More than half of 25-to-34-year-olds in Britain buy second-hand clothes and half have repaired damaged or worn-out clothes, according to a new survey.

Young people are also turning their used clothing into cash, the report by Mintel reveals, as half of the people in the same age group have sold old clothes in the last year, compared with 35% of consumers overall.

Swapping clothes with friends or acquaintances, known as swishing, is also a growing trend with three-quarters of 16-to-24-year-olds saying they either have swapped fashion items with others or would be interested in doing so in the future.

This age group is also most likely to use rental services, with 54% saying they have already rented fashion items or would be interested in doing so, compared with an average of 33% of the wider population.

The survey demonstrates that re-using, reducing and recycling has the potential to be a huge disruptor in the fashion industry. As the climate crisis continues to gain headlines, consumers’ priorities and perspectives are changing.

Young people want more than well priced or ‘on-trend’ garments. They are more likely to be influenced by campaigners including Greta Thunberg or Sir David Attenborough and are increasingly searching for more sustainable fashion options.

Overall, 30% of consumers quizzed by the survey agreed they would choose a retailer based on whether or not they sold sustainable fashion ranges. However, 79% said they find it difficult to know which fashion retailers are ethical.

Price is not perceived as an indicator of sustainability, with 22% agreeing that the more you pay for fashion, the more likely it is to be ethical. However, six in 10 (59%) shoppers admitted they would be willing to pay more for sustainable fashion.

Young shoppers also seem to be emulating their thrifty grandparents, who had no choice but to ‘make do and mend’, by having items repaired, altered and restyled rather than buying new ones.

Here at The Zip Yard, we’re encouraged to see that younger generations are embracing the reuse, reduce, recycle – and restyle – message. We’re on a mission to encourage more people of all ages to extend the life of their clothes so if you have a second-hand or swished garment in need of alterations or a complete transformation, visit any of our stores across the UK and use our imagination.