Culture & Design

Learning to Love Pre-Owned Clothing Even When There’s Been Sweat

Consignment websites offer bargains if buyers can overcome ick factor.

Paul Smith suit purchased from the RealReal.

Photographer: Karen Toulon /Bloomberg

My fondness for pre-owned fashion goes back decades. Apparently, in picking through musty piles in search of dresses spun from angel wings, I’ve been doing my part to save the planet.

America’s secondhand apparel market is expected to grow to $32 billion in 2020, according to an industry report. That’s up from $28 billion last year.