When people think of sustainable fashion they think vegan clothes, sustainable brands etc. A lot of people don’t realise it but buying pre-owned goods is one of the easiest ways to shop sustainably and save money. In this week’s blog post I want to explore sustainable consumerism through the pre-owned fashion and share some of our top tips for anyone that wants to buy pre-owned items. I’m not saying that absolutely everything you buy in the future needs to be second hand, but incorporating a few pre-owned items is great first step to minimising your impact on the environment.

So what are the benefits of buying pre-owned fashion?

Number One: It’s good for the planet.
Buying pre-owned fashion items means you’re essentially buying things that would have ended up in landfill. Given that landfill space is becoming more and more limited these days, it’s essential that we’re mindful with what we’re throwing away.

“1 in 2 people are throwing their unwanted clothes straight in the trash. The result? 64% of the 32B garments produced each year end up in landfill.” – Edge.

“208M lbs. of waste were generated by single-use outfits in 2019.” – Edge.

Number Two: It’s cost effective
Not everyone has the budget for a designer wardrobe however, buying pre-owned items means that you can buy designer goods at a fraction of the price. Although rarer pieces can to sell for slightly more, you can often find some cheap deals on the pre-owned market.

“There is now a glut of websites selling second hand designer brands at discounts of up to 70% of the original retail price.” – The Guardian, 2019.

Number Three: Access to the world of vintage
Personally, I think vintage pieces are a great way to add a unique flare to your outfit. A combination of the highest quality materials and timeless designs means that luxury goods are built to stand the test of time. In fact one of the hottest red carpet trends recently was vintage fashion. When Jennifer Anniston wore a vintage 1999 Christian Dior dress to the 2020 SAG Awards, the search term “vintage dresses” soared by 40 percent 2 days after the event.

Jennifer Anniston in her 1999 vintage Dior gown at the 2020 screen actor’s guild award

Number Four: Show off your knowledge and personality
One of the best parts of buying pre-owned fashion is the opportunity to buy products that are discontinued. Wearing rare/discontinued item is a great way to show off your knowledge of the industry and designer. This is especially true for those who love to collect handbags, watches or sneakers!

Our top tips for buying pre-owned fashion

Look at the price the seller is charging
This is extremely important if you’re buying designer goods. If the price is good to be true, it’s likely that the product could be a fake. Do your research and make sure you have a look at the going price for pre-owned goods from that specific brand and work from there.

Buy from authorised resellers if you can
If you’re buying something you really want it might be worth going through a middleman. Authorised resellers have a team of experts that check all of the products before listing them on their site. If you purchase from these sellers, you can have peace of mind knowing that your handbag or watch is 100% genuine. We recommend sites like Farfetch and Mappin & Webb.

Keep an eye out for images and check the history of the item

A good tip I use when I buy pre-owned goods, is to look for high quality images. I never buy a pre-owned item unless the seller provides multiple pictures with their listing (the more pictures they have the better). This helps to gauge the quality and authenticity of the item. If the product is genuine, the seller will gladly forward you with more images.

Don’t be afraid to ask the seller questions, if you have doubts you need to ask them. Make sure you ask the seller as many questions as possible, ask them things like “where and when did you purchase this item?”. The more clear the product history is, the better.

Buy timeless designs
If you’re someone that buys and resells a lot of clothes, try to buy items with timeless designs and colours. Designs like this retain the most value over time especially if you look after them. The more wearable the item is, the more value it will retain over time.

Some pre-owned fashion items that we love

Below we’ve hand-selected and curated a range of pre-owned products that we love, all of these products are from our trusted list of resellers. Even if the items are already sold by the time you read this blog, there are thousands of others to choose from.

Clothing

A.N.G.E.LO
1980s Cutaway Collar Jacket
£390

Givenchy
Concealed Longline Shirt
£246

Moschino
Check Cropped Trousers
£183

Versace
1990s Single Breasted Velvet Coat
£585

Diesel
Straight Leg Cargo Trousers
£195

A.N.G.E.L.O Vintage Cult
1980s Button Leather Jacket
£585

Bags

Burberry
Logo Plaque Bag
£467

Prada
Triangle Logo Tessuto Bag
£538

Louis Vuitton
Stockton Embossed Bag
£1,009

Louis Vuitton
2005 Antigua Messenger Bag
£844

Gucci
1990s GG Patterned Briefcase
£1,158

Gucci
1990s GG Monogram Duffle Zip Bag
£1,262

Watches

Breitling
Transocean Day-Date 2017
£6,995

Rolex
Cellini 2016
£11,460

Breitling
Vintage Navitimer
£5,095

Chanel
Mademoiselle 1989
£1,850

Chanel
Premiere 2004
£3,633

Cartier
Tank Francaise 2000
£5,311

Jewellery

Susan Caplan Vintage
1980s Pearl Drop Earrings
£125

Yves Saint Laurent
Swirl Clip On Earrings
£195

Gianfranco Ferré
2000s Charm Detail Necklace
£195

Cartier
1996 White Gold Love Ring
£1,291

Gianfranco Ferré
2000s Monogram Cufflinks
£146

Gianfranco Ferré
2000s Wheel Motif Brooch
£183

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While you’re here, check out some sustainable brands that we love!

DISCLAIMER: We work to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at modafirmateam@modafirma.com

Author: Chloe Pang