Preloved shopping, with intention
Part Two!
Well hello again! This post is Part Two of a series on preloved shopping, which I see as a big part of my journey towards more sustainable style, and that journey being the raison-d’etre of My Style Rush. Hopefully it is or can be a big part of your journey too!
The golden thread in this series of posts is how to shop preloved with intention, direction and clarity. It’s all too easy to pop into our local charity shop and pick up something in our size, but is this really what we need, what suits us and what is in keeping with our style? I’ve fallen foul of this (loads!) over the years, picking up a dress for a wedding or a holiday which is most definitely not my usual style but it is the right size, cheap and convenient. I cringe thinking about it! These purchases became, yes you guessed it, one-hit-wonders and joined the other sad items sat at the back of my wardrobe thereafter until I had a wardrobe clear out (another week’s post topic for sure!).
If you swung by for Part One, you’ll know that I shared some ideas or ‘rules’, for a more assured approach to preloved shopping. Here’s a whistle-stop summary:
Figure out what kind of shopper you are - whether it’s in store or online.
Find your platform - I rated the preloved shopping apps I use.
Do your research - this is my absolute favourite one as I’m forever trawling to ‘inform’ my next preloved purchase. Under this heading, we looked at:
Refer to your wish list (as per last week’s post Tips on how to 'wish list' - we’ve covered some ground already!).
Research your size in your favourite brands - using the ‘buy to try’ technique 🤫.
Know your colours - honestly, check out
post on this, it’s a revelation!Know your shape - so let’s start into the new tips for Part Two and this is a particularly important one. Generally we all fall into one of five standard body shapes - pear, inverted triangle, ruler (or rectangle), hourglass and apple - and dressing to ‘balance’ our body shape can help to accentuate our best features and make us look our best. Think of Kate Middleton (yes, I know, I felt awful for her this week when the news broke and as she tries to protect her kids) and think of how she dresses and why - she would probably fall into the ruler or rectangle body shape, being slim with a straight silhouette, and tends to wear neat fitting dresses and coats which are cinched in at the waist to create a more flattering hourglass silhouette. I’m pear shaped so enjoy balancing out my smaller top half with puff sleeves, shoulder pads and oversized sweatshirts, but always make sure to tuck in my top half to emphasise my waist. Puff sleeves on apple body shapes or hourglass shapes may tip the balance, overstating one half of the body - so seeking balance is key and will ultimately be more aesthetically pleasing.
Save your searches - this one applies to preloved shopping apps, such as Vinted, Depop, Vestiaire Collective and eBay, which all have a function to ‘save’ your searches. It’s that simple! Type up your search, for example ‘single breasted trench coat’, add your filters to define size, colour, length etc, and then save this search and let the app do the work for you! Hopefully the next time you open it up, there will be a happy bundle of items waiting for you to peruse that fit this remit.
Watch and wait - this is the next bit! To sit tight. I know it’s easier said than done, but honestly it does pay off. The preloved items in my own wardrobe which I purchased having applied these rules are so treasured as they were such intentional purchases. For example, I searched for this Warehouse x Lucy Williams wool check blazer for over a year and it’s such a classic piece.
And as for this preloved Celine Tote bag, phew, such a find on Vestiaire Collective, and possibly one to hand down to my girls 🥰
Ask questions. Ok, so your dream item has shown up at last. Hurray! But before you click buy, let’s pause and ask a few questions. What’s the overall condition? Are there any marks or signs of wear that you should know about? Sometimes items can look like completely different colours in each of the listed photos depending on the lighting, so if in doubt, ask - which picture best represents the actual colour? What is the pit to pit/ inner leg/ waist measurement? What is the material composition? I don’t tend to buy preloved items unless they are 100% cotton, linen, wool or cashmere (or at least a very high %) or real leather as these are the fabrics which will last. And don’t be put off by some bobbling on a wool or cashmere jumper if the fabric is other in good condition, as this is very easily rectified! These questions fill in the gaps which are missing when buying online versus buying in a store and it’s perfectly reasonable to ask. My final question before I buy is always, would you accept an offer of £x? It’s not an insult to try to negotiate (unless specifically stated in the listing). My dad used to say ‘a good singer always starts low’ 😆 about negotiating but I would say do try to be reasonable.
There are so many amazing preloved sellers out there who operate via a website, so here’s a few to check out:
Some high street stores are now also operating preloved marketplaces, like Arket - I recently found an archived summer dress here that I’d been obsessing over ever since seeing similar on Marianne in Normal People over two years ago! This one, remember? ☀️ Just need the sun now!
So that’s Part Two. I’ve been feeling inspired this week by lighter, brighter tones - and brown satin it would seem! Making it through to the first official day of spring (21st March), I think these lighter tones are the tonic we all need - see
piece on ‘The wish list: a lighter heart’. I’ve included this week’s inspiration below from Helen Moore for SheerLuxe, Marianne on IG and Aimee on IG.
I’ve been obsessing over Marianne’s simple and very repeatable outfit, of a great grey sweatshirt and light blue jeans, teamed with, yes mesh flats! Hear me out 😆 Before seeing this post, I had no time for such a niche and impractical shoe - but god, how amazing are they styled here! Minimalist heaven! I’m fully aware that these have a look of the paper shoes you wear to get a spray tan or shoe covers for walking by the pool 😂. BUT I actually quite like them! Saying that, they are unlikely to get to stay in my wardrobe - see
piece on will I still want this in 6 months? - but they have been very fun to ‘buy to try’. I’ve included my take on Marianne’s outfit below with Zara Mesh Ballerinas and the rather happily unreturnable Raey sweatshirt (honestly their sweatshirts 👌🏻) from Matches - but that’s another story.
As for wish list pieces (and as you know, not all make it that far - I keep mine on Indyx. Let me know if you’d like a referral code), the following items have caught my eye, again on a theme of lighter tones and brighter days.
You may have ascertained at this point of my ‘wish listing’ that I am a minimalist and as such love a ‘good basic’ so this vest fits the bill. More on good basics here what makes a good basic from
. The neckline on this vest is suitably high to peak out from under a sweatshirt, the material’s not see through and it’s not racer backed (I feel I’m too old for this now, or maybe just too lacking in definition! 😊). I’ll be buying one in every colour.
I looovve Little Liffner bags and spotted this new addition recently. I’d been eyeballing the suede version is a gorgeous chocolate brown for autumn-winter and love the idea of this woven one for spring-summer. I love how they’ve styled it here with a simple outfit and the sheer top.
Finally a dress! This is the dress worn by Helen Moore (pictured above) and I really like the simplicity, the neckline, the length, the colour, everything! And also that this French-Danish brand make eco-responsible clothing. I have their Shaw Kaftan dress which is the tracksuit version of a dress - so comfy. Love how both Helen and Aimee have styled their brown satin with cream/ ecru knitwear.
Next week, we’ll see how the mood takes us but either way, it’ll be a good one so swing by! Have a good week and hope to see you next weekend, Jenny x
Oh that chocolate satin is 👌🏻