Shopping Second-Hand usually means you’re already saving quite a lot of money on items that you would have otherwise spent quite a lot of money on. A lot of people will shop for high-end, branded items in order to pay top prices for designer products. However, there’s a lot of items that aren’t designer and made by lesser-known brands that are still amazing quality and look fantastic, and the fact that they aren’t from a high-end brand means that you can pick them up second-hand for just a few pounds! We’re going to talk you through the best categories of clothing to shop for unbranded versions of, that still look the part and that you can make a great saving on!
Shirts
Shirts are an item that everyone needs, whether they are smart or casual, they’re a great staple to have and most people usually have more than one of them in their wardrobe. Even though it’s nice to have the odd designer shirt for special occasions, such as a Polo Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger shirt, there’s no need for ALL of your shirts to be branded, especially if you’re wearing them to work everyday or just have the collar sticking out from under a jumper! Unbranded shirts are really easy to pick up second-hand and they can still look the part in terms of quality! You could probably pick up about 5 unbranded shirts for the price you’d pay for 1 designer shirt, even second-hand!
Key-Word Search Suggestions
- Flannel
- Pinstriped
- Formal
- Long-Sleeved/ Short-Sleeved
- Checked
- Cotton
Trousers
Trousers are an item in your wardrobe that you can spend A LOT of money on if you only look for branded ones. However, shopping for trousers that aren’t branded not only brings down the price but can sometimes even improve the quality! There doesn’t tend to be a better quality type of trouser than a vintage pair of wool trousers, they’ve already lasted this long and they’ve been made to do so. When searching for trousers, instead of concentrating on their brand, try concentrating on the materials and fit..
Key-Word Search Suggestions
- Wool (for a warmer trousers)
- Cotton (for formal trousers)
- Linen (for cooler trousers)
- High-Waisted
- Tailored
- Wide-Leg
Jumpers
There’s no issue with buying branded jumpers and it is nice to have the odd one if you want to have a really luxurious feeling item. However, if you wear jumpers a lot, sometimes it’s nice to have a handful of jumpers that you can just throw on! Especially if you love them to have crazy-patterns or be a bit quirky, you’re going to find WAY more options by being open to buying jumpers from smaller, lesser-known brands. There’s also less chance that you’re going to see someone walking round in the same jumper as you! Similarly to shopping for trousers, try to concentrate on knit-type and overall look instead of what the brand on the label is. If there’s a branded jumper you’ve seen that you love the look of but don’t want to pay a branded price for, search for the words used to describe the branded item to find an unbranded version!
Key-Word Search Suggestions
- Cable Knit
- Fine Knit
- Chunky Knit
- Crazy Pattern
- Argyle
- Striped
Blazers
Blazers are an item that can cost a lot of money regardless of who made/ designed it, and you want to make sure your money is going towards the quality and overall appearance of the item and not towards having a particular logo on the label! You can get some really amazing tweed and timeless blazers that can last you a lifetime by searching for them second-hand. With blazers, the best way to make sure you get the perfect one is to find one that fits YOU perfectly, so make sure you’ve got your measurements to hand when searching for them!
Key-Word Search Suggestions
- Fitted
- Tailored
- Slim Fit
- Tweed
- Checked
Trench Coats
Trench Coats are where you can make a super big saving by shopping for a non-designer version instead of a designer one. If you are a big wearer of Trench Coats and know you’re going to wear one year after year, then it may be nice to invest in one from the classic Trench Coat brands such as Burberry or Aquascutum as they are amazing quality and have that perfect Trench Coat look (still look for one second-hand though, as you could find one for hundreds instead of paying THOUSANDS!). However, if you are only wanting one to be on trend or you know you’ll probably only wear it for occasions when you need to look smarter, there are plenty of non-designer brands that make really great quality Trench Coats that can look nearly as good as the designer ones. Again, maybe find a Trench Coat that you love, and if you decide you don’t want to pay the branded price, use descriptors from that one to search for an unbranded version!
Key-Word Search Suggestions
- Trench
- Belted
- Hooded
- Beige (or preferred colour)
- Classic
- Material i.e. cotton/leather/nylon
- Lined