Buying second-hand items has always been normal for many people who were not doing it to be trendy, but out of necessity. We all have heard about that person wearing the clothes of their older siblings, and that is the purest form of using second-hand garments. Now, this concept has evolved into “pre-loved fashion”, and anyone can easily find these types of shops anywhere. Some of them look like any other shop, they have fitting rooms and the clothes are perfectly curated, with the difference that the garments are unique and should be cheaper since they are not new.

I found this green jacket in a second-hand shop and I love it!

In today’s world, buying second-hand items is, in my opinion, something that we all should do. Keeping in mind that the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry, it’s about time for us to stop contributing to this, and one way is to use what already exists, instead of buying more and more. I prefer to buy a pre-loved item rather than buying from a fast-fashion brand because I will most likely find something special and not a copy of what everyone is wearing. Let’s face it, most of the clothes from fast-fashion brands already look like a uniform since everyone is wearing the same garments!

This shirt was found in a vintage shop and it’s so unique!

If you are new to second-hand shopping, please consider this article a guide to make your thrifting a successful shopping day:

1. Clean your wardrobe to make space for the new! 
2. Write a list of the items that you need in your wardrobe to create new outfits
3. The list needs to be general, for example: “I need a white top and a pair of black jeans”
4. Make sure you have time because you will embark on a mysterious shopping quest
5. Find your second-hand shop
6. The shop will be organized by type of garment, for example, dresses, tops, blouses, pants, etc…
7. Spot your size and don’t waste time in other sections because each item is unique and it’s better not to fall in love with a garment that won’t fit you
8. Go to the section marked on your list, so that you avoid buying stuff that you don’t need
9. Try different shapes, personally, these shops have been my favorite space to be more creative! I’ve found amazing vintage pieces that you would never find in a normal shop
10. Try the clothes! Please. And only buy what really fits and makes you feel amazing
11. Once you complete your list, explore other clothing sections but make sure your filters are well set so that you don’t buy things that you don’t love or need
12. Enjoy your findings! 

You might be wondering what to do about those clothes that you don’t love anymore… I have good news, if they are in good condition you can bring them to the thrift shop and they will buy them from you (check this guide from Thrift for Good). Another option is to recycle them at shops like H&M where they collect your old clothes and give you a coupon in return. You can also sell or trade them using your social media platforms, for example, groups on Facebook or your Insta stories!

And what if you love luxury items? You can also buy them pre-loved! Every day there are more shops that are fully dedicated to selling authentic luxury products that have already been used, and let me tell you, some of them do it very nicely! Let’s say your dream is to buy “X” bag from “X” designer, but it is expensive… well, these shops can be your opportunity! There is nothing wrong with buying from them, just make sure that the shop has a good reputation and that they actually know how to detect fake items so that you don’t waste your money.

I hope that after reading this article you give yourself the opportunity to try this type of shopping! And you can always contact me if you have any doubts or if you want to do a shopping session with me at one of those shops. Also, let me know if you need some help to organize your wardrobe! I will be happy to help 🙂