There is a certain appeal to thrifting secondhand. Sifting through racks, digging through bins. Searching through little pieces of other people’s lives, giving a second chance to clothes that might have been destined for the landfill.  The U.S. secondhand market is estimated to reach $66 billion by 2027, with online resale expected to grow 13% annually through 2029, according to a report by Capital One Shopping Research.  Questrom School of Business senior Hana Elster is no stranger to this appeal. 

Fast fashion has become a bit inescapable.

College students are tossing out secondhand stigmas associated with thrifting, and leading the move to make recycled clothing more appealing. These trendsetters — from public relations students to...