When I was very small my mother took me to the nearly new shop all the time. She loved a bargain and as money was tight it made perfect sense. At that time there was still a massive stigma related to shopping second hand and with that presumably looking poor, and I got teased at school if I revealed my clothes came from the Good as New. I’ve also never forgotten the pretty but oh so itchy furry hat with pom poms and matching coat that I was corralled into. However that was a very long time ago, shopping second hand is one of my favourite things to do and I regularly donate too, and now there are so many reasons to include pre-worn items as part of your every day wardrobe. Here are a few of them.
- Its more sustainable
- If you shop from charity shops you are also giving back
- You will find something interesting and unique
- You will save money
- For me its a great way of spending time with my almost grown up children who have also got the bug
However there is definitely an art to shopping pre-loved. Its certainly not straightforward, and I’ve made plenty to mistakes and so here are my top tips to coming out with something wonderful rather than just plain weird.
Top tip 1: Understand the different types of second hand shopping options and what they offer
In the UK there are four main sources of second-hand clothing
A: Charity shops – this sector has grown hugely in the UK. Almost every high street will have a shop and may be more than one. This is probably my favourite place to shop, and I feel so much better parting with my money if I can also give back. In my local high street we have three shops; British Heart Foundation, Barnardos and Trinity Hospice. As I live in London there are also many other Charity shops in adjacent areas, I’m in easy reach of at least 15 separate shops. (Typical price range – £3.00 to 30.00, average price £6.00)
B: Vintage shops – these range from cluttered and chaotic to heavily curated and organised. I much prefer the former, as you can still nab a genuine bargain. However if you are looking for something specific e.g. Levi jeans or pre-loved designer items or pre 2000’s clothing and accessories then vintage is the place to go. (Typical price range £5.00 to £500, difficult to give an average price but £30-60 is a ball park)
C: Outlets – not exactly second-hand but great for pre-season’s fashion, the one that most UK fashionistas head to is Bicester Village. In general that is best for higher end items though there are some less expensive brands on the premium end of the High street like Ralph Lauren, Reiss and Ted Baker
D: Online – the best known sources of secondhand clothing online are of course Ebay (for all budgets) Etsy (usually sightly higher price point in my experience) and Vinted (focussing on high street items at knock down prices). For designer bags then Vestiaire Collective is very popular.
Top tip 2: Understand how location impacts on what you can find
Where you buy from is just as important as the type of store – if you are visiting an actual shop then the more affluent the area is the more likely you are to find higher end items. I live in London and I find great things in my local charity shops however if I want to go more upmarket then I visit the Portobello Road area, which is also great for vintage pieces. The other great London vintage Mecca in London is Brick Lane.
Top tip 3: Know the best categories of clothing and accessories to source secondhand
Not everything is equally good secondhand – I have found over the years that I tend to have much more luck with some clothing items (e.g, dresses, jackets and shoes) than others (e.g. jeans, trousers and knitwear). Below is a quick run down of how you could consider focussing your search and why.
| Great to buy | More Tricky |
| Coats and Jackets – I’ve got some great things over the years. My favourites are a vintage 80’s colourful blazer and a Paul Costelloe lightweight trench. In general I find that outerwear styles date less quickly and also tend to age better as worn less frequently. | Trousers esp. Jeans – these are tricky items to find at the best of times as the right fit is so important. If you are young and skinny you may do well with second hand or vintage jeans but I’ve never had much luck with them. Trousers are a better prospect but also tend to wear less well than other items. Many Donated jeans also tend to be mid or (yikes) low waisted so that also rules them out for me. |
| Footwear – usually shops only accept footwear in very good condition. My favourite pair of heeled sandals were second hand and I’ve had success with both winter and summer shoes | Suits – tricky to buy as need to be a good fit both top and bottom. I also find that styles tend to date too much. |
| Belts – I’ve had some luck here with both high street and designer items | Shorts – see remarks about trousers and jeans above |
| Bags – brilliant to buy secondhand and great for vintage finds too. There is of course a huge sector in second hand designer bags but I’m not an expert on this area. | Swimwear – not an item that tends to wear well and also fit is tricky at the best of times |
| Scarves – there are some lovely things to be found at great prices | Gym wear -you might grab a bargain but suggest that high performance items like good gym wear where fit is so essential are better purchased new |
| Dresses – This is probably my most purchased category. I’ve bought many dresses this way. Most of them seem to be polkadot 🙂 Many Summer dresses from high street shops have found their way into my wardrobe. | Vintage clothing pre-2000 – two issues here, firstly granny chic doesn’t work well on anyone over 40 (so I would not try and pull off a frilly blouse, colourful knitted cardigan or floral shift for example as a more mature person). Probably best in general to steer clear of original items you might have worn the first time around. Also fit has changed drastically. I tend to find vintage items run very small and also lack stretch so you may strike lucky with a lovely item but I find true vintage pieces difficult to wear. |
| Skirts – In general I find skirts harder to find than dresses though I do get the occasional gem, I’ve done well with midi and maxi skirts recently. | Knitwear – I am not a huge knitwear fan at the best of times. Not sure why just feel a lot of jumpers tend to swamp rather than flatter. There are good things to be found but knitwear doesn’t always wear the best, so look out for items that are pilled or pulled out of shape |
| Tops – second hand is a great source of blouses, shirts and t-shirts | Nightwear – tends to not wear very well/date obviously. Some silk/kimono style dressing gowns however may be the exception to this |
Top tip 4: Learn how to shop in a more focussed way
There is SO much out there. When you are looking at rails of clothing sometimes crammed in to a tight space, or many things listed online, its easy to either give up entirely, or opt for something you are not sure about just to buy something! However if you follow these suggestions you are more likely to come out with something you want to keep that fits into your wardrobe.
Don’t be tempted to buy it just because its a bargain if it does not fit and flatter you
I’ve been guilty on the past in buying something because its from a well known label and its very well priced. Then I’ve got it home and surprise surprise it doesn’t suit me. If you have a serious doubt in your mind about it and you probably would not look at it twice at full price then leave it well alone. Just this summer I bought myself a lovely looking cream linen dress from Who What Wear an absolute bargain and seemed to tick all the boxes. But did I try it on before I bought it? No! and will I be holding on to it? – No! the shape just doesn’t suit me.
Older synthetic fibres tend to be particularly meh!
A good proportion of affordable second hand items are heavy in polyester and its related fabrics. I’m not against this fabric completely but I have made mistakes with shiny tight fitting blouses that looked nice on the hanger but felt horrible on. Generally more modern synthetic fabrics tend to be blended with other fibres which make them more wearable however this is often not the case with older secondhand items.
If you are interested in following seasonal trends then keep these in mind as you shop
I find the second hand sector a great way of stocking up with the colours of the season. For example I am not a great lover of orange which is very “in” this summer, but I found a lovely orange maxi skirt this week, so given its low price tag it was worth a whirl. I also have in mind the major trends and keep an eye out for items that fit the bill – as secondhand can be a great place to find inexpensive items that can be styled up to give the feel of more high end or designer items.
Classic colours and patterns are a safer choice and will have more longevity in your wardrobe
In the summer I tend to look for lighter neutral colours like white, cream, khaki, beige. Failing that you can’t go far wrong with grey, red, black and navy especially if its in a more summery fabric like cotton or linen. If its a print then stripes, polka dot or animal print are all good choices. When I do deviate from this its usually because I’ve found a great print dress (with a more wearable smaller rather than very bold pattern) in a colour that will really suit me. For a similar reason the slogan Tees you can find in most charity shops are generally a No-no as if the slogan is not the latest thing then you will look old fashioned but not in a good way. I would suggest sticking to plain colours in simple shapes.
