This easy step-by-step guide will teach you how to find real treasures and unique styles you’ll love for years to come for a fraction of the cost by thrifting online like a pro.
The last time it happened I was crossing the road in Hove and a cute, little elderly lady (maybe in her mid-sixties?) rushed over to me.
“I love your dress! Where is it from? It fits you so perfectly!”
“Thank you! It’s from a French brand called Rouje, but I bought it preloved online.”
It was a recent purchase (shown above) made in pressing haste for summer to arrive by finding summer dresses before it was warm enough to wear them.
“I’ve still got good legs, I think I could pull something like that off!”
“I bet you do!”
I laughed swinging my long legs and curvy hips down the street filled with gleeful joy after our encounter. There’s nothing I love more than getting stopped in the street and being told that they love my outfit. I am a Leo Sun after all.
Something that surprises me, due to the comprehensive gravitas of professional online fashion influencers, is how often I receive emails, messages, voice notes and comments about my clothes and style.
I love using clothing to express myself; a daily creative ritual that I do for myself. That you appreciate it too always astounds me.
Especially since — as I repeatedly say whenever anyone asks me where something that I wear is from — everything I own is either old or secondhand.
This is always followed up with another question…
How do you find those clothes?
Today I am transmitting my step-by-step process on exactly how. But let’s begin with why.
The last time I shared on this topic I wrote: inside my closet, a 7-step written discussion on sustainably curating the wardrobe of your dreams.
I have always tried to live life in a resourceful way. One thing we all know for sure is that more stuff doesn’t bring us more happiness. In reverse, it often brings us more stress and overwhelm.
The trick is to find that perfect balance of enough.
How much of the things you need is the right amount? What is enough?
I’m always thinking of ways that I can minimise my impact on the world while maximising my pleasure and enjoyment. Whenever I look in shops or malls (which is increasingly rare) I instantly feel completely dazed by the amount of stuff there is in the world.
Do we need all of this? And who buys it?
A few years ago I decided that one of the ways I could stop adding more stuff to the world was by buying clothes, a creative expression which I love and have no intention of giving up, that already exist.
As someone who prefers to shop online (no crowds! no harsh lighting! no driving somewhere I don’t want to be!) over the years, I’ve honed my skills in what to buy, how, and from where.
So here’s your ultimate guide…
WHERE
Depending on your location, where to shop online varies. My personal favourite is Vinted but Depop would be a close second if I could be bothered looking elsewhere. One app is enough for me. For an exhaustive worldwide list of the 47 best online places to shop secondhand check out this article bythegoodgoodgood.co.
WHAT
KNOW YOURSELF
Firstly, you need to know:
- your body shape
- what suits you
- what styles you like, and
- your size in various brands
There’s only one way to do that. Examining yourself and reflecting on who you are, your lifestyle and what you are attracted to plus trial and error.
A great place to get a sense of your personal style is to start a Pinterest board where you start pinning things you like on other people who have a similar body shape, size, lifestyle and clothing style to the one you have. Maybe start following a few ‘influencers’ and pay attention to the brands they sling, the shapes they wear and how clothes fit on their body to get an idea of what you are looking for.
That way you always have a moodboard to refer to when deciding to add to or update your wardrobe.
While we are always going to be seduced by aspirational impulses make sure that you are looking at buying clothes that match the life you live today, not the life you think you might live one day. If you’re a busy mum or self-employed, it’s highly unlikely that you will be living in cocktail dresses or beach coverups.
What is the perfect proportion of practical and beautiful, for you?
KNOW YOUR BRANDS
Every brand has its own set of tailoring, cuts, styles, colourways and sizes that are unique to each one. The better you know the brands you like the better choices you can make. This takes some detective work.
Firstly, by knowing yourself and seeing which brands match your personal style. Secondly, getting to know the brand(s) by trialling some of their pieces. Fortunately, online thrifting makes this much easier as the risk and cost of something not working for you is much lower, and you can always resell it if it’s not for you.
Once you have a clear understanding of what your favourite brands are, online secondhand shopping becomes fun and easy because you can go for brands you know and like.
BE SPECIFIC
The more you know what you like and the more specific you are in your searches the more successful you will be. This means using filters.
I always filter for my size (S) but sometimes like things to be oversized (like woollen jumpers and coats) and include the next size up (M). If I am not searching by brand which I mostly do to alleviate overwhelm and for quality control, I also filter for material with a preference for 100% natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, silk, cashmere and so on.
Recently, inspired by the all-white outfit worn by the lead singer of La Luz whom I saw on the weekend at a festival. I searched for a “white collared shirt women S” and included the filters “cotton” and “good condition”. A lot of Zara options came up which isn’t the worst, and often at half the price or less than in-store.
HOW
SEARCH BY BRAND
This is always the best way to start.
Look up your favourite brands, put in your filters, and then bookmark the search to come back to from time to time, whenever you’re in the mood for a bit of online thrifting.
I go through phases. Sometimes, when I have a specific gap in my wardrobe or am feeling inspired (see above) I’ll go in to search a few times a week. Other times, I’ll go weeks or months without opening the app (Vinted) because I just don’t need anything.
Lately, I have been helping a friend update her wardrobe so I am searching for specific things that I think would suit her and am in there searching at least once per week. Her scope was “I need everything” which is a carte blanche for me to have fun finding whatever I think would look good on her.
To me, this is the best job and one I sincerely wish I could get paid to do because I love the process of finding the perfect items at the best prices so much.
MAKE A FAVOURITES LIST
As you find pieces you like (or love) ‘heart’ them to add to your favourite list. As you look for items try to think about what you need and how the things you are looking for could work together with what you already have and for different occasions. This list is where the pieces you are thinking about buying can rest until you make your decision.
TRUST THE PROCESS
Be willing to take the occasional fashion risk especially if you have a strong hut (heart+gut) feeling about a piece. You can always resell it again. Don’t buy in urgency unless it’s something you’ve been looking for for a while and you know you are ready to commit and don’t want someone else snapping it up. Try to sleep on purchases before making them in haste and let go of things if they don’t work out i.e. are no longer available or not at the price that meets your budget. I believe if something is meant for you, it will be yours. If not, it’s not.
HAGGLE ACCORDINGLY
Make sure that you know the value of things, and offer a price that feels right to you in your hut (heart+gut). It’s always worth going a bit lower than the asking price.
Keep in mind that insurance and shipping are added on top so barter accordingly. I often deduct the £5 it’s going to cost me for postage from my offer. Sometimes I even try bidding at the lowest possible price if I am uncertain about the quality or fit of something but want to try it.
Don’t buy things because they’re cheap; make sure you know they are good quality first and foremost. Otherwise, you’ll end up with things that you don’t want or use that end up in a landfill which is precisely what we are trying to avoid by thrifting online in the first place.
ENJOY THE PROCESS
It’s like treasure hunting from the comfort of your sofa/bed/hammock/favourite garden and treasure hunting is always fun! Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, be experimental, and keep an eye out for special pieces. You never know what gems you’ll discover.