In the United Nations Climate Summit in 2019, a brave 16-year-old girl Greta Thunberg shook the world with her emotional plea on climate change action. At the crux of her speech, Greta urged us, especially those of the older generation, to take action now for the sake of our future generations. Since then , Greta has grown to be an iconic symbol of the environmental consciousness of Generation Z — some even call this the ‘Greta Generation’. Following this stream of thought, it seems like many such as Forbes follow the sentiment that Gen Z is the generation to drive sustainability.
With this, I can’t help but to think ‘what’s the take for Singaporean youths?’. In particular, how does this then relate to the fashion waste problem that is so prominent here?
(Source: https://bestinsingapore.com/thrift-shop-singapore/)
Firstly, let's get a general sense of how consumers in Singapore approach sustainable fashion. In a ‘Conscious Fashion’ survey done by DBS to raise awareness of fashion waste and climate change, it is revealed that 7 in 10 Singaporeans do not ensure that their clothes are sustainably sourced. These numbers are rather unexpected, considering 60% acknowledge that the fashion industry is causing large amounts of pollution globally. Then, when asked to rank their consumption barriers, the cost factor was most commonly stated to be a deciding factor for a purchase.
But what if there is a way to keep costs low, while shopping sustainably? Thrift shopping is your answer, and it seems like the Gen Z has been owning this lifestyle.
In a study done by The Straits Times, Millennials and Gen Zs are said to be embracing thrift shops 2.5 times more than any other age group (Ong, 2021). Thrifting is one of the most sustainable ways of fashion consumption as the lifespan of a garment is stretched to its maximum usage. This lifespan can stretch across many generations and reduce the need for us to consume and produce more textile waste.
Other than environmental consciousness, what could be driving this tendency towards thrift shopping? Social media may just explain why. Thanks to many online influencers such as Ashley from ‘bestdressed’, the mindset that second-hand clothes are out of style and filthy are debunked. Many videos showcase how such thrifted clothes can be remade into unique pieces or simply styled as it is but in a trendy way. As thrifted clothes tend to be cheap, the barriers for purchase for many Gen Z students are reduced. In Singapore, thrift shop such as Refash and New2U are popular for their affordable yet trendy clothes.
A Cause for Concern
Like the rest of the retail industry however, thrift shopping was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sales at Lucky Plaza Bazaar fell by above 50%, for example. In desperate measures, such thrift stores may increase prices , reducing a huge incentive and potentially turning customers back to fast fashion alternatives instead. Let us continue to explore these thrift stores together and support them through our current situation.
Cheers,
Hui Jie
Bose, K. (2021, July 16). Gen Z kids are the ‘Greta Generation’. Energy Live News. Retrieved from https://www.energylivenews.com/2021/07/16/gen-z-kids-are-the-greta-generation/.
DBS Bank Limited. (2019, October 23). Singaporeans open to sustainable fashion but won’t pay more: DBS survey. Retrieved from https://www.dbs.com/newsroom/Singaporeans_open_to_sustainable_fashion_but_wont_pay_more__DBS_survey.
Kamarudin, L., & Yusof, H. (2019, November 15). The Rise Of Conscious Fashion. Business Times. Retrieved from https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/feature/the-rise-of-conscious-fashion.
Ong, J. M. (2021, April 12). Second-hand is first as more youth are drawn to thrift shopping. TNP. Retrieved from https://tnp.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-youth-drawn-thrift-shopping.
Petro, G. (2021, April 30). Gen Z Is Emerging As The Sustainability Generation. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/2021/04/30/gen-z-is-emerging-as-the-sustainability-generation/?sh=15781e486995.
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