Second-hand-clothes shopping has long been a pastime of fashion enthusiasts and budgeting students everywhere. It is one of those hobbies that have always had a certain level of mystique and exclusivity, as it requires many hours of rummaging, an eye that can spot a winner among a tightly packed rail, and of course, a mental black book of the best stores, many of which require venturing into obscure corners of London to find.
This has all changed in recent years, however, and thanks to social media and the power of e-commerce, vintage has broken into the digital sphere and reached a whole new audience. From Instagram sellers and online markets to Facebook marketplace and Etsy, there are so many ways to discover pre-loved clothing. Best of all, many of these platforms offer a more edited selection, meaning they’ve done the hard work for you.
One of the biggest brands in the market has to be Vestiaire Collective, the resale site that allows the public to sell their unwanted designer goods using a stringent vetting and authentication process. For fashion lovers such as myself, it is a gold mine of affordable gems and one-of-a-kind buys. Stocking everything from contemporary brands, such as Stine Goya and Ganni, to industry matriarchs, such as Chanel and Dior, there’s so much goodness to choose from.
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