Vintage To Vogue: 6 Summer Staples That Look Even Better Second-Hand (British VOGUE)

17 Jun

The world of second-hand and vintage fashion has been on a bit of a rollercoaster over the last few decades. Once the reserve of cash-strapped art students and west London bohemians, hunting out pre-loved clothing was very much a niche pastime that had no place in the mainstream fashion market. The average vintage-hunter would typically be found scouring antique stores and charity shops in obscure parts of the country for their next hidden gem – not exactly what you’d call accessible. Then, along came e-commerce.

From Gen Z-ers selling their wares on Depop to rural bricks and mortar businesses connecting with new audiences on Instagram, suddenly the world of second-hand was blown wide open.

“Second-hand is now second nature”, says Rachel Reavley, advisory board director at Hardly Ever Worn It. “HEWI saw a particularly significant adoption of re-commerce during lockdown, with people taking the time to reassess both their living spaces and their closets. We continue to see our customers change the way that they engage with their clothes – the whole idea of ownership is very different now.”

Despite the resale market’s new-found success and accessibility (Forbes predicts that by 2025 fashion resale could reach over $6 billion in sales), as a vintage-lover myself, I often hear people citing the time involved as the main barrier to shopping second-hand. I understand that while some people love the thrill of the chase, for others it’s just precious time that could be spent drinking a large glass of wine in front of Next in Fashion re-runs (just me?). This is where Vintage to Vogue comes in.

This shopping franchise will provide you with a ready-made, Vogue-approved edit of vintage and second-hand pieces – no rummaging required – and it’s kicking off with summer staples. All the heavy-hitters – summer dresses, beach bags, slip-on sandals and linen separates, to name a few – are here and available at a range of price points on sites such as Etsy and Vestiaire Collective.

To inject a little pre-loved appeal into your own summer capsule wardrobe, scroll for Vogue’s definitive edit of vintage and second-hand warm weather staples.