When did second-hand become trendy? The rise of thrifting

With 65 stalls, Lost and Found is a mecca of curated second-hand fashion, furniture and everything in between. A giant ninja turtle figurine holding a Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band record hovers in the corner, with racks of multicoloured denim, mesh and sequined garments to the left. Shoppers can browse through shelves with motorcycle jackets, bedazzled crocs and a lemon layered tulle skirt all adorned with handwritten labels.

“We’ve been around for 20 years, and we’ve recently seen this massive increase in interest in second-hand clothing,” owner Ross Hines said.

“It’s good value and ethically wonderful because we’re giving quality items a second life … you walk in, and you don’t know what you’re going to walk out with.”

According to data from real-estate advisory firm BWP Advisors, there has been a recent boom of thrift stores, op shops and vintage clothing stores across Melbourne.

BWP Advisors founder Richard Jenkins monitors prime retail strip vacancies and says six second-hand clothing stores have opened in just 12 months across 11 retail strips in the city.

Jenkins said the boom signified a noticeable shift towards minimalism, led by eco-conscious consumers on a budget.

“Younger generations, namely Gen Z, use this [op shopping] as a form of entertainment and a way to cultivate a wardrobe that’s different, which has led to an increase in the number of op shops across Melbourne’s strips,” he said.

Over the past 12 months, St Vincent de Paul has opened 12 new stores across Victoria and observed a 34.7 per cent increase in customers compared with 2023.

A spokesperson from Vinnies Victoria said the expansion was a result of “overwhelming community support for shopping second-hand goods”.

“There’s a range of factors that could be contributing to this, in particular, an increase in people wanting to shop in a more sustainable and values-driven way, while keeping costs down,” the spokesperson said.

“There’s also a growing demographic of young shoppers looking to shop sustainably and enjoy the thrill of thrifting.”

Vinnies shops across NSW have enjoyed similar success, with six new stores and more than 4 million customers served in the past financial year.

Are op shops cool now?

While the cost-of-living crisis pushes more consumers with tighter budgets towards second-hand and thrifted clothing, social media has simultaneously bolstered a revival for op shops.

Popular content creators vlog their thrift hauls from second-hand clothing stores on TikTok while Instagram Reels curate recommendations for must-see vintage stores. No longer considered old or frumpy, pre-loved clothing stores present a wardrobe of opportunity and a time-capsule for fashion.

To put in plainly, they’re cool now.

Wayside Chapel Op Shop in the Sydney suburb of Potts Point has been operating for nearly 60 years, but operations manager Vina Thompson said the store had never been busier.

“I think the stigma from op shopping has well and truly gone,” she said. “Things like cost of living come into play as well, but I think a lot of people are turning away from mass shopping … they want to have their own identity and their own style signature.

“There’s definitely been a shift in how people view second-hand or pre-loved clothing.”

Thompson said the “nostalgic and homely” aesthetic of op shopping also appealed to shoppers, especially younger people.

“Our store, it’s a bit like your grandmothers’ wardrobe because you’re digging for treasures,” she laughed. “You have to go and take your time, you can’t rush in an op shop because you don’t know what you’re going to get. That’s what we cultivate here, that sense of community … it’s not clinical.”

Lost and Found owner Ross Hines agreed and said the definition of “what’s cool” in fashion had changed over generations.

“I have two teenage daughters, and they always thought their dad selling second-hand clothing was incredibly uncool,” he said. “Then their friends wanted to start going second-hand shopping and suddenly, it’s cool. That’s the power of social media.”

Hines welcomed the boom of op shops and second-hand clothing stores, saying “the more the merrier”.