As mentioned in our article “The Somewhat Sustainable Fashion Gift Guide 2020”, clothes and accessories can be lovely gifts for people that you know well (both in terms of size and taste) but are made by some of the least sustainable and most exploitative industries. Buying clothes, for yourself and for other people, second-hand is a great way to give an already produced item another chance instead of buying new stuff. Here are some of our favourite second hand/thrift/charity shops – online!
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Etsy
This small-business heaven doesn’t just provide items hand-made by people from all over the world; it also has a great Vintage Section. There are many stores exclusively selling Vintage clothes, accessories and other items from all your favourite eras. The Longest Time, BubblegumPopVintage and LittleDreamerUK are only some of the lovely array of Vintage Stores Etsy has to offer.
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Oxfam Online
Oxfam is not only available on the high street anymore. The store has its own online version that offers the charity shop experience from the comfort of your home, although many items are somewhat pricier than their offline counterparts.
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Depop/Vinted
Depop and Vinted are websites that let you buy second-hand clothes directly from individual people. This means there is a wide range of styles and prices. Some digging and precise search words recommended!
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Asos Marketplace
The “Marketplace” button on Fashion Giant Asos´ website may look pretty inconspicuous but it leads to a number of great independent brands and Vintage boutiques from over 50 countries. Castleford-based Retro Active, for example, offers cool pre-owned pieces from a plethora of popular brands.
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Thrift+
With its vast number of items, clean and easy to browse interface and well-photographed listings, thrift.plus is an easy way for any fashion lover to lose track of a couple hours (and a couple hundred pounds along the way if you´re not being careful). It also has its own Boutique/Designer section if you´re looking for a great decadent piece for less.
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Beyond Retro
London-based thrift store Beyond Retro is known for its great selection of clothes ranging from the 60s to the 2000s and its online store is just as tempting. I can say from personal experience: you will get obsessed with a couple of their pieces (and the ones I ordered certainly didn´t disappoint in person either).
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One Scoop Store
This last entry might only have a small number of items available at a time but they are carefully curated pieces. Many of them are timeless classics or pre-owned Designer pieces. Definitely worth a look for a special gift or purchase. Find here.
