Why Is Buying Vintage More Expensive Than Buying Brand New?

Finding alternatives to fast fashion is something that is increasingly on a consumers mind, as we’re seeing and hearing more examples every day of how harmful the fashion and textile industry can be to people and the planet. We’re being encouraged to buy new items less often and instead shop second-hand or vintage, as experts advise a closed loop system is the best current way to tackle this issue from a consumers point of view, keeping clothes in circulation for as long as possible.

For the first time in the shows seven year history, Love Island UK is ditching its fast fashion partners and teaming up with eBay as its main sponsor to promote buying second hand. It’s a huge positive step to making real change amongst the general British public, and a strong indication of just how much this is on the minds of todays consumers.

Of course, buying pre-loved isn’t always the easier option. It’s not as accessible, and it’s not available easily online in the same way that fast fashion is. You have to put the work in to source the best vintage pieces, by shopping around, visiting independent boutiques and resellers. The sizing is often limited, as stockists can only sell what they themselves can source. Sizes are often very different to how todays fast fashion equivalents are made, meaning you often end up with pieces that don’t fit you properly. Alternatively, you can step into any fast fashion high street store and find a myriad of on-trend pieces, in various colours, styles and sizes to suit all. It’s convenient and affordable.

However, buying vintage does mean that you’re able to find unique pieces. So you can guarantee you won’t bump into someone else with your outfit, with the added bonus of knowing you’ve saved something from the landfill site. It’s well documented that fabric such as polyester (oil-derived man-made fibres) can take as long as 200 years to decompose in landfill.

BUYING VINTAGE OVER NEW

I just mentioned the affordability of fast-fashion, but would ‘woefully underpriced’ be a better way to describe it?

A quick search on ASOS finds me a New Look knitted Cami top for just £10.99. If a friend made the same top for me, I don’t think I’d feel great about paying them just over a tenner for their efforts. So why should fast fashion be any different? The truth is, only worker exploitation can provide the consumer with these price points. Of course, there’s a longer conversation about privilege to be had, as many of us are limited by budget and don’t have the opportunity to source ethical, sustainable and well made items. However those who can, should. There’s a saying that’s banded around the topic of sustainability a lot these days which says; “It’s better to have a lot of people doing things imperfectly than having one person doing it perfectly”.

So why does vintage cost more? Well, the re-seller does all the hard work of sourcing items, repairing or upcycling, merchandising, buying stock in tonnes in order to find a kilos worth of gems. Depending on the re-seller, the prices are not always so much in comparison to the high street. Many smaller sellers using platforms like eBay or Depop aren’t always charging astronomically, despite the work they do. On the other hand, you can walk into a vintage boutique and expect to part with £100 for a good quality jacket. Depending on your own budget and perspective, that may not seem unreasonable. It’s more expensive than Primark yes, but it’s cheaper than buying a jacket from Alexander McQueen. And for the record, neither of those brands are too bothered about their sustainability impact on our planet.

For those on a more limited income, it is possible to source quality pre-loved items more cheaply. A good charity shop can turn up some bargains (top tip: take a trip to the ones in more affluent areas of your town or city), shop around on Depop, or look out for your local re-sellers. Kilo sales are becoming increasingly popular events, where you grab a bag to fill and simply pay the weight at the end, which is often a much cheaper way of doing things. If the items you get don’t fit you when you get them home, you can always re-sell yourself and most likely turn a profit. A win-win situation!

Ultimately, we can all make more of an effort to just buy less in general, and repair and mend those items looking past their best. Invest in a de-bobbler or just use a safety razor to keep your pieces looking fresh.

By shopping consciously we show retailers the standard we expect and in turn, can hopefully influence positive change in what is currently a harmful industry.

Written by Rachel Anderson