The Soft Side of Circularity: Rethinking Fashion Resale for Sustainability Transitions

Despite growing adoption of circular economy (CE) principles and circular business models (CBMs), global circularity remains in decline. As empirical evidence increasingly challenges the effectiveness of leading CE approaches in supporting sustainability, identifying the conditions required for a meaningful CE transition that successfully breaks with unsustainable, linear economy patterns becomes critical. Focusing on fashion resale business models (RBMs) we argue that genuine change does not foremost rely on technological development or the scaling of large-scale, standardised solutions. Instead, we contend that human-dependent factors and capabilities, including materials knowledge, sensitivity to changing cultural tastes, and the tacit knowledge and practical skills required to assess, handle, and recirculate garments, are particularly adept at supporting inner loop circularity. We therefore propose that the realisation of CE ambitions requires a greater emphasis on less tangible human aspects. Suggesting that such are vital and yet remains both underexamined and underappreciated in the current CE landscape, we argue that the 'soft’ side of circularity warrants greater attention across academic and practical domains.