For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved buying clothes. In fact, not just clothes, shoes, bags and accessories too. I used to find things in my wardrobe with the tags still on, long after I bought them, yet I still felt like I never had anything to wear!
Fast forward several years, and faced with limited wardrobe space, a stricter budget and a newfound inclination to consume less for our planet, I decided to think more about what I was buying and generally buy less.
Now, I follow a three rules when it comes to shopping for clothes:
- I make sure I can think of several ways to wear a new item
- I don’t impulse buy, I’ll give myself some time to think about if I really want something before I buy it
- If I am buying new, I’ll check second-hand sites first
Remember, buying second-hand isn’t a free pass to buy as much as you like, there’s still an environmental impact involved in buying pre-loved items, mostly the delivery aspect!
It’s easy to get swept up in the overwhelm of sites like Vinted, eBay and Depop, which can result in buying things you don’t need. Be specific in what you’re looking for and what your wardrobe is lacking.
With millions of items listed on marketplaces, you could waste a lot of time sifting through it all. I’ll always use the filters, narrowing down colours, sizing and brands that I know I like and trust.
Looking for a new winter coat? It might seem crazy to buy it in June, but if you’re searching when others aren’t, you’re much more likely to get a bargain with less competition from other buyers.
This includes spelling things wrong. Looking for a blazer? Try searching ‘blazor’ too, you’ll be surprised how many people list items with typos, and as others are unlikely to find them, you could get lucky with a great deal! Also consider using similar search words, for example, if something is diamanté, someone else might describe it as sparkly or sequin.
Most second-hand marketplaces have an algorithm that will take your search history into account and suggest recently added items for you. If you’re checking this regularly, you’ll be notified as soon as something is uploaded.
If something catches your eye, add it to your favourites, it’ll give you some time to think about if you really want it, and you’ll be notified if there’s a price drop. Plus, if it sits unsold in your favourites for a while, you can make a cheeky offer.
Asking for more photos, information, or measurements will help ensure you don’t buy something you’ll end up disappointed with. You can always resell if you don’t like an item, but a lot of underwhelming purchases can be avoided by asking for more details.
Be wary of expensive designer items listed for a cheap price, check the seller’s reviews and keep all communications and payments on the platform.
