Secondhand / vintage / charity / ethical and slow fashion chat

[madamceladon]

Can we have a chat thread for this?
Tips and ideas, blog and podcast recommendations and latest finds?

I'll start. I think 80% of my stuff is secondhand, from charity shops eBay and vinted. I've got more into this in last five years and never go in fast fashion shops. I feel a bit ill and overwhelmed if I do now.
If I do need to buy new I try to find a company that is ethical and made in Britain.

I've got really into maintenance and repair as well. I love watching a film while I debobble and darn knitwear.

Recent efforts, I had some nice black fine wool trousers but they were too loose and unflattering on thighs, I've improvised and put in my own pleats at the top and pleased with how they came out.

I wanted a black polo neck after I saw some women looking very stylish in a black and white 1960s film and found a perfect one the next day in the charity shop: lambswool, old m and s, made in Britain.

I love this website
vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource

And this podcast
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dressed-the-history-of-fashion/id1350850605

Does anyone have tips for getting the musty smell out of vintage clothes - I have a lovely evening dress and gorgeous dressy top in my wardrobe that would do perfectly for the party season, but always shy away from wearing them because they smell 'old'. This is after washing, airing etc. What can I try to get them smelling fresher?

Spray liberally with white vinegar and hang on the washing line. You might need to wash it after..

I usually soak musty clothes and add a non-dettoly disinfectant, and that usually works.

What I can't get rid of is the fabric conditioner slimy feel and nasty smell. Any suggestions please?

I've had £1 bargains that needed a minor repair or a new button.

A jeans button kit is only a few £ and can make a pair of jeans wearable, but I don' like replacing jeans zips. If it's just the zip pull that is broken, it sometimes can be repaired.

When ragging clothes I keep any useful items with a view to reusing them. A new set of buttons can transform an item.

Thanks so much @madamceladon, I have already nabbed myself a gorgeous Jaeger skirt for £6 😊

My best recent buy was a vintage 70s Laura Ashley dress for 12.99 but I've found a lot of amazing things over the years! I used to work just around the corner from Marylebone High Street and loved the charity shops there though they were expensive. The Red Cross shop on the King's Road is also amazing, again not cheap but you can find some lovely stuff.

@BigHeartyTruffle

Thanks so much *@madamceladon*, I have already nabbed myself a gorgeous Jaeger skirt for £6 😊

Delighted for you! 😊

More online tips. eBay has an actual vintage clothing section, not the normal women's clothes section, go categories: clothes: speciality: vintage.
I've got nice jumpers there.

And in ebay you can filter by material so you'll get real leather, wool etc in your listings.

And in ebay you can filter by material so you'll get real leather, wool etc in your listings.

but if you search for leather you get the faux leather results too

I had a great time yesterday, trawling through charity shops in a town where I had an appointment, away from home.
In one shop, I got a Jack Wills dress ( new with tag), a White Stuff jumper ( new with tag), two White Stuff dresses, and a dress from Damsel in a Dress.
All came to £45, so not as bargainous as some finds on here, but they're all decent names, and it was an animal charity that I support anyway.
I love a good root around the offerings in a new town ( affluent areas usually a plus).

Oh, a Jaeger cardi was in that £45, too.
Just remembered that on reading of a PP's Jaeger find.

Can we join in ?
I’m delighted with the lovely Joules right as rain hip length jacket yesterday in grey with pink and white flowers on it I got yesterday for £20 I really needed a rain jacket and there it was!

What a lovely thread. I've devoured all the replies in one sitting! Love hearing about everyone's finds and the posters who volunteer in charity shops.

Most of my clothes are secondhand, from charity shops or Ebay. I stopped shopping "new" about 4 years ago and haven't missed it. The only thing I find hard to source secondhand is footwear - I always look at the shoe racks but anything decent (especially vintage) is too small for my size 7s!

I've been learning to sew too, which will hopefully be a game-changer when I can alter things competently. I'm so inspired by insta accounts like @convertedcloset, though her designer conversions are pretty grand compared to my efforts so far. As it is, I've altered a couple of dresses to midi skirts, added pockets, taken up a skirt. The problem is spending even more time mulling over secondhand buys wondering if I can make them work somehow!

@Peraltiago

I also highly recommend the sniper site Gixen - you can set your highest bid limit and it will bid automatically at the last second for you. I've won a few auctions that way

I second Gixen. It seems a bit weird to set it up with your login credentials for ebay but it has meant a lot of successful last-second bidding for me over the years, so I trust it. It's also handy that, since your bid isn't actually placed with ebay till the last minute, you can set a bid up and then change your mind and withdraw it if you decide you're being extravagant....

And I also second Vinted. I've only just started and finding my way round, but it seems often very cheap to me compared with ebay or even charity shops. Some people are just keen to clear their stuff out and offer big discounts if you buy a few items at once. This 'bundle' feature is great if you find someone of your size and taste - and can also help to point you towards unfamiliar brands you might like. You can get most items delivered to a local Hermes collection point for £1.99 - or to your home for a pound or two more. You have to get used to minimal info, but I've found sellers responsive if I've asked for measurements or materials - and often they are open to offers. Make sure to 'favourite' items as you might get discounts offered, and follow brands to be shown more targeted suggestions. You can also set your sizes so that searches only show these.
I'd be interested in any further Vinted tips.

How can you make a too big jumper smaller?
Can you stitch in the sides internally so it fits more snugly?
I'm looking at a handmade cable knit on vinted that might come up too big on me.

Also I love dying clothes if the colour isn't working for me, but the fit style and fabric are good.

@madamceladon. That’s tricky with a jumper. You could carefully unpick the side seams and very carefully cut out the amount it needs taking in, then overlock the raw edges and re-stitch the seams, but I’d be wary of doing that if it’s a gorgeous item you wouldn’t want to spoil. An experienced knitter could probably cut the fabric so carefully that there’s no unravelling. I wouldn’t just make a big tuck in a garment like that because you’d have a really lumpy seam.

You can cut and sew knitwear, or rather sew first, overlock and trim. I'm sure there are videos.

I have been buying good quality clothes from Charity shops for over 40 years as well as all my original 60s clothes. Now I want to do a car boot sale to try to sell them. Do you think it is better to sell on ebay?

Yay, my people! Am a charity shop addict and have my own insta of my finds. Currently wearing £2.99 pied a terre wool trousers from oxfam, a mint velvet jumper for £3.50 and a Cos t-shirt for a fiver. I love the thrill of the chase, and now feel quite overwhelmed in any other type of shop. I’ve had so many bargains, including a Baukjen dress for £2 and an Oska jacket (I did pay £40 for it but it’s wool and RRP over £200). Oh - also recently found a pair of Massimo Dutti jeans for £3.

My tips are to go often, as obviously stock changes all the time. Research your brands… I will shamelessly Google in the shop. Any footwear that is Spanish or Italian tends to be amazing quality. Be flexible about sizing and look closely at materials. My local shops are great but I often go to ones in Pimlico (near my work). They are much pricier but have a lot of designer stuff.

I love it!

What a great thread. Love the idea of having a stylish charity shop chat.

[quote covetingthepreciousthings]@madamceladon can you share tips for debobbling please?[/quote]
I bought one of these recently and it's brilliant! I debobble whilst I am ironing as then you have a flat surface to hand.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174774497688?hash=item28b15f3198:g:KDgAAOSwC7hgpU-V

I did have one of the smaller debobblers, but I like this one much better because it has a handle.

I volunteer in a charity shop so a couple of tips.
We have loads more stuff upstairs than we can display in the shop. So chat to the staff and ask nicely and they will bring you down a selection of things you are looking for e.g. jumpers/party dresses. Ok they still might not be right but at least you have more choice.
We do refunds so if something doesn’t fit take it back for a refund. Just keep your receipt like a normal shop.

@Flamerouge what is your Instagram handle?

I use a cashmere comb for debobbling, bit more faffy but gentler on your clothes and strangely addictive once you get into it. I also use a pet wire brush to keep my sheepskin rugs fluffy