Sustainability
Why Secondhand Matters
The fashion industry is responsible for roughly 10% of global carbon emissions — more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. A single cotton t-shirt requires approximately 2,700 litres of water to produce. Every year, the equivalent of a rubbish truck of textiles is discarded somewhere in the world every second.
These numbers are not abstract. They are the result of a system built around the idea that clothes are disposable. Fast fashion has normalised buying more, wearing less, and throwing away faster. The average garment is worn seven times before it is discarded.
The Alternative
Secondhand fashion is not a trend. It is a return to how clothing was treated for most of human history — as something valuable, maintained, and passed on. When you buy a pre-owned piece from Carlino, no new raw materials are extracted, no new factory runs, no new carbon is emitted in production. The garment already exists. You are simply extending its life.
Research from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation shows that extending the average lifespan of clothing by just nine months reduces its carbon, water, and waste footprint by up to 30%. For premium pieces built to last — Jacob Cohën denim, Lanvin leather, Gran Sasso knitwear — that lifespan can be decades, not seasons.
Why Luxury Secondhand Specifically
Not all secondhand is equal. A fast fashion piece bought second-hand still began life as a low-quality, high-impact product. Luxury goods are different. They are made with superior materials and construction — designed to last, to age well, and to hold value. Buying them secondhand means you get the quality without the cost of new production.
This is the Carlino argument: the most sustainable garment is the one already made. And if it has to be secondhand, it may as well be exceptional.
Our Commitment
- The majority of our inventory is pre-owned.
- We ship with minimal packaging.
- We never source from brands with documented unethical production practices.
- Every piece is curated, authenticated and ready to wear.
Style and sustainability are not opposites. At Carlino, they are the same thing.