JSR

Collaborative consumption businesses such as online clothing resale (OCR) platforms seem poised to increase the utilization of clothing, prevent premature disposal, and decrease dependence on new clothing production, which are important environmental gains. OCR also embodies features of social media, providing at least the appearance of a community that cares about waste reduction or recycling. However, these platforms conjure skepticism about the capacity to meaningfully foster sustainable consumption, as they are positioned similarly to the fast fashion marketplace. This study took a practice theory approach to investigate the actual behavior of OCR users; young women who have utilized a variety of OCR platforms to buy and sell clothing. The objective of the study was to understand the extent to which the practice of OCR aligns with fundamental arguments that implicate it as a model for sustainable consumption: reduced production, disposal mitigation, and changed behavior via sociality. Interviews were conducted with 24 female participants. Practice theory guided data analysis, which included data reduction by sorting user experiences into routines and then categorizing each routine by materials, competences, and meanings associated with the practice. Then, themes characterizing the practice were identified. Findings revealed that OCR practice only loosely supports sustainable consumption. A culture that values second-hand clothing exchange is absent from the practice, and the capacity of OCR to meaningfully support product longevity is undermined by a lack of second-hand circularity and a desire among practitioners to acquire like new or barely worn goods at a price they could not ordinarily afford.

clothing; resale; practice theory; collaborative consumption