According to a trusted source of mine, an increasingly coveted phrase now in response to compliments about clothes is “oh I bought it second hand”. I have to admit, I’m one of those who treasures saying this but I also understand that second hand is not everyone’s cup of tea. But like anything new that you master to your benefit, there is a real pleasure in buying something at a fraction of the price (I bought a £130 pair of Guess jeans for £30 last week and a £250 pair of like new boots for £50 the month before, oh and a new LK Bennett handbag for £25). And of course, there is a massive ‘green’ benefit too. Here are some key pointers on how to start, and what to look for if you are new to this (I am using eBay as the example).
Before you start!
If you are like me, then once you start browsing, there are no end of clothes you would like to buy, and I have to say that's the same with second hand. So as your stylist I would strongly recommend you:
Be
sure of your size
(and by that I mean your actual measurements, including your height and even inside leg measurement for trousers).
Have
a list of what you are looking for
and be specific, this will make it a lot quicker to find it. So for example instead of blue jeans – dark blue jeans, wide leg, Guess or Seven For Mankind.
Know what colours work with your skin tone.
If you are relatively new to second hand, then eBay is a good place to start for a number of reasons right now. It offers a huge amount of choice, you can define specifically what you are looking for and of course you are helping someone else out who might need the money from the sale. I would also suggest that this framework is a good one to use in charity shops too, when they are back open.
Set up an account on eBay
Sellers prefer buyers with a good rating. Yes we all have to start somewhere, but just ask your first seller to leave you feedback after you have bought your item to get started and that will be 100%! (eBay instructions
here.)
Looking for your item
Be as specific as you can when you put what you are looking for in the search bar. If you saw a pair of trousers in M&S Autograph range a few months ago then include ‘M&S Autograph’ in the search too. Sellers want to sell so they will be listing as much of the detail as they believe you will need.
Include the word ‘used’ in the search term (or commercial sellers will be promoting to you too).
Looking at the listings that come up
Check the colour
in the picture is what you are looking for – if you are not sure, just ‘contact the seller’ and ask if the picture reflects the true colour of the item.
Check the sizes
– if it is an item sold recently and you know the brand then you may not need to check actual dimensions, because you know your size in that brand. If it is an older item, the seller may have listed the measurements ‘laid flat’ ie one width dimension on.
Check if the seller has listed any imperfections
and make sure you are happy with these– buttons missing, marks. Sellers always list these. Don't be put off by a button missing if it looks like an easy button to buy. I bought an amazing maxi coat last week for £20 because it had 2 buttons missing and I replaced those for £3!
Check the sellers rating
(there will be a % next to their name). Personally I avoid anyone with less than 98%, but that's me.
Finally, if you are still a little in doubt, just remember that (in my experience) the person who’s jeans, dress, coat, handbag you are looking at is just like you. They have most likely looked after the item and want it to be used and valued and they want to be thought of as a fair person.
I hope this has encouraged you to consider buying ‘second hand’ if you don’t already. If you would like a chat about knowing the colours that make the most of your skin tone, just
get in touch.