India, Oct. 2 -- Pastel grids, mirror selfies in thrifted cargos, captions that announce "New drop soon" and comments full of "price please!" India's thrift economy looks less like a clearance rack and more like a curated boutique. In Mumbai, Bandra is full of little shops selling last season's look for cheap, marketed as vintage. On Bengaluru's Church Street, the shops are stuffed with preloved Zara tops, Y2K minis and indie tees. Online, sellers orchestrate full-on photoshoots around a single once-used dress, in the hope that it will be bought and used again. This isn't just resale, it's reinvention. And India's preloved businesses are growing up.

"Back in 2020, the term thrifting was almost unheard of in India," says 28-year-old Kanch...