Social media shows throwback photos of Paris Hilton, Mischa Barton and others in low-rise jeans with lace camisoles. Brands like Blumarine and Miu Miu encourage similar sartorial mentalities on the runways. Even reissued the iconic. If you are interested in taking part in the aesthetic movement, there are two options: wait for collections from the runways to reach the stores (could be months), or buy a reduced version from a fast fashion label. Or go straight to purchase vintage items from that era at a (hopefully!) lower price. This seems like an obvious choice, right?

The current booming resale economy is directly affecting the way we consume trends, granting us immediate access minus some of the guilt. Noelle Sciacca is the women’s editorial leader at. She sees the immediate impact runway trends have on consumer purchasing habits. She explains that “For example, when we reissued the fall 2020 issue, we saw almost immediately people visiting our site to purchase.” This rapid access to trends leads to a higher turnover rate, Sciacca’s team at The RealReal says. It also encourages more “micro trends,” Sciacca calls them. There are fewer all-consuming, fad-like trend–or a new way of approaching the discussion about the death of trends.

In an ironic replacement, resale, in some ways, serves the same needs that fast fashion does. Sam Blumenthal, spokesperson for the thrift store, stated that almost two-fifths of thrifters said they were replacing fast fashion purchases with secondhand clothes. Secondhand is expected be twice as big by 2030 than fast fashion.

With resale, sellers take the position of creative directors, curating rather than designing “collections” as they see fit–versus when the next season calls for it. Aspen Raney says that “I tend to walk a fine line between trendy and uniquely, I will take a chance on anything that catches my attention, even if it isn’t the most fashionable piece. However, I will not buy a piece simply because it is trendy. Each shop is unique, so curating cohesive collections is my top priority. This transaction is more personal than fast fashion.”

“In today’s world, trends move faster than they ever have. Resale should have a significant impact on your personal style.”