this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2025
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Any second hand store means you're not contributing to the problem!
And look at what people are wearing on any downtown street and ask how much that outfit cost etc.
Second hand isn't always practical. For some things, sure. But definitely not even for most things. And if everyone did it regularly, it'd be even less practical/reliable.
And again, you have a wildly inaccurate view of what most folks are spending on clothes. There's a reason Walmart and other affordable clothing stores like Target, Kohl's etc are so widely available and used across the US.
I don't think "yeah sure, that'd be great but if we all started doing good things it wouldn't work!" is a particularly valid critique. We are nowhere near the point of too many people buying second hand clothes.
Yes, cheap stores are common.
But the most valuable brands in America are not at the cheap level, they are things like Nike, Levi's and The Gap. Hell, even in progressive bastions so many people are rocking Arcteryx, REI etc, none of which are cheap.
Again, go to any downtown, look at the outfits and consider how much they cost. Just the same as people wearing hundreds of dollars in jewelry (yes, there's costume jewelry but that's not what most folks are wearing downtown.)
My point is that one person is only able to produce 1 second hand item at a time. So you're saying roughly 50% of the population gets to buy new and the other must by used. The logistics don't make sense long-term. I wear my clothes until they have holes in them. I'm not giving that shit to a thrift store, because they legitimately won't accept items like that. I know there are plenty of other people who do the same. Pants are actually the most consistently relatively expensive clothing item, usually costing $40-60. Because of that, I only own 3 or 4 pairs of pants and when they start getting tattered, they become my yardwork/garage work/etc pants until they legit fall apart. If everyone does this same approach, there isn't much of a second hand market, no?
The national average wage in the US according to the Social Security Administration is $66k. People are barely able to pay rent. According to various surveys, anywhere from 40-60% of Americans are living check to check. And a quick search shows the most purchased clothing brands include Under Armour, Levi, Adidas, Nike, Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, etc. All of those btands do make items that cost $50+, but they also sell tons of shit that's $20 to $30 or less.
Except most people aren't buying second hand, so you're complaining about a non-existent problem.
Edit: As an amazing proof of concept, I'm in a dive bar, saw a pair of gloves in a wicker basket of lost and found and asked about them. The bartender gave them to me, notinf they'd been here for more than a year. These are easily several hundred dollar gloves.
But if things really got to the point where many people were willing to buy second hand, there are in fact ethical brands as well for those who need new. Myself, I buy few things but as much as I can ethical either 2nd hand or from happy factories. (Though, goddamn I cannot find ethical boxers for a semi reasonable price. If you got tips...)