Australians now buy 240 million second-hand garments a year
Second-hand has shed its stigma and gone mainstream. Here's what's driving it, and why parents are leading the way.
A genuine shift
Second-hand clothing sales in Australia rose 18 percent over five years, to around 240 million garments, according to the national Seamless benchmark (covering 2018 to 2023). Buying pre-loved has moved from a niche or a necessity to something people do by choice, and talk about openly.
What's driving it
Two forces, mostly. Cost-of-living pressure has made value matter more than ever, and pre-loved simply stretches a budget further. Alongside that, a growing discomfort with fast fashion's waste has made second-hand feel like the sensible, even the aspirational, choice rather than the compromise.
Why parents lead the way
Parents were doing this before it was a trend. Kids outgrow clothes so fast that buying everything new never made sense, and hand-me-downs have always been part of family life. What's changed is that the tools have caught up: it's now easy to buy and sell pre-loved kids' clothes with people beyond your immediate circle.
Where it goes next
As more parents buy and sell pre-loved, the pool of good-quality second-hand kids' clothing grows, which makes it easier for the next family. The habit feeds itself, so once your own kids outgrow a size, sell your baby gear back into it.
References
This is the most recent national benchmark, though the window predates the most current year.
- Seamless Australia, Australia sends 222,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill (18 percent growth and 240 million second-hand garment figures, 2018 to 2023).
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