“I have an addiction to Vinted.”
There I said it.
“My name is Alice, and I am a Vintedaholic.”
It feels better just admitting it!
I fell upon Vinted through the lovely Instagrammer @inlovewith_clothesbootscoats when I noticed on one of her clothing listings that she had credited Vinted as a label of one of her items. Intrigued by what this was, I googled the app, downloaded and then Alice well and truly fell down the rabbit hole!
So what is Vinted?
For those of you who do not what Vinted is, t
his may be an opportunity to save yourself from ruin, so read on with caution…
Vinted is a secondhand online shopping site/app.
It’s ALOT like eBay, but I find it much more user friendly.
Shopping secondhand or sustainably, is something I am a huge advocate of. Those of you that have read my previous blogs will know I have written before about the impact fast fashion is having on the environment and my beef with the amount of tat that goes to landfill!
I won’t go into all that now (here is a link to the blog if you want to read) but needless to say, if you can incorporate secondhand into your shopping habits, then the environment will thank you and so will your bank balance!
Secondhand Shopping
You can shop secondhand for yourself, your family or even as a gift. So many beautiful boutiques are popping up all over our high streets and local towns now. My favourite in Poole is Buy Wear Swap Repeat. The girls are just lovely, and they have such a good eye for style. The store will not disappoint in decor too! I actually offer a Personal Styling session there and host Style Parties, which are a great fun evening with friends as a dip your toe into shopping secondhand.
If you haven’t got a secondhand boutique shop near you, then online we have many options now…Vinted, Depop, eBay, FB Marketplace, Gumtree even Influencers on Instagram are setting up selling accounts where you can buy their preloved clothes.
Top 3 Online Shopping Buying Tips
Shopping secondhand online can be a gamble as you are trusting the word of an unknown, which is why I follow these top three ways to minimise the pitfalls:
- Investigate
Look at the photograph of the item.
Is it in good quality?
Have they given you different views of the item so that you can see the sizing label or any details such as beading, fraying, frills etc?
Is there anything suspicious in the background that would affect quality of your item (smoking, pets etc.)?
- Who are you buying your item from?
Look at their profile, do they have any reviews?
Any selling history?
I appreciate that we all have to start somewhere, but it is always worth a look. Are they selling any other items, if so what are they like? Make sure there is consistency in the photos etc.
- Never be afraid to ask
I will generally offer a lower price for an item I am interested in, for two reasons, one, whenever anyone sells something, they always have a bottom-line price. I want to know what that is!
Second, it opens conversation, so they know you are actually interested, and you can ask any questions like, are the shoes wide fit? How long are the trousers? How high is the heel?
Don’t be afraid to ask about anything, whatever the price, you are buying something in good faith so be comfortable when you do it.
Cheeky TOP TIP for Secondhand Shopping
If you are buying a gift for someone, I recommend you look for the description BNWT.
Brand New with Tags. This means it hasn’t been worn and will be essentially like buying from a shop! This is a great sustainable gifting solution whatever the occasion.
I am in love with this secondhand shopping so much that I have suggested it to clients on many occasions after a Wardrobe Edit or even on a Style Review. Several of them are also hooked on Vinted now, I might add, and I have been blamed for some overspending on a bored Saturday night in!
The great thing from my perspective is you have access to pretty much any type of clothing you may need. It is a great touch point for items that are not ‘on trend’ or on the high street and will not cost the earth.
For example, I had a client who wanted a Navy A line skater style skirt, it suits her shape and navy is her wardrobe base colour, so would be an excellent foundation piece for her wardrobe. Not an easy thing to find on the high street, yet secondhand – Boom! She found it.
Sustainable shopping can be easy, whether you shop ‘conscious’ high street brands or are an avid charity shop shopper. Mix the odd secondhand piece in with your high street wardrobe, it’s a good feeling. Trust me!
If you would like to know more about any of my services, like my style parties, then please do get in touch today.
0 Comments