In the age of eBay and the sharing economy, more and more fashionistas are open to the idea of second-hand clothing and accessories. This trend is confirmed by a survey conducted by Institut Ipsos in the US, the UK, France and Germany, the results of which were published March 17.

The second-hand revolution

Once spurned by style enthusiasts and synonymous with worn-out, smelly or passé items, the second-hand clothing and accessories market has turned its reputation around. Nearly three fourths of women surveyed (74%) expressed the view that second-hand fashion items are of identical or even superior quality to new products. Moreover, 36% of respondents said they would like to receive second-hand clothing or accessories as a gift.

Confirming the change in attitudes over the years, the survey revealed that three out of ten women are more interested in second-hand fashion today than they were five years ago. One fifth said they currently buy more second-hand fashion items than they did a few years earlier.

Among the four countries where the survey was conducted, the UK saw the highest rate of second-hand fashion fans. Fifty-nine percent of British women surveyed said they had already purchased second-hand fashion items online or would like to, compared to 55% of German women, 52% of American women and 41% of French women. Brits and Germans also emerged as the top second-hand fashion sellers, as respectively 60% and 48% of them said they have already put their own used clothes and accessories on the market.

The survey was conducted online by Ipsos from October 3 to 15, 2014. A total of 4,045 women aged 20 to 60 living in France, Germany, the UK and the US were queried, all of whom reported to making fashion-related purchases online in the past.