If you’ve been following my Second-Hand Shopper series, you’ll know that making vintage fashion a more integrated part of the average person’s wardrobe has become a bit of a mission for me. I know this behavioural change may take a while to shift, but if I can make just one person who was previously ambivalent about pre-loved clothing buy second-hand, then I consider my mission a success.
This is also why every season over the last year, I have created an alternative trend report that is shopped out with vintage finds. Of course, as a publication, we try our best to integrate second-hand clothing into all our content. However, I wanted to carve out this space specifically to show that adopting more sustainable shopping habits doesn’t have to mean forgoing that joy and creative experimentation that comes with new-season trends. After all, most fashion trends will have existed in similar iterations in the past.
“The trend cycle means that the previous decades are regularly back in fashion,” explains vintage seller Franny Monzemba. “There is a particular je ne sais quoi to be found in vintage and fashion nostalgia. It’s a search for authenticity. It can be difficult for some to find their personal style and even more difficult when you take the step to go completely to vintage or second-hand, but thanks to new online marketplaces and social media platforms, it’s never been easier to give it a go.”
With September just around the corner, I hand-picked the seven autumn 2021 trends that particularly lend themselves to buying second-hand and asked some vintage industry experts to offer their takes on each throwback look. Let me also inform the budget-conscious among us that vintage offers up plenty of affordable options, and my shopping edit includes bargains from as little as £20. You’re very welcome. So if you want to give your new-season shopping list a sustainable kick, scroll down to see and shop my pre-loved alternatives to this season’s biggest trends.
