Reconstructing Student Identity through Thrifting Culture: From Second-Hand Clothing to Cultural Capital

Abstract

Thrifting has evolved beyond an alternative consumption practice into a significant cultural phenomenon through which university students negotiate identity, lifestyle, and symbolic distinction. While previous studies have predominantly interpreted second-hand clothing consumption from economic and sustainability perspectives, limited attention has been devoted to understanding its role in constructing social identity and cultural capital. This study examines how thrifting culture reconstructs the meaning of second-hand clothing and shapes student identity within contemporary consumer society. Employing a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with university students actively engaged in thrifting and supported by digital documentation of Instagram and TikTok content. The findings reveal three interrelated themes. First, symbolic satisfaction and social recognition have become stronger motivations than economic necessity. Second, second-hand clothing functions as a medium of visual distinction that challenges the homogeneity of fast-fashion consumption. Third, social media transforms the negative stigma associated with used clothing into a marker of cultural sophistication, environmental awareness, and symbolic prestige. Drawing upon Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital and Baudrillard's theory of consumer society, this study argues that thrifting represents a process of identity reconstruction through symbolic consumption rather than merely an economical shopping practice. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of youth consumption as a socially constructed strategy for negotiating identity, distinction, and cultural legitimacy.