With an eye on the circular economy and the future of style, Glamour examines the big business of fashion’s secondhand market, which is poised to double in size (to $77 billion) in the next five years with our Restyled series, which will run throughout the month of April.
It came to me like a psychedelic flash in the corner of my eye. What once was a mundane, gray subway ride turned into a kaleidoscope of colors, woven intricately into a small square that was perched in the crook of a woman’s arm. What was the object of my affection? A multicolored limited-edition Marni Market Tote. I was enchanted by the bag and immediately began my shopping ritual. I visited the brand’s New York City boutiques; I obsessively refreshed its website for new drops; I hit up eBay, Matches Fashion, and TheRealReal. I probably spent two weeks tracking down the style I wanted before discovering this neon-hued dream on Vestiare Collective. I DM’d with the seller, who was based in Italy, and made my offer.
I live for the hunt of finding that one special item that I can proudly add to my collection—and many vintage enthusiasts would agree. It’s one thing to know how to narrow your search terms on eBay or successfully negotiate with sellers on Vestiare Collective, but browsing a sea of clothing racks in a secondhand store or combing through tables stacked with costume jewelry at a local estate sale requires a totally different skill and mindset.
It’s one that’s increasingly appealing to consumers, too, as there’s an app to buy and sell almost anything these days—with millions of users on each platform. And that doesn’t even include all the brands and retailers who want in on the game: Some are partnering with resale platforms (think Net-a-Porter x Reflaunt) to boost customer loyalty by offering perks like store credit, while others like Cuyana and La Ligne have taken steps to launch trade-in programs of their own.
Even with all this technology at our fingertips, there’s no escaping the visceral thrill that comes from finding the perfect thing. We were curious about other people’s jackpot thrifted finds and went straight to the source—resale experts and influencers—for the lowdown on how they score their own (and best) secondhand pieces. These professionals—top sellers on Depop and Etsy, stylists, vintage boutique owners—have perfected their thrifting strategy. Read on for their best tips and tricks for mastering the resale market. Happy hunting.
Asal Tehrani, designer and founder of Susamusa Clothing
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Designer and founder of Susamasa, Asal Tehrani (whose clothing brand is a favorite of Bella Hadid), tells Glamour that she sources vintage clothes, fabrics, and trimmings from all over Europe. She’s based in London but says her favorite city to buy vintage from is Athens. “Over the years I’ve built relationships with little boutique and shop owners who I visit each time. I often accidentally stumble across little shops and street markets when I’m least expecting it.”
When she’s in London, though, she’ll “buy deadstock from ’90s brands which don’t manufacture anymore” or she’ll shop vintage from personal collections. “I was recently introduced to Lida Zam, who was the seamstress for Catherine Walker. I bought the most beautiful vintage bags, suit jackets, and silk fabrics from her collection. Buying vintage from someone’s personal collection is so special,” she says. “Depop is also an amazing platform for finding vintage. I search for vintage Karen Millen for dresses and Sergio Rossi for heels.”
Mya O. Price, fashion stylist and owner of plus-size vintage boutique More Than Your Average
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“When curating vintage selections for my personal closet and business, More Than Your Average, I only curate my selections from in-store locations,” Mya O. Price, who is based in Washington, D.C., tells Glamour. “I genuinely enjoy the in-store curation process and shopping local estate sales to find one-of-a-kind statement accessories and apparel that tell a story or have been passed down from one generation to the next.” She has a soft spot for pieces from the ’60s and ’80s, like the jackets and dresses passed down to her from her mother and grandmother. “I will never get tired of my mom’s ’80s vintage earrings and colorful two-piece sets. These specific decades will always have extra space in my heart due to my family history.”
In addition to estate sales, O. Price says, she also enjoys shopping at off-the-grid mom-and-pop thrift stores. “I’ve found plenty of these smaller thrift stores dispersed throughout Kentucky and even in larger cities such as Chicago.” Not only does she love spending time walking through aisles looking for inspiration, but she also finds it important to feel, touch, and try on these pieces. “When it comes to the evolution of my style and my one-of-a-kind vintage finds, I always say, ‘Be bold, be colorful, be you, and make a statement while doing it!’”
Marie Lodi, freelance editor and writer
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Marie Lodi, a freelance beauty and style writer who is based in Los Angeles, says that shopping secondhand has been her passion ever since she scoured thrift stores as a teen in the late ’90s. “I don’t have as much patience for going through the racks as I did back then, so I’ll go on eBay and Etsy to hunt for my favorites—vintage nightgowns and caftans.” Some of her favorite vintage shops for clothing are Thrilling, Hello Tallulah, SpacedOutMama, and Playclothes Vintage in Burbank. “Pygmy Hippo Shoppe is my fave for quirky and hard-to-find vintage decor and gifts,” she says. “I also just visited Ephemera Vintage in Idyllwild, California, for the first time and fell in love.”
When she has time, Lodi will also scour estate sales and flea markets. “I just scored an incredible caftan with a huge tiger on it at an estate sale of a 90-year-old fashion designer,” she says. “I love looking at Fashionphile and Tradesy to add bags to my dream designer bag wishlist.”
Tessa D., creator of YouTube channel @ModernGurlz
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Tessa D., who is behind the YouTube channel ModernGurlz (a modern-day chronicle of iconic fashion moments in film and pop culture) is based in Honolulu. She tells Glamour that “thrift stores in Hawaii have fairly slim pickings when it comes to clothing, at least for things that I personally gravitate towards, and as a result, I’ve had no choice but to turn to the internet.” One of her go-to destinations lately has been eBay: “I think eBay is pretty underrated despite having essentially pioneered online shopping. The website basically hasn’t been updated since the 2000s, so it definitely isn’t as user-friendly as newer apps like Depop or TheRealReal, but the benefit to this is that you’re able to stumble upon hidden gems that would sell out within minutes elsewhere.”
If you’re just browsing eBay but want to avoid combing through thousands of results, Tessa recommends searching on your favorite brands plus an era of clothing you like: “I always go for the ’90s and ’70s, plus the piece of clothing I’m looking for specifically—dress, jeans, shoes, and so on.” She says that way “you should be able to find what you’re looking for, or at the very least, something similar.”
And if you’re using eBay’s Bid/Offer feature to score deals, Tessa shares one final pro tip: “Don’t add an item to your watchlist if you’re planning to bid on it; eBay pushes popular items to other people! Just bookmark it and come back to it later.”
Sydny Boney, creator of @SydnySky
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Star reseller Sydny Boney (who runs the Depop account Sydny Sky and is based in Hagerstown, Maryland) tells Glamour that she’s always loved thrifting in person but had to find new ways source unique vintage pieces during the pandemic after she longer had access to her favorite local shops. She grew to love online shopping: “Honestly, the internet is where I have found some of my best pieces to date,” she says. “My secret is to search for very vague descriptions on secondhand marketplaces such as Depop, Mercari, or eBay.” For example, she would search “sandals” and “just scroll for hours looking at all the amazing shoes.”
She knows it’s time-consuming but stands by it as “one of the most cost-effective ways to buy vintage online, because oftentimes you will find someone who has listed something at a very low price, completely unaware of the value their item is truly worth.
“Now that thrift stores are back open, I have a nice balance between sourcing items in person at my local thrift stores and lying in bed sifting through thousands of listings online. I find both options to be very relaxing and therapeutic, and am forever grateful that I get to do this as my ‘job,’” she says.
Jacquelyn Renner, founder of @noteworthygarments
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Jacquelyn Renner, who runs the popular Etsy store Noteworthy Garments, tells Glamour she’s been wearing vintage for as long as she can remember. “My priority is to shop both responsibly and sustainably, but to also always be comfortable and feel good in what I wear.” Her uniform? Old T-shirts and worn old jeans—particularly Levi’s 505s and Cowboy Cut Wrangler jeans. She’s also always a huge fan of ’70s Westernwear and ’90s minimalist styles—think Monica from Friends.
“I’ve been somewhat transient over the last few years, so I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to shop in person at a lot of different vintage shops throughout the country,” Renner says. Austin is home now, though, where one of her favorite local spots for denim and one-of-a-kind Westernwear is her friend Joey’s shop, Full Circle Vintage. “For T-shirts and casual everyday pieces, I am a forever fan of Lo-Fi Vintage,” she says. “I also peruse Etsy on a regular basis for those special, rare finds—the older travel, movie, and band tees that I have an addiction to collecting.”
