but after this article you might think I do.
Sustainable fashion is in many ways an oxymoron. Cotton and its manufacture takes a lot of water and resources. Synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic all rely on fossil fuels to be produced. Then, when these synthetics are washed, they shed micro-plastics into the water. Researchers are yet to determine the effects of micro-plastics on human life as well as global ecosystems. Considering the scale of fashion and the myriad of problematic externalities it poses, Depop is a fantastic solution while encouraging individuals to foster their unique style.
When I was younger I was under the illusion that the only way to develop my unique style was by shopping at the most popular and ‘trendy’ brands on the market. Ironically, it was when I finally found and used Depop that my style truly developed. Stores like H&M, ZARA, and Urban Outfitters all sell a specific style or aesthetic. This creates their image, and naturally looks good if you buy all the pieces from the store each season (or your style happens to match theirs). But buying an entirely new wardrobe from every shop you walk in to is crazy for most people; and just as there are so many people in the world, there are so many styles.
My style did not apply to any one of the top-market stores. I would buy one piece of this cool style from Trendy store X and one piece from Trendy Store Y, which had completely different styles, but I liked both. In practise this resulted in a pretty disjointed and wardrobe. When I actually went to put outfits together I was stumped. I also realised because I was buying new clothes a few times a year, the old styles were no longer attractive to society and once the trend had faded, I realised I didn’t really like the style myself. First hand clothes were not hand-me-downs but let-me-downs: I was lost when it came to my style was or what pieces fit me well. There were few pieces that felt like home.
It was through my looking at Depop and individuals styling pieces in order to sell them–individuals who put even more effort into the styling because they couldn’t rely on any large scale advertising campaigns to do the hard work–that attracted me to specific items and I found which styles really worked for me. Also, to me, the diversity of body types was larger on Depop which allowed me to decide better than on other online shops whether the modelled clothes would fit me well or not. It was through this that I was better able to explore and define my style.
What I also really enjoy about Depop is the fact that nearly everything is second hand. This means the contribution to the global burden of fashion is nearly zero. And because it is second hand, the prices are nearly always lower than a new version of the product. Also, although a product might officially be second-hand, there are many products that are nearly brand-new, often even with tags. The owner might be selling because s/he bought two products of different sizes or colours and now doesn’t want one of them. For very popular shops like ASOS or Topshop, the majority of times I have found a product on those sites, I can often find the identical product or a very similar one in my size on Depop.
There are some disadvantages of Depop, of course, such as that returns are not always accepted by the sellers there. This can be frustrating if you are one of those people who don’t have a fixed size, or like to buy things and then return them. But you’re nearly always dealing with individuals so my thinking is always ‘I didn’t loose much money on this product anyways’ and ‘At least it went to an individual instead of a large corporation’ if it does turn out that the product isn’t for me. And, of course, you can always just re-list it yourself. The good thing is that there is no need for guilt in terms of environmental burden because the piece of clothing was already produced!
There are some purely practical advantages of Depop as well such as: it is cheaper because it is often second hand and can be lightly used. But also, I made money selling my own items there. So it felt more like I was swapping items when I make a purchase, rather than contributing to the global burden of the fashion industry.
To me, it is a magic site. I would use Depop even without the environmental benefits.
From now on I will be sharing some products that I find on Depop on Instagram to feature some fantastic products and to promote sustainable fashion and consumerism. Surprisingly, there is such a thing as sustainable consumerism, and Depop is a shining example of this.
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