Iazilia je kot prostovoljka projekta Evropske solidarnostne enote naredila raziskavo o trajnostni potrošnji oblačil v Sloveniji. Kot prostovoljka je v Knofu 8 mesecev spoznavala delovanje butikov ponovne uporabe Stara šola, kjer je opazovala vedenje ljudi v trgovinah. Svoj projekt je razširila in napisala magistrsko nalogo z naslovom TRAJNOSTNA POTROŠNJA OBLAČIL: ŠTUDIJA PRIMERA O RABLJENIH OBLAČILIH NA TRGU V SLOVENIJI. Spodaj je povzetek njene raziskave.

The fashion industry is always evolving as a result of constant manufacturing, new technologies, and new seasons. Utilization of resources is unavoidable. However, these resources will eventually run out, because consumption rate is high while our planet’s ability to support them is dwindling. Although used clothing is not a permanent solution to stop the pollution caused by the textile industry, it is a start in the right direction.

If purchasing a used item replaces buying a new one, then avoiding production, processing, and disposal results in significant environmental savings. This circular way of operating the economy also helps to preserve value. Extending product lifetimes is the preferred course of action when it comes to enhancing the sustainability of the clothing industry because of these savings. But the changes will not happen suddenly, they depend on each single individual and their actions. Consumers need to remember about the power of individual effort; every individual holds a power for changes in economy and business models.

Though secondhand is usually considered cheap and outdated, it is not necessarily true. The term ‘secondhand’ can be defined as a piece of clothing which has been used before, despite the age of the clothes. Secondhand industry is growing extremely fast. Reusing clothes is the most beneficial for environment, because only energy to “collect, sort and resell” is used. From economical point of view, selling reuse is opening new business opportunities and provides work for people. Such big companies like H&M and Kering group are investing into development of resale platforms.

In order to find out more about attitudes of Slovenian citizens towards secondhand and their motivation to buy secondhand I have conducted the survey and interviews. It helped me to understand better how secondhand industry is developing in Slovenia.

So overall 229 people took part in the survey, it consisted of 23 closed and multiple choice questions. First 11 questions were dedicated to collect common information about gender, age, profession, education, salary range, and about shopping habits. Second part of survey included questions about motivation to buy secondhand or reasons, why they avoid those shops. After collecting survey answers I’ve gotten in contact with those who expressed interest to be interviewed. In the end I had 16 interviews. During the interviews we talked about sustainable habits, fashion and clothes, respondents’ experience in secondhand shops.

So as expected the majority of respondents were women, which made 89% of all respondents, 20 men and other 5 people preferred not to say their gender.

Surprisingly for me most of the respondents were people over 50 years old. (Pic.1) To be honest I was expecting most interest from people who are between 20-40 years old, because of current trends towards secondhand and sustainability. Also majority of interviewees were people who are over 30 years old, basically millenials. Interviewees who work with young people also noted this fact, that swap parties are not very popular among high school students, or it takes some time to get them interested.

Picture 1. *

Another question was about the area of work or study of respondents (Tables 1, 2). It’s interesting to note that 25% of the men who responded to the survey work in the arts, followed by 15% in engineering, 10% in business, 10% in industry, 10% in management, and 10% in the natural sciences. According to the findings, the majority of women work in the education sector (15.2%), followed by management (12.7%), industry (11.3%), and health (9.8%).

Almost half of respondents buy more new clothes than secondhand, which makes 45% (103). 30.6% (70) buy more secondhand clothes than new clothes. People who buy only new clothes makes 20.1% (46), and a small amount of 4.4% (10) of people buy only second hand. (Picture 2) Being environmentally friendly is the main motivational factor for buying secondhand for those people.

Picture 2.*

The eleventh question concerns clothing disposal methods. The majority of people (182) give their old clothes to someone else, others donate (156) and a very small number resell their clothes (26). The most popular resale platforms for clothes are Facebook Market and MojButik, but during interviews I noticed that people find it hard to buy clothes online, they prefer to touch the fabric and try the clothes.

The next 12 questions we made some assumptions about secondhand shopping and we wanted to measure the agreement/disagreement of people regarding those assumptions. For example, it seems that price is not a primary motivation to buy secondhand, it is important only in relation with other motivators like uniqueness, originality, brand and quality. Buying secondhand due to environmental reasons seems to be the main motivator among respondents, especially those who has undergraduate degree or higher. Other motivational factors also include uniqueness and originality, feeling of satisfaction to find a “gem”, finding cool fashion items, price-quality ration, one of interviewees also mentioned feeling of nostalgia. So secondhand shopping becomes some kind of hobby or sport.

Picture 3.*

When it comes to reasons why people do not buy secondhand I assumed that it might be hygienic reasons, people are afraid to be accepted poor, the fear to be seen in someone’s clothes and not being able to find something of right size. As a result, the biggest explanation seemed to be that they couldn’t find anything they liked. Hygiene concerns are the second factor that many people found to be problematic. Other two assumptions were not proved, demonstrating awareness and an absence of prejudice against secondhand.

One of the first question from the interview was to define ‘sustainable fashion’.

People mentioned saving resources and closing the loop, transparency and ethical production. Also people associate sustainable fashion not only with secondhand but also with buying responsible, taking care about clothes, so they will last longer, and correctly disposing of those clothes, which is definitely a good trend. Around 85% of people try to fix and repair their clothes and try to not throw away them immediately.

When we were talking about how people actually started buying secondhand many people said that wearing clothes after brothers and sisters and exchanging clothes between friends was really common practice in Slovenia: “We had this practice of exchanging clothes, and I would always get clothes from my sister when she would outgrow them, or, like from other relatives.” (Participant 3, 23.11.22)

Doing literature review I found out that some authors underline that fact of exchanging clothes between families. But the same time buying and selling secondhand is accepted differently. Socialistic consumerism spread the value of new and equated buying and sales of secondhand clothes with poverty. So actual habit of buying secondhand came from Western Europe, and many people pointed out the fact that they found out about secondhand shopping while travelling: “I think I saw it in Germany for the first time. And that was in two thousand and ten, before I didn’t really think about that, and then I saw this vintage shop in Ljubljana. They had nice things.” (Participant 14, 2.12.22)

We also talked a lot about how secondhand shop should look like.

Recent trends towards curated secondhand and vintage shops and big shopping mall like Retuna in Sweden, show a really good example of secondhand shopping and put high standards. But people who are really concerned about the environment, do not have very high expectations in such shops. They share that at least no smells, big space to move around and good overview is enough for them: “It actually matters the entire experience. I mean, I’m not expecting a design a shop. […] Probably the important thing is that you have a good overview of what’s there, to be able to actually see and find anything.” (Participant 7, 27.11.2022)

Other respondents consider secondhand shops as experience. It is good way to become familiar with local culture while traveling, a place to spend time with friends, and an opportunity to experiment with style and outfits, so they still expect pleasant environment: “[…] So really kind of this not just being it a store, but actually kind of having this atmosphere. You know there is more, why you come there, or why you go there. It’s an experience.” (Participant 5, 25.11.2022)

Another topic which could not be avoided is criticism and prejudices towards secondhand.

Most of the people say that they are being unsupported quite often by colleagues, family members, especially older generation. So they underlined the importance of being vocal about it, show through their own example that it is possible to be more responsible and not throw away clothes, and that it is not just a waste, and that it is possible to donate them, so that they will likely serve longer: “People a lot of time say: ‘You have very beautiful shirt’. And I say: ‘Yes. […] it’s from secondhand’. […] I think I saw on their face, that this is not so pretty for them anymore. Because, in our heads there is one problem: ‘I can’t have something on my body which was before on your body!’” (Participant 16, 4.12.2022)

According to the findings of the survey and interviews, the poll revealed a positive trend in customer interest in responsible consumption. People were interested in doing the survey, indicating that they are concerned about the issue, and expressed interest to change their shopping habits. And growing trends towards sustainability and secondhand will be another supporting point to encourage people to be more conscious about their purchases.

Iazilia Iunusova,
Former ESC volunteer at KNOF,
Master graduate from Bologna University

* Source: thesis questionnaire