A BAZAAR GUIDE TO PRELOVED FASHION

@themonicaway shares her tips on how to shop more sustainably

Living in an era which is defined by climate concerns and ethical consumption, which has caused the fashion industry to undergo a radical change, where second hand, vintage and thrifted clothing has transitioned from a niche group to mainstream consumers. However, for people new to the second-hand industry it can be overwhelming as there is a vast array of options.

It’s important to establish what preloved fashion is when trying to navigate the market, so we asked influencer and second-hand specialist Monica Mills, @themonicaway, what she thought was meant by this phrase

            “If you think about pre-loved, its pieces that have already been loved that have a story or that come with some form of history to them, which I think makes second-hand fashion and preloved fashion so exciting and interesting.”

Other than the element of saving money by buying through preloved, as you get more items for your money, there are lots of other reasons why people have started second hand shopping. It keeps the items in regulation instead of getting thrown away, which is better for the environment, whilst also sometimes supporting good causes, for example charities. The preloved market allows for finding limited edition or hard to find designer items, at normally a discounted price. However, sometimes the rarity of products on the designer preloved market can increase the price, and it can be higher than the RRP. But this market does allow for finding unique items, as who wants to wear the same dress to a party as someone else? Katherine Little, a reader of the magazine, said that “Charity shopping is an ideal way to shop for good quality clothes for myself and my children at a low cost for a good cause”

We asked Monica for her top tips on shopping preloved, and this is what she said;

1.     Find out how you prefer to shop, online or in stores. For the preloved market there is more options online, but you don’t have the opportunity to try on before purchase and return if you don’t like it, like you would if you did in store.

2.    Research and explore what you are trying to find, Monica says that “something else she likes to do is make a mood board”, this way you have inspiration when shopping.

3.    Quality check the pieces by looking at the materials, “Back in the day, it would be normal for something to be hand stitched, for it to be gold plated, for the fabrics to be silk, to be cotton, to be wool. And these days, you find a lot of clothing tends to be a plastic mic, polyester or a poly of some sort. So, I actually really like that the pre-loved element brings not only a bit of a bargain, but also quality.”

4.    It will be hard to find clothing items that fit perfectly, due to the nature of the shopping, but Monica suggests that as you are saving money by shopping like this, you could use the extra money you would have spent on tailoring the items.

5.    Embrace the hunt as it can be time consuming but is very rewarding!

There may be anxiety surrounding styling these second-hand items, but there shouldn’t be as it’s easy! If you stick to a colour pallet, for example, navy, cream, and tan, your pieces should all interchange with each other, which essentially creates a capsule wardrobe which for the workers is very helpful as it is time consuming picking out an outfit each day. A recommendation would be, when looking to buy an item think of three to five different ways you could style it, and if you can’t think of any outfits, it will not fit into your wardrobe. For example, I thrifted a white maxi skirt and before I bought it, I thought of different ways I could wear it; with a yellow jumper, white vest, blues striped top and a red jumper, which can be seen below. The top three pieces you should have in your wardrobe to help style should be; a really elegant top handle bag, a really well fitting blazer, and a nice waist belt.

The digital takeover is boosting the sales of the second-hand market, as its easier to use and the success rate is higher. Online apps such as ‘Vinted’ and ‘Depop’ act as an online marketplace where people can buy and sell, in a friendly community. The online apps have a bigger range of stock than the in-person stores, which increases sales. However, when shopping online you are unable to feel the materials, or try on the items. So, like Monica Mills says above, it’s a very personal experience that can be overwhelming, and that you need to work out how you like to shop. For busy people, the online market is the way forward, as it is no different online shopping.

We asked Monica Mills what her favourite finds are and she said;

‘I’ll name my top three! I’d say the first one was a Burberry trench coat. These retail for like a thousand pounds upwards and I found mine for £32 at the Mind charity shop. The second thing was my Bulgari top handle metallic bag, and I managed to get that for over 50% of the retail price. I found some gorgeous Valentino vintage sunglasses on Depop and they should have retailed well into the hundreds, an di think I paid about £35 for them.”

If the ethical and price benefits of shopping on the secondhand market, wasn’t enough to convince the change from the high street to this market, then hearing about Monica’s top three purchases should be. With these tips you are able to look luxurious on a budget and as Monica says “you don’t need to have loads and loads of luxury or expense clothing, its all about being very careful and selective about what your buying”.