The True Cost of Fast Fashion. Why Reselling Designer Pieces Is the Future

When Topshop announced its relaunch earlier this month, there was excitement that the brand might have learned lessons from its turbulent past. Instead, we've found racks of polyester-heavy clothing, little to no sustainability credentials, and the same disposable culture that has helped fuel the fast fashion crisis.

This matters. The UK sends around 350,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill every year. Polyester, the fabric dominating Topshop’s collection – is essentially plastic. Each wash releases harmful microfibres into our rivers, contributing to the 35% of ocean microplastics linked to clothing. Add in the fact that many garments are produced by underpaid workers in unsafe conditions, and the real cost of fast fashion becomes obvious, cheap at the till, but devastating for people and the planet.

But fashion doesn’t have to look like this. Reselling is more than a passing trend, it’s part of a growing circular fashion economy. Instead of clothes being worn once and abandoned, resale keeps them in circulation, extending their lifespan and reducing the demand for new production. A designer dress that might have ended up in the back of a wardrobe becomes someone else’s statement piece, all while cutting carbon emissions and waste.

Globally, this shift is accelerating. In the US, resale is growing 11 times faster than traditional retail. In the UK, platforms like Depop and Vinted have made second-hand cool for Gen Z, while luxury resale has exploded thanks to Vestiaire Collective and eBay’s authenticated marketplace.

At Clothes the Loop, we’re making resale local, stylish, and accessible. Sheffield shoppers now have the chance to find sustainable fashion UK wide, without settling for fast fashion’s compromises. The industry may not be keeping up, but consumers are already showing that the future of fashion is preloved.

True style isn’t about how many new pieces you buy. It’s about the stories behind the ones you keep in circulation and the difference you make by keeping fashion in the loop.