In recent years, second-hand shopping has been at the centre of a cultural shift. Charity shops have become staples on the high street, especially for young people. It is reported that in 2025, “42% of new Save the Children shop volunteers were aged between 18 and 24, compared with 28% in 2021” (The Guardian, 2026) , which shows an obvious shift in attitudes towards second-hand highstreet shopping. So, why is it that charity shops are slowly becoming the go-to for students?
It’s obvious that a student budget does not account for all the going-out tops, the seemingly endless supply of costumes and the inevitable ugly blazer/hat/Christmas jumper. The cost of these items suddenly feel much less like good fun, and more like taking out a mortgage and blowing your student hedges on something you will only wear once. By 2024, student living costs were reported to have risen by 36.3% since 2021 (NowStudents, 2024), leaving many to explore cheaper avenues in the search of fancy dress and the ugly jumper.
However, the popularity of charity shopping among students may not just be a result of rising costs. Following the hottest summer on record in the United Kingdom, (Met Office, 2026), it’s hard for many to ignore the role that fast fashion giants play in the decline of the environment. According to Waste Managed, “the UK is the fourth largest producer of textile waste in Europe, generating 206,456 tonnes of textile waste annually”. Terrifyingly, ninety-two million tonnes of textile waste is produced globally each year, and “approximately 35% of all primary microplastic pollution in the ocean comes from the fashion industry, particularly from synthetic fibres such as polyester, nylon and acrylic” (Waste Managed). As clothing sold in high street retailers is primarily plastic and offensively overpriced, charity shops become the obvious choice.
From a perspective of sustainability, charity shops tend to be clothes’ last stop before landfill, making for guilt-free shopping, and one less ugly jumper leaching microplastics into waterways. Vintage and charity shops also offer higher-quality clothing that is built to last, meaning the pieces you buy are more durable and need to be replaced less often. This can help reduce the overall amount of clothing purchased and contribute to more sustainable consumption. Sustainability has also become trendier in recent years, with ‘underconsumption’ becoming synonymous with rejection of heavy branding and a minimalist lifestyle, emulated through limited, thoughtful purchases of higher quality items.
In fact, online trends heavily influence our purchasing habits, and buying vintage or secondhand pieces often means that you’re less likely to see someone else wearing the same thing. In such an individualistic, consumerist culture, the clothes you wear and where you got them from makes it easy to categorise the kind of person that you are. Anybody that is active on social media will be familiar with terms such as ‘Y2K’, ‘Cottagecore’, ‘Clean-girl’, and likely a hundred more styles and microtends that have come in and out of fashion at an astonishing speed. Being a second hand shopper both tells others that you’re thrifty and resourceful, whilst avoiding the environmental damage that comes hand-in-hand with the rampant overconsumerism that microtrend cycles encourage. Current fashion trends often draw inspiration from past eras, particularly the early 2000s, an era characterised by over-accessorising, fluorescent colours, and gaudy belts. But where do the clothes of the past go? Charity shops. Perhaps the best part is being able to smugly reply, “Thanks, it’s from a charity shop.” By avoiding the mass-produced waves of fast fashion, shoppers can discover unique pieces that offer a sense of individuality and social exclusivity. Rather than following fleeting trends, charity shopping allows buyers to participate in them on their own terms.
Charity shops, despite gaining in popularity among students, are still at risk of closure. They face a new threat, in the form of online second-hand shopping sites such as Vinted, Depop and eBay. The CEO of the Charity Retail Association reports that “There are platforms like Vinted which we believe are having an impact…It is not affecting the quantity of items donated but I think it is affecting the quality” (Vintage Clothing Guides,2025). Although these platforms have been beneficial in bringing second-hand shopping back into public favour, it has also meant that people are less likely to donate their higher quality products to charity shops. Charity shops, although containing less options, are far better for the planet as clothes aren’t having to be transported up and down the country.
Both online shopping sites and the high street charity shop can exist harmoniously, but the latter has far less pitfalls. No delays, no lost parcels, no hidden fees – what you see is what you get. They’re kinder on the planet, cutting transportation costs and saving salvageable clothes from landfill. Reports show that UK charity shops save 34 tonnes of textiles from reaching landfill every year, “reducing 3.7 million tonnes of C02 emissions per year”, (Strauss, 2015). With each purchase, the buyer is saving a garment, and donating to charity, which feels like reason enough to buy the ugly jumper.
Image Credit – Robinson Greig
