Set alerts, use filters and buy less: everything I've learned about secondhand shopping
While waiting for a show during London fashion week in February, I and a few fashion writers, stylists and editors were admiring each other's outfits. Surprise, surprise, we discovered that the pieces we loved most were preowned (and largely from charity shops, I might add).
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It's no secret that industry insiders love secondhand fashion: Kate Moss is known for her love of vintage; British Vogue recently hosted a vintage sale in collaboration with eBay; celebrities such as Zendaya, Kendall Jenner and Miley Cyrus are turning to archive looks for their red carpet appearances; even Selfridges now offers Reselfridges, a range of preloved designer bags and accessories.
I love buying secondhand. I am nearly always wearing something vintage, whether it's the Levi's 501s I discovered in a thrift store or one of the many classic Ralph Lauren Oxford shirts I've bought from every resale marketplace going. I love the thrill of stumbling on something you can't get anywhere else. My fashion week piece of note, for instance, was an unusual silk tie that I found in a Shelter charity shop in west London. And I once bought a vintage Christian Dior shirt for just £60. Writing about how to shop online for secondhand clothes for the Filter, therefore, was pretty much my dream commission.
Yet fashion insiders aren't the only ones wise to the perks. The global secondhand clothing market is expected to grow almost three times as fast as the overall global clothing market by 2029, according to a report by ThredUp. Besides the obvious benefits of more affordable prices and one-of-a-kind pieces, this rapid rise is also down to an increasing concern for the planet, and recognition that fast fashion is contributing to the mountains of waste.
By saving old clothes from landfill, shopping secondhand extends the life cycle of each garment and reduces its overall environmental impact. That means using fewer resources, and less energy and water – Oxfam reported last year that buying one pair of jeans and a T-shirt secondhand can save the equivalent of 20,000 standard bottles of water compared with buying them new. With the fast-fashion market at an all-time high, buying preloved could be the sustainable antidote the world needs.
Where do you start? My first choice is Vinted, but I also regularly browse eBay and Depop, as well as thrift stores and, most of all, charity shops. I keep tabs on the brands I like, saving searches with alerts on my favourite luxury labels, such as Wales Bonner and Bode, as well as preppy names like Gant and Aimé Leon Dore for the classics. I always use filters to limit the results to listings that are the right size and fabric – there's nothing more frustrating than finding the perfect piece that's slightly the wrong fit.
I delve into all this and more in my guide to vintage shopping, covering everything from how to use the 'trending' sections of platforms to how to stop impulse buying: even when you're shopping secondhand, the 'buy less, buy better' mantra rings true. I also highlight preloved sites that may not be on your radar. So, the next time you get complimented on your (secondhand) outfit, you know who to thank.
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