(Courtesy of @_svproductions)
There’s a reason fast fashion gets such a bad rap.
According to Ethical Consumer, those infamously “cheap” clothes sold in huge numbers by fast fashion brands are often made by workers who aren’t paid fairly. The quality? Usually nothing to brag about. Most pieces are bought in a hurry, worn a handful of times, then tossed out just as quickly. The whole business model is built around getting people to buy more and more, but wear everything less and less.
Unfortunately, this cycle wreaks havoc on the environment. Fast fashion is the second-largest water consumer in the world and is responsible for a massive 10% of all global carbon emissions—that’s even more than the emissions from every international flight and shipping route combined (per Earth.Org).
The answer to all that environmental damage? Pre-loved fashion, which is finally getting its moment as the hottest trend for the planet, wallet, and wardrobe. With that in mind, these are five eye-opening reasons why pre-loved fashion is the ultimate sustainability move (and why it matters now more than ever).
1. The Dirty Little Secret of Fast Fashion
(Courtesy of Meet Your Wardrobe)
If you haven’t thought seriously about going pre-loved yet, here’s your sign.
Fast fashion has earned its not-so-glamorous reputation for a reason. The reality? It drains water sources, dumps chemicals into rivers, and sends a jaw-dropping 85% of textiles straight to landfill (per Earth.Org).
- Here’s a wild thought: washing your clothes quietly sends 500,000 tons of microfibers straight into the ocean each year. That’s right, it’s the equivalent of dumping 50 billion plastic bottles!
2. Your Closet Might Be Heating Up the Planet
Fashion’s footprint is bigger than most imagine.
Around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions are linked to clothing production, mostly because the process is energy-guzzling from start to finish. In fact, the entire industry uses up more energy than flying and shipping combined, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“Shifting practices in the fashion industry to reduce carbon emissions is key to limiting warming to as close to 1.5°C above pre-Industrial Revolution levels, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change,” urged UNFCCC.
Switching to more sustainable fashion habits can be more rewarding than you might think. Luxury goods are made with meticulous attention to detail and meant to last, holding their worth well beyond a single season.
Take the legendary Hermès Birkin, for example. With price tags ranging from $10,000 to $400,000, this iconic status symbol has seen its value explode, outperforming both the S&P 500 and gold with an impressive 500% return over the past 35 years. (per Forbes).
3. Stretching Garment Life Makes a Massive Difference
(Courtesy of UCLA Sustainability)
Fashion is notorious for piling up waste and pumping out emissions, but there’s a smarter way forward. By weaving durability into the design process, brands can seriously cut down on waste, save resources, and shrink their carbon footprint—just by helping clothes last longer and encouraging more re-wear.
According to WRAP, stretching a garment’s life by just nine extra months can slash its carbon, water, and waste impact by 20%, plus save a whopping £5 billion a year. Celebrities, though, aren’t just extending garment life; they’re making it the centerpiece of modern style.
Wearing vintage on the red carpet has become the ultimate flex, rivaling the thrill of debuting something straight off the runway. Zendaya, Meghan Markle, Ashley Olsen, and a whole crowd of A-listers are turning vintage into the hottest ticket in town—suddenly, “new” feels totally overrated!
4. Vintage Treasures Eclipse Short-Lived Trends
Bella Hadid turned heads at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in a Gucci gown from Tom Ford’s 1996 collection.
(Courtesy of W Magazine)
Sustainable fashion hinges on one key element: durability.
Choosing things that stand the test of time means less clutter in landfills and a lighter footprint on the environment. Top-notch materials and expert craftsmanship from high-end brands mean pre-loved luxury pieces are made to be worn (and loved) for generations—just ask the royal family.
Princess Diana’s luxurious Cartier Tank Française is etched in everyone’s memory, not just because it was one of Diana’s favorites, but also because it ended up in Prince Harry’s hands (per Town & Country Magazine). Prince William originally picked Diana’s Cartier watch as his keepsake, while Harry went for her engagement ring. But when William wanted to propose to Kate, the brothers did a little swap.
Harry eventually passed the treasured watch on to Meghan Markle, who’s a longtime fan of the Cartier Tank Française and wears it frequently at public appearances. Still, some wonder if Meghan’s piece is Diana’s original, or if it’s actually the one Meghan bought for herself in 2015.
Shopping Pre-Loved Changes More Than the Planet
(Courtesy of India Today)
Pre-loved shopping is more than just a win for the planet; it lets your wallet breathe a little easier, too. Those dreamy luxury finds from designer names like Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Gucci, Dior, Chanel, and Tiffany often come with sky-high price tags, but now that sustainability is a full-on trend (and celebrities leading the way), scoring these iconic pieces is surprisingly doable.
Many eco-conscious shoppers are switching things up by turning to secondhand sites like ZenLuxe. The process is refreshingly simple: send in your gently loved clothes, and someone else can snag them for a fraction of the price of new.
The rise of secondhand shopping has turned traditional buying patterns upside down, with more people hunting for ways to save money and shop sustainably. In the U.S., clothing tops the list of secondhand buys, with shoes not far behind, while things like stationery and hobby supplies are the least likely to be picked up pre-owned (per Statista).
No matter what’s on your wish list, ZenLuxe offers everything from pre-loved jackets and shirts to pants, jewelry, watches, shoes, and bags from top designer houses.
Finding your next pre-loved gem is as easy as one-two-three: scroll through the picks, tap to order, and wait for your neatly packaged order to land right at your doorstep!
About The Writer
Meet Mariam — a fashion writer who lives and breathes all things vogue and glamour. For her, the most therapeutic aspect of fashion goes beyond simply shopping for the latest styles that appear in stores; it’s fully experiencing this glamorous world from the little details to the big moments (there's nothing quite like the thrill of flipping through a sleek fashion magazine, is there?).
