9 Places to Buy Secondhand Clothes Online In The UK
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Wondering where the best places to shop for secondhand clothes online are? Here are nine sites that make online shopping easy!
A common theme in any discussion about ethical shopping and sustainable fashion is that it’s far too expensive for the average person to shop ethically. I won’t lie, ethical clothing does tend to be more expensive than its fast fashion, mass-produced counterparts.
There is simply no getting around the fact that if you want to buy ethically produced and fairly made new clothing that respects the rights of the garment workers, then you do need to spend a little more.
However, if you want to shop ethically on a tiny budget then don’t forget that the single most ethical and sustainable way to buy clothes is to shop secondhand.
Where to Shop for Secondhand Clothes Online In The UK
Shopping secondhand isn’t always easy. Maybe rummaging around a charity shop doesn’t sound appealing to you. Or perhaps you’re too time-poor to amble around your local charity shops. Maybe it’s impossible to find the sizes you want in your average charity shop. Whatever the barrier, the good news is that there are heaps of ways to shop for preloved secondhand clothes online.
Here are nine online stores to start you off. Use the quick links to jump to a specific section or keep scrolling for the full post:
eBay
eBay is possibly one of my favourite places to shop for secondhand clothes online.
I’m sure everyone knows what eBay is and does, but perhaps you haven’t used it yet. Well, eBay can be a veritable goldmine for secondhand clothes online. I feel like anything you could ever want or need is on eBay.
To be honest, most of my online secondhand shopping, nay, most of my wardrobe has come from eBay. It’s the first place I look when I’m in need of something. A lot of the time I don’t need to look any further than eBay. However, eBay can be a little overwhelming for beginners so see my top eBay buying tips here.
I do have a few eBay niggles. Photography quality can vary, and item specifics can be scant, depending on the seller. Many sellers don’t offer a returns service. And you can only combine postage if you are buying multiple items from the same seller. In the last few years, it also feels like eBay has become awash with brand-new clothing direct from China.
You definitely do need to be on your toes with eBay. That being said, you can pick up some great bargains if you’re prepared to search. And particularly if you are prepared to come back when the auction is ending to bid.
The good news is that in the last few years, more and more sellers have started to offer Buy It Now options. This allows you to bypass the auction format completely, and buy an item you like there and then.
Oxfam Online
Want to shop secondhand but still support a charity? Try Oxfam Online! Here you’ll find women’s clothing and accessories, as well as men’s, kid’s, and vintage secondhand clothes online. Essentially, everything that you can find in your local Oxfam shop is online.
Easy to navigate, you can filter by category, size, brand, price, colour, and condition. So much so, I personally find things are easier to find on the Oxfam website rather than in-store! I’ve also found women’s clothing going up to a size 28, which can be hard to find in-store.
Unlike eBay, where the photography can be hit or miss depending on the seller, everything on Oxfam is photographed well. Everything is shot from multiple angles, so you can get a clear view of your potential purchase.
Items are reasonably priced, although I feel a little more expensive than in-store. It’s made up by the fact that delivery is just £3.95, no matter how many items you order. For extra peace of mind, returns are free. You also get the added bonus that your purchase is supporting Oxfam’s work to alleviate global poverty.
ASOS Vintage
If vintage is your bag then try ASOS Vintage. Here you can browse thousands of quality vintage items for men and women.
You can filter by size, colour, style, and material to hone down on a specific item. Items are very well photographed, on actual models, which is something I always appreciate in order to anticipate how it might look on me!
When buying on ASOS Vintage you do buy from individual sellers. This means you will have to pay for the shipping on each individual item unless you buy from a single seller.
Etsy
Etsy may be best known as a marketplace for crafters but is also a veritable goldmine for secondhand clothes online. From vintage clothing for every occasion (even wedding dresses) to secondhand clothing that has been upcycled by creative artists, there’s something for every wardrobe.
If you are in the UK, my top tip is to use the filter to only search for shops within the UK to avoid potentially pricey customs charges.
Rokit
Rokit has a vast collection of pre-worn vintage & designer secondhand clothes in the UK that can be bought online. From sports, street, and designer to vintage, whatever your style, Rokit stocks it. And with a vast inventory, covering sizes XXS to XXL, Rokit’s size inclusivity is something to applaud.
Every item is cleaned and pressed before being added to the web page or sent to the store, meaning no nasty surprises either.
Rokit has also developed its own Rokit Originals Range. This is a collection of reworked vintage pieces. This gives a new life to old garments and creates new items to be loved over the long term, keeping old clothes out of landfill.
Get 10% off at Rokit by using the discount code TAKE10 at the checkout.
Beyond Retro
Beyond Retro is an online treasure trove of vintage and secondhand clothing for men and women, carefully sourced from around the world. You can shop by clothing type, brand, era, and even by type of fabric should you wish to avoid synthetic fibres.
What’s more, Beyond Retro also has dedicated plus-size sections for both men and women, catering up to size XXL. There is also the ability to search for unisex clothing.
Use the exclusive code MORALFIBRES at the checkout to receive 15% off your order at Beyond Retro.
Vestiaire Collective
Vestiaire Collective, a certified B-corp, resells men’s, women’s, and kids’ designer and luxury fashion. Each item sold on the site undergoes a rigorous authentication process before being sent to you so that you can shop with confidence.
If you want to get a designer wardrobe at a fraction of the price, then Vestiaire Collective is the place to go. Browse by brand. Browse by clothing type. Or browse by size – it’s easy to find what you are looking for.
Depop
Depop is an Instagram-meets-eBay style format for buying preloved clothes.
What I do like about Depop for buying secondhand clothes online is that if you find something you like you can buy it straight away. None of this having to remember to come back at a specific time on a specific day to bid, like with eBay.
With Depop’s fixed-price format, you also know how much something is. This can make it much easier to budget. That being said, I do think you are more likely to get a bargain with the eBay auction-style format compared to Depop’s fixed-price model.
I initially found it harder to find what I was looking for on Depop as the search function isn’t great. Unlike eBay, sellers are allowed to use other brand names in their listings. This meant that trying to find an item from a specific brand via the search function can be quite tricky.
I found I was having to wade through a load of items. That was until I happened to find the filter (on the search screen). This allows you to filter your search results based on category, size, brand, and price. This makes for a much better Depop experience!
My big niggle is that Depop doesn’t encourage sellers to list item specifics. This means there is very limited information available. You will need to message sellers to find out what the item is made of, for example.
Vinted
Vinted is an app and site where you can buy, sell, and swap clothes, shoes, and accessories online. It’s broadly similar to Depop, in that’s it a fixed-price format. However, unlike eBay and Depop, where sellers pay to sell, on Vinted, buyers pay to buy.
Buyers pay a service fee of 3% to 8% of the item’s price, plus a “fixed fee” of 30p to 80p on top of their purchase. Why the “fixed fee” is variable is something I don’t understand!
Vinted says that all buyer fees are clearly visible at the checkout, so there are no nasty surprises. They say this fee covers payment processing and protection for your order, in-app postage options and tracking, and support from the Vinted team in case anything goes wrong.
I’m not too sure I’m a fan of the pay-to-buy format. I also dislike the sliding fee scale, which is only visible come checkout time (making it hard to budget as you are browsing) so I personally haven’t purchased from Vinted yet.
Have you shopped on any of these sites? Would you recommend them? Or have you shopped elsewhere for secondhand clothes online? I’d love to hear! And if you are looking to sell clothes, then do check out my guide to selling secondhand clothes online.
If it’s vintage clothing you are looking for, do check out my guide on the best places to buy vintage clothing online.
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