Seeing other people's thrifted finds–what they bought, where they found them, and how much they paid– can be great inspiration for encouraging others to thrift more often. Not only does shopping second-hand unearth one-of-a-kind vintage gems, it also saves you money.
Thrifting for the things you want or need is one of the most eco-friendly habits you can adopt that helps to reduce your impact on the planet, and put to good use the 350,000 tonnes of clothing that ends up in landfill each year.
I've rounded up my favourite thrifted purchases from 2021 in the hopes it'll inspire you to look for pre-loved options before buying new. I try to buy as much as possible second-hand, from clothing to homewares. Most of my apartment's furniture, including appliances, were all pre-owned and have lasted me years. But they're not as interesting or exciting as the clothes I've thrifted. So here are my best thrifted wardrobe purchases from the last year, where I bought them and how much they cost.
Lazy Oaf Reversible Fleece
I've worn this pretty much every day since I bought it. It's become a solid part of my dog walking capsule because of how practical it is. The neon exterior is super bright, which is great for night time walks, and can be flipped inside out for a more subtle black patterned interior. The fleece is incredibly warm, and has a hood so it's ideal for keeping warm and dry. Plus it's super fun to wear. I bought this for £65, originally it was £128.
Vintage Richards Long Coat
My wardrobe was missing a classic black longline coat. My style inspiration board helped me to identify just the type of coat I was looking for. After a little patient hunting on marketplaces, I thrifted this vintage wool coat in almost-new condition on eBay for £30–an absolute bargain. All I had to do was remove the large 80s shoulder pads for it to be the ideal coat. It's full length and hits me just at the ankle, keeping the cold weather out and me warm. It would be difficult to find a coat of this quality for less than £100 new.
Zara Boxy Double-Breasted Coat
If you want to change your wardrobe, add new pieces, and experiment with style; thrifting is the most affordable way to do that. My Pinterest style board showed me I was leaning towards big, boxy coats, and soft olive shades. When charity shopping failed, I searched across multiple online reselling sites. Within a couple of weeks I'd found this pre-owned but new-with-tags coat. I sized up several times to get that extremely oversized style, and it's been a great addition to my wardrobe. I paid slightly less than £30 for this coat, although new it would have been around £80.
Ralph Lauren Sleeveless Roll Neck Jumper
Sometimes thrifting uncovers some real gems. This is one of them. It's a sleeveless, button-up roll neck, and I never could have imagined just versatile it was going to be in my wardrobe. I've worn this under dresses, over shirts, and alone to provide extra warmth. The button-up roll neck means it can be styled in different ways; as a classic turtleneck, or something more akin to a cowl neck. It was a true bargain at only £5 too (likely +£100 new).
Monki Strap Maxi Dress
A great summer dress that cost me less than £15, and is 100% cotton. It probably didn't cost all that much more at retail price but as it was unworn with the original tags on, it was worth the cost. You don't get the same bargains when thrifting online as you do in charity shops, however, you're more likely to find exactly the item you're looking for sooner than if you were trawling the shops in person.
COS Wrap Dress
This is one of those items of clothing that, when you put it on, it fits like a glove and feels amazing to wear. I really feel myself when wearing this so it made the £40 I spent on it worth every penny. I usually wouldn't spend anywhere near this much on a thrifted item. If it wasn't brand new with tags when I found it on eBay, I definitely wouldn't have spent that much. I'm glad I did though because it's already had a lot of wear.
Dr. Martens 1460 Mono Smooth Ankle Boots
Another item purchased using my style inspiration. Classic boots are a wardrobe basic, and something I felt my wardrobe was missing. This pair is slightly worn with a little wear showing on the toes but that was reflected in the price I paid (£35 vs £149 new). The actual pair I have are older Dr.Martens, and potentially better quality than their more recent designs. I'm hoping they'll be just as reliable as the classic Dr. Marten shoes I've owned for years.
Dr Martens Voss Strap Sandals
I've found the best time to thrift for items is usually at the end of the season you're shopping for. That's when you get the bargains because people tend to shop for the season ahead. I bought these sandals at the end of summer, and only got to wear them a couple of times but I already know they're going to get a lot of wear. They're not only in brand new condition (the listing said worn once), they're super comfortable, and cost me less than £30 including postage (£89 new).
