How a 400% Surge in Fast Fashion Spending is Killing the Circular Dream

What the new study actually found Researchers from Yale University and Bar Ilan University analysed a nationally representative sample of 1,009 U.S. adults and found a strong positive link between money spent on secondhand clothes and money spent on new clothes.

In other words, the heaviest resale shoppers were also heavy fast-fashion shoppers, rather than replacing new buys with pre-loved pieces.

More than 69% of respondents said they had bought secondhand at least once, and a cluster of 59% reported high consumption in both primary and resale markets, with frequent returns and short garment lifespans.

Younger consumers stood out: 79% of those aged 18 to 24 purchased secondhand clothing compared with 57% of those 65 and older, and 84% of students reported buying secondhand…