What is this fast-growing market for used clothing commonly called?

The resale, or secondhand, fashion market is the correct term for online marketplaces where individuals buy and sell pre-owned clothing. Its growth reflects rising awareness of how much waste fast fashion generates, since garments that might otherwise be thrown away instead get a second life, letting buyers find lower prices and unique items while reducing the environmental footprint of new production.

Haute couture refers to expensive, custom-made high fashion crafted by elite designers, essentially the opposite of affordable secondhand clothing. Duty-free retail is shopping exempt from taxes at airports and borders, entirely unrelated to buying used garments online.

Some resale platforms authenticate luxury items before resale, which has ironically made buying secondhand designer goods feel safer and more prestigious than it used to, turning thrifting into a status-conscious activity rather than just a budget one.