre-loved Fashion: Then vs. Now

In the beginning, it always felt like there was a huge gap between the avant-garde looks I aspired for and what was available to me. (Or at least within my budget). This, of course, was very much a pre-social media era. There was no same-day delivery from ‘The Iconic’ or ‘Versace-esque’ collections at ‘Zara’. The high streets here consisted of local fashion retailers that felt worlds apart from the fashion I knew to be true, they lacked diversity and personality. Enter op shops.

In the early 2000s, thrifting felt like a quiet rebellion. I would spend my time hunting through racks of forgotten clothes, hoping to discover a hidden gem. Something I knew that no one else would have. I’d sift through, piece by piece, discovering brands that I had never heard of. Wool, cotton and linens are in abundance. The Wangara Salvo’s was, without fail, my go-to hidden treasure chest. I would find those true vintage items that I felt an instant connection with; they were special and authentic. Beautifully made, they held their value in both quality and style.

Perth back then, didn’t have particularly great markets, but they did host weekly ‘swap meets’ AKA car boot sales across the burbs. My favourite thing to do on a Sunday morning was drive 45 minutes across town to the Belmont Swap Meet. As sellers sold trinkets our of the back of their cars, it felt like a mini gateway to some of the treasures that I imagined existing in the Parisian Fleas I told myself I’d get to one day.

To connect with similar thrifters outside the confined parameters of WA, eBay was my treasure trove; I played as if was a Nintendo game using my fashion alias VintageAddict9 and found the most special pieces that seemed too good to be true. Post-purchase, I’d often feel guilty for how little I paid for what I considered to be such a stand-out piece. I still hold many of these items close in my wardrobe today and treat them with the same love and care as I did back then. A worthy purchase to note was a 1970s Celine Blazer that I gracefully bid for $99.00 which, at the time had doubts about whether I had paid too much for. Now, when I google its value, my feed instantly fills me with ‘Vestiaire Collective’ sponsored ads for upwards of $1200. Bargain, right?

This got me thinking…

Have we moved into an era that devalues our wardrobes?

Fast forward to 2025, shopping pre-loved is a whole other ball game. It’s an aesthetic. Op shops aren’t quite the same as they once were, and thrifting has become a content category. Sifting through each rack has a different feeling now. They reflect how we, as consumers, have been mindlessly consuming over the last decade. The brands on display, fall under the fast fashion umbrella: Anko, Shein, Zara, H&M, and all the rest of it. The fabrics are less desirable, with acrylics, polyesters, and nylons now filling the racks. Threads hang loose, buttons lost, discolouration, the list goes on. It seems as though traditional thrifting is on its way out and mass-market products continue to charm us with shiny new promises. I welcome an open discussion on the ‘Who wore it better’, or ‘Hot4thespot’ trends that flood our feeds.

Have we ever stopped to consider whether these innocent moments contribute to a society that rewards same-ness instead of celebrating diversity?

So, Where Do We Go From Here?

Thrifting was once an antidote to fast fashion, but now it’s part of the cycle. There is a noticeable shift; we’re now accessing poorly made clothes via pre-loved platforms and/or retailers to fuel that instant dopamine hit, telling ourselves that we’re shopping sustainably. The appeal – more for less. Our baskets are getting bigger and we’re able to tap into more ‘newness’ for a quarter of the price.

And yes, one could arguably point out that buying second-hand is much better than buying new. But, if we only wear it once and never look at it again doesn’t that defeat the purpose?

So, the real question here is:

Are we moving away from an overconsumption culture, or just rebranding it?

Surely, the most sustainable wardrobe can’t be defined purely by where you find your pieces or how much you pay for them. It’s the one we feel inspired to wear, re-wear, and cherish.

Yes, Secret Treasures Still Exist

Working in the fashion industry has its perks, and one of them is being able to travel around the world, uncovering new inspirations. Each city has a story to tell, and I’ve been carefully curating a list of my most beloved treasures.

Whether it's a tucked-away in a vintage boutique in Porto or a busy flea market in Berlin these are the places that remind me why second-hand shopping was always about more than just the purchase. It was about the story as the pieces grow with you.

Final thoughts

With vintage resellers on the rise, we’re flooded with even more options when it comes to the clothes we buy and it’s no longer a conversation about whether we should buy new or old anymore.

As an advocate for circular fashion, I’ve been asking myself...

How I can continue to consume pre-loved fashion with a more mindful approach so that I can still have fun but contribute to a more circular economy within our thriving community?

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