THE RESALE REFERENCE
A practical, sourced snapshot of resale, apparel spending, and textile waste in the United States. Updated September 25, 2026.
BROWSE THE FACTSWHY IT MATTERS
Secondhand clothing sits at the intersection of personal style, value, and reuse. This page gathers a small set of citable figures from government and industry sources, with the date and source shown alongside every number.
Use these facts as a starting point for reporting, research, classroom work, or a closer look at how pre-loved fashion fits into the wider apparel market.
KEY STATISTICS
$74B
ThredUp and GlobalData project the U.S. secondhand market will reach $74 billion by 2029. The same report says it grew five times faster than the broader retail clothing market in 2024.
Source: ThredUp 2025 Resale Report, published April 2025 ↗$367B
The global secondhand apparel market is expected to reach $367 billion by 2029, according to ThredUp's 2025 Resale Report.
Source: ThredUp 2025 Resale Report, published 2025 ↗$2,001
U.S. consumer units spent an average of $2,001 on apparel and services in 2024, equal to 2.5% of total annual spending.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures 2024, released December 2025 ↗14.7%
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated 2.5 million tons of textiles were recycled in 2018, a 14.7% recycling rate for all textiles in municipal solid waste.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 textile materials data, page updated March 2026 ↗11.3M
EPA estimated that 11.3 million tons of textiles entered U.S. landfills in 2018. The agency notes that discarded clothing is the main source of textiles in municipal solid waste.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 textile materials data, page updated March 2026 ↗READ THE NUMBERS WELL
Market forecasts describe what researchers expect, not a promise of future sales. The textile waste figures are the latest U.S. municipal waste estimates available from the Environmental Protection Agency, and they measure what enters that waste stream, not every garment that is reused, donated, or resold.
That distinction matters. A one-of-one piece has value because it is worn, styled, and kept in the conversation. The statistics explain the bigger picture, but the right closet still comes down to choosing pieces you will actually reach for.
METHODOLOGY & SOURCES
Last reviewed September 25, 2026. Each figure above links directly to its source. Strut and Style Boutique has not changed the underlying calculations or presented forecasts as historical fact.
Strut and Style Boutique. “Secondhand Clothing Statistics: U.S. Resale and Textile Facts.” Updated September 25, 2026. https://strutandstyle.shop/secondhand-clothing-statistics
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