The Secondhand Clothing Trade in Europe and Beyond: Stages of Development and Enterprise in a Changing Material World, c. 1600–1850

Abstract

Between 1600 and 1850 Europe was reshaped economically, culturally, and materially—the secondhand clothing trade was a vital factor in these events. Cloth and clothing represented among the most important and costly purchases for generations, lying at the heart of household budgeting, intersecting routinely with markets. The secondhand trade was a unique micro-enterprise vehicle, as well as a growing commerce for entrepreneurs. It stimulated retailing and featured in international trade. Throughout these centuries, the scale of secondhand commerce, circulating in and beyond Europe, expanded enormously as economies were reshaped by industrial expansion and extra-European trade. During the past decades scholars have lifted the study of the secondhand trade from its previous obscurity, recognizing its organic connection to cultures and commerce. I now propose three stages in the evolution of the secondhand clothing trade, shaped by the underlying transformations of northwest Europe, suggesting the ways in which the patterns of economic and social change affected this sector over time. The three stages are: (1) transition from scarcity, (2) growing abundance, and (3) industrial plenty. By defining these tripartite divisions we can better understand the evolution of the secondhand clothing trade, its features, and relative significance.