Defunct/forgotten brands to buy secondhand

[flaks]

Most of my clothes and bags are thrifted and I recently discovered vinted. I wonder if there are brands that are particularly high quality that I am missing out on because I don't know what I am looking for. In particular I was thinking of brands that are gone (UK or abroad) that may not have been on my radar. I used to find obscure brands in charity shops but for online it would be nice to know to what search for.

What sort of style are you looking for? A lot of brands that are around now were way better quality in the 90s/early 2000 like Next and Topshop. Marks and Spencers used to use the St Michael label so that is a good sign of vintage and therefore better quality. Old French Connection was lovely and Whistles.

Red or Dead. French Connection and Morgan de Toi (both used to be so much better than there are now).

great idea to look at earlier products from existing brands. Red or Dead looks good. I remember Morgan de toi. French Connection was great.
I don't have much room so generally looking for quite classic stuff in natural fabrics. I do have an excellent pure wool St Michael jumper.

Old high street - Principles, Richards Shops.

I did find an "old" Oasis suit which is such nice quality.

Jaeger before M&S bought the name, Aquascutum, Marilyn Anselm for Hobbs, Crombie (I think they might have been relaunched recently), J Crew, Banana Republic. (The last two might still be going in the US, I'm not sure).

Agree about M&S St Michael and that pretty much any current brand will have been a lot better quality 20+ years ago, especially Next.

Good call @Floisme Some new to me names. I didn't know that Jaeger was bought by M&S.

Next children’s clothes were beautiful quality, lovely thick fabrics, washed well, just excellent. Now a lot of it is cheap polyester crap. Such a shame. My eldest DD had some beautiful vintage Next dungarees and they were just gorgeous and felt so much more expensive than the stuff they sell now.

Agree about the St Michael stuff although some is made of man made fabrics too. I have a bit of an obsession with coats and have seen Windsmoor 100% coats in charity shops for less than £20 and they have been good quality. I have a couple of St Michael leather bags and the styles are still very ‘now’ and very Sézane esq.

Country Casuals
Berkertex
C and A
Tula

I bought a vintage BHS coat last year and it's amazing. It looks like wool but is synthetic and machine washable. It comes out looking like new. Nothing like more recent synthetic offerings. It's really well cut and well made.

Interesting to hear that some old St Michael is like Sezane. Also that the synthetics used to be better. I had a Wallis warm wool jacket I wore to death for years. It had a synthetic fur collar and that was so much better quality than current faux fur.

Esprit

I agree about the next Children's clothes. Have fond memories of browsing and buying the most gorgeous clothes for my son years ago!

Other brands - Hobbs and Jigsaw. Ted Baker.

The Lareodute catalogue used to have the most stunning clothes and of beautiful quality. I coveted everything in it. Their older clothes are really good quality and I always look out for them in charity shops.

I search for copies of my old clothes on vinted and ebay all the time as I know what fits me so less of a risk.

My eldest DD had some beautiful vintage Next dungarees and they were just gorgeous and felt so much more expensive than the stuff they sell now.

That's because it was more expensive. I had a NEXT skirt my Mum bought for me when I was a teenager in the 1980s. It was £25, a heavy printed cotton, pockets, a contoured waistband. It was gorgeous, I kept it for years until I got to fat for it. Going by the BoE inflation calculator that skirt would now cost £70-75, Next now only sell skirts that expensive in their 'premium collection'.

White Stuff, back c 2000 or late 90s (?) when it was aimed at a more skiwear market, used to be lovely, and really nice quality.

Racing Green..

I have the most beautiful suede and leather bag from Next that I bought in circa 2004. I paid £50 for it which would be around £90 now. I still use it occasionally and it reminds me of how great the high st brands used to be then

Fenn wright and manson
most of my enduring wardrobe favourites are from Great Plains. They were owned by (or part of?) French connection but I’ve got some lovely things I still wear regularly years later

I like old Warehouse stuff. It always fits me well.

I loved Racing Green back in the day. Still have some of it.
The t-shirts seemed to last for years.

Boden and Toast were good back then, and I can remember thinking Jigsaw was brilliant.

A brand I've bought second hand is Two Danes.

I used to like Warehouse then too. Lots of natural fabrics.

I have a lovely silk warehouse pussy bow blouse with a gorgeous print. I bought it second hand from a charity shop.

Yup I feel like a recent bag from St Michael that I bought from a charity shop is very Sézane in terms of shape and the leather.

Oh good point, Warehouse had great silk dresses too but I never owned one.
I've never heard of Racing Green (or Two Danes) so will have to seek them out.