Happy September – or should I say, Happy Second Hand September! It’s the one month of the year that’s dedicated to second-hand fashion, and to celebrate I’ve put together this guide for you. This year, I’m excited to kick off the month with a feature in The Independent, where I’ve shared my top tips to shopping second-hand alongside second-hand shopping pros Amy Bannerman, Lucy Norris, Becky Chorlton, and Charlotte Morley!
When it comes to shopping second-hand fashion, I like to think of myself as quite well versed – I’ve been doing it for over 10 years – and my wardrobe is populated with at least 50% second-hand pieces. I absolutely love shopping for second-hand online, in charity shops, thrift stores, vintage spots, and on resales sites and auction apps.
So, in honour of Oxfam’s Second Hand September campaign, I thought it would be handy to highlight the best places to source your fashion from this month!
7 Benefits of Shopping Second-Hand
There’s plenty of good reasons to shop second-hand, that benefit both the shopper and the wider world:
- Save money on items that would cost more new
- Discover high-end fashion pieces at an affordable price
- Reduce the quantity of clothes going to landfill
- Extend the lifecycle of fashion items
- Reduce the demand for cheap and unfair labour
- Reduce the creation of carbon emissions by not buying new clothes
- Give money to charity (when buying from charity shops)
That final point is especially pertinent – as I said on The Sustainable Conversation podcast, I like to think of charity shopping as making a donation to charity, while also getting something lovely to wear in return!
Buying second-hand fashion is a form of sustainable fashion; the garments have already been created, so you’re not creating demand for new, virgin materials or unfair labour, which is so often the case with fashion generally.
A 2020 report by Farfetch also found that the purchase of a pre-owned fashion item replaces the purchase of a new item, therefore reducing the demand for additional items that require new resources!
And, you’re extending the lifespan of clothes, meaning they don’t prematurely head to landfill! Circularity, baby!
Top Tips For Second-Hand Shopping
Despite my passion for shopping second-hand, I know that for many of you, there’s a little bit of nervousness connected with it all. How can you tell apart a good purchase from a not so great one? Will the item fit right? Is the style right? And the answer always is: give it a go and find out!
While fashion – and second-hand fashion – is certainly an art more than a science, there is a logic to shopping for second-hand.
My best tips for shopping second-hand fashion are:
- Get style inspiration from blogs, Instagram, Pinterest, books, and magazines
- Make a note of your favourite pieces, styles, designs, brands, and designers
- Create a list and search for these when you shop – both online and offline
- Check the materials (natural fabrics like cotton and wool are often better quality)
- Measure up – get the sellers to provide measurements, or try pieces on if you can
- Be open to playing around with the fit, accessorising, and altering.
(If you’re going to be hitting the high street when shopping for second-hand, have a read of my thrift shopping tips and my charity shopping tips for more in-depth advice too!)
I’ve been shopping second-hand fashion for years, and I’ve had a positive experience with the majority of the items I’ve bought. Just this summer, I completed Rokit Vintage’s challenge to create a wholly thrifted outfit – I loved the outcome, and it wasn’t even in my usual monochromatic style!
And I’ll be honest, while there’s been one or two hiccups when I’ve bought second-hand, that’s usually down to me not checking the item over carefully enough, or choosing an item so far out of my comfort zone that I never dare to wear it…
20 Of The Best UK Sites For Second-Hand Fashion
I’ve been eagerly awaiting Second Hand September for a while – firstly, because I get to whip out all my second-hand pieces and show them off for you (make sure to keep up with my IG stories!)
And second, because I get to compile all my favourite second-hand shopping destinations all in one place. Here are my favourite places to shop second-hand fashion – both in-store and online – as well as a few discount codes too:
Adored Closet*: An Etsy store with hand-picked vintage and second-hand pieces that I love!
Braderie Vintage: One of my favourite thrift shops in Nottingham, that also sells online with free shipping.
Charity Shops Online: For charity shop’s online stores, check out this database by the Charity Retail Association!
Circular Threads: A circular fashion platform designed for South Asian fashion.
Cow: My favourite thrift shop in Birmingham and Manchester, with an online store too!
Curate & Rotate: Beautifully curated second-hand mid-range and designer clothing.
Etsy*: While the site is known for its boutique sellers and handmade items, Etsy is also a great place to go for second-hand and vintage finds!
Manifesto Woman: Handpicked second-hand and vintage clothes, shoes, and accessories.
The Modern Style: Curated collection of minimal vintage pieces wearable today.
Offbeat Petite: Second-hand and vintage finds to fit a petite frame! Think shorter legs and smaller sizes!
Open for Vintage*: Seamless sustainable luxury shopping from second-hand and vintage boutiques all over the world.
Oxfam’s Online Shop*: Potentially my favourite place to shop, Oxfam’s online shop is full of bespoke finds that have been uploaded by their volunteers. Shop bags, shoes, and everything in-between!
Preworn*: One of the UK’s biggest second-hand sites! Get 10% off with code: BESMA10
Reliked*: The #1 destination for second-hand shopping from influencers’ wardrobes! My leopard-print skirt is from here! Plus, get 10% off with code: CURIOUSLY
Retold: Minimalist second-hand finds hand-picked by Clare Lewis with regular new drops.
Rokit Vintage: Retro and vintage pieces can be now shopped online. Use code BESMA20 to get 20% off orders over £40.
Second Cashmere: For all things cashmere, check out Second Cashmere. Full review →
Thrift+: My favourite place to shop for discounted vintage and designer clothes! Use code BESMA20 for 20% off orders over £15.
Vestiaire Collective*: One of the best places to go for vintage and second-hand luxury. Get £20 off your first order over £150 with code: WELCOMEUK22
Vinted: An app for second-hand and vintage clothing, operating on a location-basis. Follow me on Vinted →
If you’re looking for vintage clothes in particular, check out my guide to vintage fashion →
P.S. Please Shop Second-Hand Fashion Responsibly
Over time, I’ve come to find that second-hand shopping is a great way to enjoy sustainable fashion, but it’s also important to shop responsibly.
For some, second-hand clothing is their only way of sourcing fashion. This op-ed by Georgie Kibel really opened my eyes to this situation, and has changed my own second-hand shopping habits accordingly:
- I don’t overbuy items or buy I already own
- I try to shop and support charity shops, and avoid resellers who are pricing-out many second-hand shoppers
In the same vein, I think it’s important to shop in my own size. While I’m not against throwing a belt on an oversized item, it’s true to say that there is a lot more clothing in the 8-12 range than for mid-size and plus-size womxn, as well as men. So if you can, stick to your size.
Finally, it’s worth noting that up to 90% of clothes donated to charity shops in the UK end up shipped abroad. It’s a shocking statistic, and one that has a number of causes – chiefly, low-quality clothing, and overconsumption. What can charity shops do with donations may not be in a good enough condition to resell, other than recycle them? These end up as “textile recycling”, exported to Poland, Ghana, Pakistan and other countries, who then have to handle the burden of sending a lot of it to landfill. To combat this, we have to ask brands to produce less, as well as buy less ourselves, take care of our clothes as best we can, and always look for circular options.
