66% of my wardrobe is secondhand - how?

As the inquisitive dork I am, I actually counted most of my wardrobe. And was surprised (and proud!) that the secondhand percentage of my wardrobe is 66%, including all clothing, shoes, outerwear and loungewear. I excluded sportswear, socks, pantyhose and underwear, just because I couldn't be bothered with counting them. If I had included those categories, the new things percentage would definitely be higher.

Thrifting as a lifestyle

I have hardly shopped at regular stores the last five years and have loved to thrift since I was a teenager, so I guess the numbers make sense. I love rummaging piles looking for cheap gems. I guess that is not for everyone, but curated secondhand shops abound these days. The few times I find myself in regular clothing stores, I think they smell like chemicals and plastic. Maybe I'm just sensitized after seeing The true cost - beware, your relationship with the clothing industry will take a hit.

Swap parties

Another reason for the many secondhand pieces in my wardrobe, is that my group of friends often throw swap parties. We've had maybe two swap parties a year the last five years. I can't help the feeling that I'm sort of profiting from their consumption of new things, even though I also bring stuff to give away (but mine are often already secondhand). Often I'm the literal second hand to the things they want to get rid of, and happy to be, because the chemicals are washed out and I don't have to get a bad conscience for buying something new. But am I just greenwashing my own behavior and relying on my friends' first-hand shopping?

Is the secondhand market dependent on overconsumption?

Two Swedes have written about this phenomenon, and they are questioning whether secondhand consumers are dependent on the overconsumption of other people: Closet chronicles and Recovering shopaholics - use Google translate if you don't read Swedish, because they raise an important discussion. The former asks what would happen to the secondhand market if everyone stopped over-consuming. The latter states that we need to ask ourselves why we shop at all, especially new things that don't fill a real need. And I feel the need to ask myself why I feel the need to get something "new" at every swap party...