Best Second-Hand Online Fashion Stores in India

The second-hand clothing market will overtake the fashion market by 2028 and reach US $51 billion (£44 billion) by 2025. And online fashion stores will be contributing to this figure.

People, especially millennials and Gen Z consumers, are embracing the idea that you do not need to have the latest fashion item paying exorbitant prices.

Instead, they educate themselves about the environmental issues we are all facing, opting for second-hand clothes to reduce unsustainable new production.

Keep reading if you want to discover the five best pre-loved online fashion stores in India.

This for That

One of India’s online fashion stores was created by Nancy Bhasin and Vaybhav Singh.

They first started This For That with swap parties in Delhi and NCR.

In September 2018, they transformed their idea into an app for women in India to exchange clothes and beauty products.

Members can swap clothes, shoes, bags, accessories and beauty products, on a permanent or temporary basis.

It is really up to you!

In an interview with the Hindu, Bhasin said:

“The number of conscious shoppers is very less.

“The rest want to buy and hoard more. The whole point is to make sustainability palatable.

“We do so by layering it under a great deal, and so you feel like you saved money as well as the environment.”

Using the app is super easy.

You can sign up via Facebook. If you want to swap, just upload a picture of the product, and fill in details about the condition, sizing, and so on.

Depending on how old the piece is, you can price it accordingly.

Once the items are uploaded, the team checks the product and once approved, the user can click on the swap button.

The app offers suggestions of products you might like, and if you like something, you can exchange it using your credits.

In case the value of an item uploaded by another user does not match yours, you can offer one more item in return.

Bhasin added that the number of swaps is unlimited.

“Women exchange everything from fitness gear and even lingerie.

“We started getting a lot of uploads for sports bras and expensive branded bras, which we used to reject.

“But we had to change that because we were getting messages saying ‘we already have a swapper, please allow it.'”

The app also allows women to connect and share their likes, dislikes and facilitate exchanges.

An interesting feature is the SOS feature, where women can post their fashion emergencies, questions, queries, opinions with a whole community ready to help them out.

This for That offers doorstep pickup and drop-off across India.

Riya Collective

Riya Collective is a rental platform offering high-end and luxury Indian clothing on a consignment basis, making luxury pieces affordable for everyone and contributing to a more sustainable fashion economy.

Their mission? To re-invent fashion consumption to be more diverse, sustainable, and equitable.

Riya Collective offers South Asian saris, lehengas, anarkalis and even accessories like jhumkas.

Since Riya Collective’s launch, the company has grown by 50% every single month.

The company is also planning to establish a ‘trade-in/resale program‘ to give customers who buy from them the option to resell the second-hand product through the brand.

Revamp My Closet

Founded by NIFT graduate Samriddhi Agarwal and IIT Roorkee graduate Ashish Katta.

Revamp My Closet is a Bengaluru based company with an online store to buy and sell used clothes.

If you are interested, just drop in a mail, and they will get back to you, pick up your clothes and pay you after sharing a quota based on the garments’ quality.

Samriddhi Agarwal opened this startup when she noticed her maid using the tee she had given to her for mopping the floor.

Consequently, she had the great idea to start giving away her clothes for money to someone who can use them again without them going to waste.

The clothes collected are first laundered, then a photoshoot is taken, and pictures are uploaded on the website for sale again.

The ReLove Closet

The ReLove Closet is one of the online Indian fashion stores, founded by Chennai-based graphic designer Sruti Ashok.

ReLove Closet’s Instagram page began raising funds for a local NGO helping daily-wage labourers during the pandemic.

Within a month, the page raised Rs. 7 lakh (approximately £6419).

Subsequently, Ashok decided to continue the online store and resell items on behalf of like-minded people, along with raising funds for various social causes.

It offers second-hand and vintage pieces from international designers, Indian brands, and fast-fashion labels.

The company delivers across India.

Confidential Couture

Confidential Couture was founded in 2014 by Anvita Mehra and joined by friend and co-founder Jharna Gianchandani.

The company aims to make luxury fashion available to everyone, facilitating the buying and selling of second-hand luxury items from renowned brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermés, Fendi, Gucci, and many others.

They strictly examine all the garments and accessories, and if required, they even bio-cleanse the products, with a price tag decided on the condition of the item.

In an interview, Mehra explained:

“The items are broadly categorized as ‘Never been Used’, ‘Gently Used’, and ‘Fairly Used’, to indicate their condition, and each category is explained to give a clear indication of what it offers in terms of product quality.

“The idea is to give buyers an actual impression of the product making the process absolutely transparent.”

Mehra added that when they first started out, it was not easy to convince consumers.

However, over time, costumers started to accept this new concept, and currently has 350-400 sellers and receives over 15,000 new visitors every month.

According to the UN, at present, the fast fashion industry accounts for over 10% of global carbon emissions, and it will take over 24% of the global carbon budget by 2050 due to the increasing demand.