Second hand clothing. Do you search ebay with the glee of finding some hidden treasure? Or do you think of second hand clothing as someone else’s cast offs? Well, until recently I definitely fell into the later category. Personally, I don’t have the time or patience to search through charity shops full of poor quality clothing that isn’t particularly nice. So I thought it was time to share with you some of the places online that sell great quality second hand clothing. And if it’s second-hand children’s clothing you’re after, then please click here.
But before we get there, what got me looking for preloved clothing? What changed my mind? Well before Christmas, my mother in law took me to a clothing sale of a recently deceased lady. Let’s just say I started out with low expectations. But what I discovered was a collection of beautiful second hand clothing; cashmere jumpers, Burberry Macs, silk scarves and leather gloves and handbags. She had the most incredible wardrobe and I came home with a stunning vintage faux fur coat from Paris.
Now we all know that sustainable fashion isn’t cheap. The process of small-scale production, using eco-friendly fabrics and paying fair wages, all drives up the cost of a garment. Yet, I don’t think eco-fashion should be only accessible to those with money. There has to be an alternative.
So while we sit and wait for the UK high street to start making sustainable fabric choices, we can head online to a new wave of high quality, second hand clothing boutiques that are defying the rules of the postcode lottery. No longer do you need to live in Kensington to find those rare gems, those second hand clothing items that make you get your wallet out.
Where to buy second hand clothing online.
So here are my go to places for searching for high quality second hand clothing:
Re-Fashion
For everything from your favourite high street stores to designer labels, head to Re-Fashion. It’s an online pre-loved clothing boutique that ensures charities earn more. Because it is online and they’re not having to fund bricks and mortar, their partnered charity, Breast Cancer Care, receive up to 60% of each item sold. This is considerably more than a normal charity shop that would receive around 19% of the retail price.
They also have a scheme where you can send your unwanted clothing to them. It’s really easy and hassle free. Just order a bag online and fill it up with clothes and post it back to them for free. Yes this entire process is completely free! And to make it even easier if you want to order a bag, just click here.
I’ve created two outfits from their clothes, first this Hush striped jumper, which I’ve paired with a floral skirt because I’m seriously loving a bit of print clash at the moment. The jumper cost £15 and is 55% merino wool/ 45% cotton and the skirt just £5. The second is this amazing denim boiler suit, which is the shape of the season and at £20 is great value. Key shapes don’t actually change that quickly, so if you’re after the latest fashion piece you might actually be able to buy it second hand. Or if you’re not sure if the shape will suit you, a second hand version can be a cheaper and definitely a guilt free alternative.
Manifesto Women
Owner Sally, of Manifesto Women, lives and breathes preloved & Vintage clothing, plus she really has an eye for gorgeous pieces. Expect everything from & Other Stories, to Acne Studios, Isabel Marant and beautiful vintage pieces all at very reasonable prices. And if you’re not sure where to start with looking for second hand clothing, then head to her Manifesto Loves section, where her team has edited the best of the best.
Also, this isn’t just a boutique for women, there’s; kids, lifestyle and a menswear section too which is particularly handy as nice sustainable menswear is so hard to find. Sally kindly sent me this beautiful Reformation wrap dress last summer and I can’t wait for the sun to come out so I can wear it again.
Oxfam
I’ve always loved looking in Oxfam’s** shops for second hand books, but only recently started browsing their clothing collections. A few years ago they showcased their second hand clothing range at London Fashion Week. Vogue Contributing Editor, Bay Garnett, selected the clothes and created a wonderful show giving preloved clothing a new lease of life, and not a trip to landfill.
The majority of their collection consists of well-known and loved high street brands, although you can find the odd designer piece mixed in too. I was delighted to find this blue leopard print top from M&S for £6.99, as coloured leopard really is the thing of the moment. The golden skirt was a little more expensive at £35 but is from Hobbs’ N.W.3 collection and the quality is beautiful.
One Scoop Store
I discovered this online boutique on Instagram, @one_scoop_store. Run by Holly Watkins, One Scoop Store has everything from the likes of Shrimps, Ganni and JW Anderson to H&M Conscious Collection. She posts stock on Instagram each morning and things fly out at lightening speed, so follow her and check out her new bits each day! I’ve not managed to buy anything yet as I always get there too late. So I wish you luck!
Really excitingly, Holly has also just launched a range in Selfridges Project Earth, which is seeking to give us more earth conscious ways to shop.
Vestiaire Collective
No edit of second hand clothing would be complete without a mention of Vestiaire Collective. If you’re after some real designer pieces, then this is the place to go. It’s an online boutique where you can buy and sell true designer clothing and the authenticity is rigorously checked by Vestiaire’s team. I use it to hunt for some of my favourite designers that I could never afford to buy full price and who aren’t, to my knowledge, choosing sustainable production.
The obvious two I have missed out are ebay and Etsy**. Personally I find ebay a little too big and overwhelming to properly shop and I also worry about what I am actually going receive. Etsy**, however, has some great vintage sellers on it, but I haven’t yet properly delved into which ones are the best. When I do I’ll let you know. I promise.
Oh and just final note, I am currently pulling together a list of the best online second hand clothing companies for kids. So, do watch this space and if you have any suggestions for adults or kids second hand clothing, then please comment below or send me an email.
Shop The Second Hand Clothing Edit
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M&S Leopard Print T Shirt** | Oxfam
Hobbs’ Golden A Line Skirt** | Oxfam
Box Bag* | Katherena
Hush Breton Striped Jumper* | Re-Fashion
Asos Floral Skirt* | Re-Fashion
Wine Bag** | Etsy UK (Carv London)
Green Trainers* | Yatay
Reformation Wrap Dress* | Manifesto Women
Hush Denim Boiler Suit* | Re-Fashion
Bag* | Aranaz (not second hand)
White Trainers** | TOMS
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Disclosure: Items marked with a * have been gifted (thanks!) Please note Re-fashion’s garments were gifted and they gave the money to charity as if they had been sold.
Items marked with ** are affiliate links, so if you purchase something then I make a small commission, just think of it as buying me a cup of (pink) tea!