What's new about the current secondhand obsession?

Trick question! Nothing.

For most of human history, there really was no such thing as waste. As my guest this week, Robin Annear writers in her fascinating book, Nothing New, A History of Secondhand, "Common sense dictates that used must have always followed new." Used stuff had value and there was always a market for it.

But how much do you actually know about the history of all this?

Were you aware, for example, that Shakespeare bequeathed his wife his second-best bed in his will?

Or that it was once considered normal to pawn your winter coat in summer to free up cash?

Or that many servants were part-paid in the master’s cast-offs?

From linen rags in high demand by the paper industry, to the British exporting their military uniforms to Holland (they were cut down to make flannel undergarments); from the posh ladies who patronised the revendeuses (the original preloved fashion dealers of Paris) hoping to nab royalties cast-off couture, to the origin story of the great Aussie opshop - this Ep is chock full of re-fashion stories that will blow your mind. Enjoy!

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The global handcraft market is worth more than a trillion dollars. Yet, particularly in rural areas, many highly skilled craftspeople live with inconsistent incomes, no social safety nets and ongoing threats to their cultural heritage.

There is rising interest their wares, for some of the same reasons that secondhand is booming - uniqueness, story, the human touch in an increasingly disconnected, AI-obsessed world.

But do we really see the artisans behind the products we buy? What is the true value of skilled artisanship? Where do different worldviews, timelines, rhythms and Indigenous wisdoms come into it? And how can western designers work with diverse communities in authentically sustainable and ethical ways? Co-creation is a buzz word, but what does it really mean?

 "To co-create, we might need to unlearn top-down western ways of thinking," says my guest this week, Karishma Singh Kelsey, who's leading our new course on Wardrobe Crisis Academy.

"Working with artisans and micro-enterprises often requires a paradigm shift away from entrenched (and usually unexamined!) 'I am better than you' ways of thinking. It recognises that when different worldviews come together on an equal footing, we can create even more interesting outcomes."

If you find the Episode valuable, please help us share it.

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We’re all secondhand shoppers these days. But where? How? And more importantly, why?

Online marketplace platforms have grown exponentially (making billionaires of some of the founders in the process) but there’s also a surge happening IRL, where the indie dealers hold the power. And the more niche the better.

In this episode we’re exploring how preloved fashion is booming in physical spaces, and in particular the new-style, curated vintage and archive fashion markets. Is it about sustainability or status, or both? Subcultures, nostalgia, a yearning for authenticity in our increasingly disconnected world, sheer fun - it all comes into play.

Also covered: What’s with the curated obsession? Don’t we love a rummage anymore? What’s driving new gen uptake? Could we be seeing a backlash against fake AI vibes? What are the dealers looking for? Is it okay to haggle? Also, has decluttering fallen out of favour? Is it more about restyling what’s already in your wardrobe? SO MANY QUESTIONS! We’ve got answers.

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In the first of a mini-series on the rise of second-hand fashion, my guest is the very charismatic and knowledgeable Aussie vintage fashion guru, Philip Boon. I'll leave it to him to tell you his story, and that of the late Mary Lipshut, the extraordinary Melburnian vintage doyenne, whose collection Philip (with his business partner Sonia) now manages as part of The Internationals.

Get ready for a super-fun gallop through key vintage eras of the last century!

Up for discussion: the importance of designers knowing this stuff; how past decades were defined by particular silhouettes; why vintage is hotter than ever; fashion subcultures; the rules of vintage dressing (are there any?); how to look after your vintage duds, wash those old silks and store those beads and jumpers; why the real vintage insiders are looking for uniqueness over brands these days plus lots of funny stories and outfit descriptions. Let's go!

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We know the struggle to resist the January sales is real! So this week's pod is for anyone who needs a reminder that some of the best things in life are free. Or, maybe you could use bit of encouragement to take a moment to ground yourself.

Consider it permission to forget capitalism, scary news headlines, the spectre of going back to work for while.

In this limbo time after Christmas but before the new year really kicks in, we wanted to invite you to have a moment of noticing the birds, how delightful, clever and fascinating they are, how they live among us, yet often go unnoticed.

My guest is Australian theatre actor and playwright, Nathan Harrison, who's latest play is Birdsong of Tomorrow.

Our conversation was recording on a birdwatching jaunt in my local park.

Hang on! Isn't Wardrobe Crisis a fashion podcast? Don't worry - birds are often brilliantly dressed with their wonderful plumage.

Enjoy!

If you find the Episode valuable, please help us share it.

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Lizzie Dibble wants libraries to lend clothes as well as books. Not just any clothes though. A carefully curated selection of donated second-hand fashion, imbued with the stories of former wearers, and volunteer-run.

With Love From… has built a collection of occasion-wear, mostly for women (though there’s also a children’s dressup box) for library members to loan in her hometown of Oswestry, UK. That focus is intentional, because party dresses are some of the least-worn garments in our wardrobes. Lizzie is on a mission to encourage less wardrobe waste and more collective joy - all while encouraging new users into the existing local library network.

We have questions!

Who’s donating? Who’s borrowing? How does it work in practice? Did the library take some convincing? How can others get involved? Could it annoy existing library users who just want a quiet spot to read? Lizzie’s answer to the latter is both lovely and surprising. She says that the shared wardrobe is a quiet space, and that’s part of why it works. With Love From… is not just like shopping without money, but without the frenzy that underpins so much unsustainable consumption. Could this be a blueprint for shared wardrobes around the world?

If you find the Episode valuable, please help us share it.

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Despite Shein’s new sustainability rhetoric, workers are still paying the price for the ultra-fast fashion giant’s success.

To 75-hour working weeks, piece rates and no contracts, we can add secrecy, opaque financial operations and a general air of mystery around its billionaire founder and how the brand does business.

This is the story they don't want told.

But thanks to Swiss NGO Public Eye's meticulous research and undercover reporting, it's now out in the open. So can Shein change for the better? Or is unethical simply part of the business model?

If you find the Episode valuable, please help us share it.

Find links and further reading at thewardrobecrisis.com

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Listen up! Yayra Agbofah is the founder of Ghanaian non-profit, The Revival. He's seriously stylish a poet, a creative upcycler, and one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders, as well a 2025 winner of the H&M Foundation's Global Change Award.

And he's got some advice for the global fashion industry...

Also covered in this charismatic convo: why wear a hat, the art of knowing yourself, community upcycling at scale, fashion education, how circularity is creating jobs as well as value from waste, and a new vision for the fashion system of tomorrow.

If you enjoy the Episode, please help us share it.

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Got recommendations? Hit us up!

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We're back! And excited to be kick off Series 12 with this fabulous interview with Copenhagen-based Moroccan Danish stylist, and excellent dresser, Samia Benchaou.

Clare and Samia met at fashion week when they got talking about the power of a great outfit. Can you relate? Bet you have a story of someone you met because of what they were wearing! (If so, tell us on Instagram).

Clothes speak before we do and fashion is a fun way to connect. But what we wear can also express our politics, culture and identity and belonging.

Themes up for discussion? First, confidence! How to get it, how to dress with it, and how it can set you free. We also talk about why you should give more complements to strangers, being a renegade, the influencer economy, and how much some people really get paid, while others miss out. Earnings, value, power imbalance, and how free clothes don't pay the bills. And we talk racism, why representation matters but it can't stop there, and why there aren't more Muslim prominent fashion influencers and stylists. Buckle up!

If you enjoy the Episode, please help us share it.

Find links and further reading at thewardrobecrisis.com

Read Clare's columns & support the show on Substack - wardrobecrisis.substack.com

Tell us what you think. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress

Got recommendations? Hit us up!

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Construction! Proportion! Craft!

What lies behind the enduring power of the suit? Of great tailoring? How is that amplified when it’s bespoke? What makes a good suit? Does it still matter? Why? And how much should it cost? All these questions, and many more are on the (cutting) table this week, as Clare sits down with Savile Row tailor Dominic Sebag-Montefiore, creative director of iconic bespoke house, Edward Sexton.

Thank you for listening to Wardrobe Crisis Series 11! We'll be back soon with a new series of inspiring interviews from fashion's front lines.

Find links and further reading for this episode at thewardrobecrisis.com

Read Clare's columns & support the show on Substack - wardrobecrisis.substack.com

Tell us what you think. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress

Got recommendations? Hit us up!

And please leave us a rating / review in Spotify/ Apple & help us share these podcasts.

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