A Miss Earth Singapore 2026 finalist is putting sustainability into practice by choosing second-hand fashion for her appearances.
Melissa Gan, who goes by the stage name Pearl Gan for creative and pageant engagements, shared on LinkedIn on 18 Aug that all of her dresses so far this pageant season have been “second-hand finds” from Carousell and REFASH.
Source: Melissa Gan on LinkedIn
The 29-year-old said the decision reflects her desire to align her personal choices with the causes she hopes to champion.
“If I’m going to speak about sustainability, public health, and the environments that shape human wellbeing, then I want to practise what I preach in visible ways too,” she wrote.
Screenshot provided by Melissa Gan
Her choice stands out in an industry where fashion, presentation, and appearance often take centre stage.
While Ms Gan said she loves “beauty, fashion, and presentation”, she does not believe “elegance has to mean excess, or that advocacy only counts when it sounds grand”.
Ms Gan also said she spends much of her work thinking about “evidence, legitimacy, and how values translate into real-world behaviour”.
For her, choosing pre-owned dresses is one small but tangible way of putting those values into practice.
“I suppose this is one of my own small translations,” she said, adding that she wants the way she presents herself to reflect the issues she says she cares about.
Source: Melissa Gan on LinkedIn
Carousell Group also commented on her LinkedIn post, writing: “Love this, Melissa!”
The company thanked her for “showing that sustainable fashion and standing on stage can go hand in hand”, before wishing her the best for Miss Earth Singapore 2026.
Speaking to MS News, Ms Gan said thrifting is not something she picked up just for the pageant.
Rather, it is already a part of her everyday life. “Almost everything I own is second-hand, and I love it!” she shared.
Source: Melissa Gan on LinkedIn
She also has a deep appreciation for civil society and the people within it who are passionate about the environment.
Meeting many of them, she said, has deepened her own appreciation for nature.
“When I decided to join Miss Earth Singapore, wearing second-hand felt completely natural to me,” she said.
To Ms Gan, Miss Earth represents a commitment to environmental health and living by one’s values, rather than simply focusing on appearance.
Her background in public health and civil society has further reinforced her belief that everyday choices, including what we wear, can have an environmental impact.
Wearing second-hand for the pageant is my way of walking the talk.
When asked if she is the only finalist wearing second-hand dresses, Ms Gan said: “I can’t speak for everyone, but I know many of my fellow finalists also look for eco-friendly and affordable ways to compete.”
She told MS News that some finalists rent gowns, while others borrow or thrift.
While she said the practice is still “very much in the early stages”, she believes the conversation around it is already happening.
Source: Bertwood Photography