Navigating (un)sustainability: (non)consumption of second-hand fashion across countries and generations

Despite growing discourse on sustainability, there is no evidence that the fashion sector is in a meaningful phase of sustainable transformation, underscoring the critical need to navigate the (un)sustainability paradox of the fashion system and advance knowledge that supports sustainability transitions. Within this broader context, consumption remains a critical area for further empirical inquiry and theoretical advancement. Simultaneously, the sustainable consumption field is evolving, and there is a call for diverse sectors to contribute to advancing knowledge, with a particular focus on mainstreaming sustainable consumption. Given increasing policy and practical attention to fashion sustainability, the fashion sector represents a timely and relevant context for such contributions. This study addresses one of the sector’s most urgent environmental challenges, textile waste, by examining clothing reuse, particularly second-hand consumption, as a potential mechanism for (un)sustainability under certain conditions. With the second-hand market experiencing growth and mainstream adoption, second-hand consumption represents a key unit of analysis for the sector’s ongoing (un)sustainable transition. Despite decades of research on second-hand fashion consumption, its integration into the sustainable consumption agenda remains limited. Critical gaps persist, including insufficient understanding of both consumption and non-consumption across country and generational contexts, limited engagement with the (un)sustainability implications of second-hand consumption and an absence of impact-oriented research. Addressing these gaps offers a significant opportunity to advance theoretical and empirical knowledge. This study explores the (non)consumption of second-hand clothing and accessories across key country settings and generations. To achieve this, the study employs a pragmatic sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, investigating second-hand (non)consumption among 650 mainstream consumers. The study contributes to the sustainable consumption field by addressing scholarly gaps at the intersection of second-hand and sustainable fashion consumption. It investigates mainstream second-hand (non)consumption across countries and generations, critically assesses (un)sustainability implications, and offers impact-oriented practice, policy, and research recommendations.