By Daniëlle Gerber
A clothing swap was recently held in Stellenbosch at Jan Marais Nature Reserve. This fun event was a great opportunity for participants to spruce up their wardrobe yet there was an inherent limitation – and this can be seen in the majority of Stellenbosch second-hand apparel. The problem that the second-hand fashion scene faces in Stellenbosch, is the lack of size inclusivity, spreading from in-person transactions to online platforms.
There is no need to point fingers and project blame, however, it brings an important issue to light about who the Stellenbosch spaces, and society on a larger scale, accommodate implicitly. The clothing swap mentioned had a very narrow range of sizes, with the largest item found being a size fourteen. Similarly, most online thrift stores average at a size eight or ten in fashion, with retailers offering bigger sizes and including them in their descriptions. There are set ‘standards’ and then there are ‘anomalies’ that are specifically catered for. Yet, what message does this spread?
Similar in curiosity, Brown (2022), in her article ‘So, are we going to talk about how sustainable shopping excludes bigger bodies?’explores how this common theme can be traced back to the fashion industry itself and the lack of size inclusivity in general. For something to be available second-hand, it must first be bought new and discarded in some way or another. Additionally, if we are looking at the trendier online second-hand stores, it needs to be picked up by someone, who might have a more ‘standard body size’, bought and loaded for sale.
Therefore, this speaks to an inherent barrier to sustainable fashion and a layer that is often not given enough attention – the social layer. While being more conscious about where you source your fashion items, reduces a negative impact on the environment, not being represented in size could have a detrimental impact on the social sphere. This speaks to the intricacy of sustainability; who is our current society built for, and who may enjoy the privileges?
While there have been many positive attempts in the second-hand fashion industry, it has become known that there is an inherent lack of representation and inclusivity that acts as a barrier. While this may not be an intentional decision, it is an implicit consequence of the way that the fashion industry is structured and to whom it caters. This can be witnessed when shopping at second-hand retailers in Stellenbosch, as well as on a larger scale. However, unfortunately, this question still begs for an answer.
