The secondhand clothing market is booming as eco-thinking and a cost of living squeeze drive consumers to preloved fashion. The market is on course to take 10% of global sales, while eBay has recently axed its fees for sellers of preloved clothing. The trend towards secondhand fashion is characterized by stylishness and self-expression, seen as far removed from its formerly moth-eaten and austere reputation.
Dion Terrelonge, known as ‘the fashion psychologist,’ is part of this trend. She is a psychologist, stylist, researcher, lecturer and media commentator, engaged in investigating the link between mood, clothing practices and wellbeing with the London College of Fashion. Terrelonge believes that there is an emotional connection between ourselves and the clothes we wear. Our clothing impacts how we feel, our sense of comfort, and our ability to express ourselves. She espouses slow, secondhand fashion, which allows individuals to shop more slowly and to consider each piece, giving them time to form an attachment and ascribe meaning.
Terrelonge’s childhood experience of shopping for good quality pieces with her mother, impacts her style philosophy to this day. Her approach to secondhand shopping is to pursue quality over quantity; critical examination and consideration of each garment is integral to buying practices. Her sustainable fashion equation is characterized by awareness, knowledge, emotional response, and empathy, which she argues leads to sustainable buying behavior. By absorbing the nature of secondhand fashion, we can become more sustainable fashion consumers, and in doing so, enhance our well-being.
In conclusion, we are witnessing a surge in the secondhand fashion market, which is empowering individuals to express themselves by forging emotional connections with clothing as a part of their outer world. Fashion psychologist Dion Terrelonge urges consumers to pursue slow fashion, suggesting that it encourages reflection, an attachment to clothing, and contributes to our psychological sense of well-being.
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