Over the past decade, the fashion scene in the West began to welcome the idea of buying used clothing as more than just a way to save money. The quirky, off-beat aesthetic of thrift shops, along with their potential as an alternative to the unsustainable, unethically produced fast fashion brands selling clothes en masse at prices that allow some to reinvent their wardrobes with every wave of changing trends, helped the idea of giving used clothes a second chance to take off as a trend of its own. Prior to this trend, however, the reselling of used clothing has long been an essential business model in Egypt as is the case around the world, including in Egypt. The widening wealth gap has over the years created both supply and demand for used garments: As rich Egyptians purchase and dispose of clothing at a high rate to keep up with fashion trends, lower income Egyptians acquire fashionable clothing at affordable prices by buying items that have had a previous owner at places like Wekala – the diverse marketplace known to provide Egyptians with secondhand clothing at low prices. In a conversation…
Sustainability, Gentrification, and the Ethics of Thrift Shopping in Egypt
April 1, 2021
