Second-hand clothing and sustainability in the fashion sector: Analysing visions on circular strategies through SWOT/ANP method

The fashion industry keeps attracting great attention considering its impacts on the environment along with human health, stemming from overconsumption. The challenges associated with the sector escalated due to the diffusion of the fast fashion concept raising further social concerns. One reflection on this problem is associated with the second-hand clothing (SHC) sector, expected to promote the reuse of clothing items by adopting circular strategies. However, a closer look at the international trade of SHC items revealed significant problems in practice. The main problem identified is related to the flow of low-quality items from Global North (GN) to Global South (GS) countries. Against this background, this study aims to understand the most important factors in embracing a circular and ethical fashion practice by implementing a combined method using the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis with the Analytical Network Process (ANP) method to search for strategies that contribute to overcoming the circularity gaps. The analysis results demonstrated the divergence of perceptions and priorities among various stakeholders, reflecting the complexity of achieving a global consensus in a circular fashion model. Finally, some policy recommendations are proposed aiming to embrace global environmental justice principles in the SHC sector.