Early spring florals

I’ve found that patterns and prints nearly always sell better than plain garments. I think this is because they identify the brand subtly and to the knowing eye.

Florals show no sign of going out of favour – I picked up this Boden linen shirt and Paul Smith contrast cuff shirt today. There were no ‘Big hitter’ finds but I did get the following:

Boden floral shirt
Paul Smith floral shirt
Jack Murphy tweed skirt
Vintage leather jacket
Modern Rarity dress
Merrell plaid shirt

For any one who is interested, as well as their Ted Baker stock, Oxfam stores now also have some new Burberry items. Mainly black jeans, black trousers and plain shirts. All around the £20 mark.

‘Of the brand…..’

Not much bought today but I did find a super cute Cath Kidston London bus cardigan.

It’s easy to snap up items just because of the label, but often things don’t sell for much unless they’re very ‘Of the brand’ – like this Cath Kidston cardigan. A Cath Kidston garment without a cutesy floral print or retro pattern won’t interest many buyers.

Likewise, when people search for Moschino they usually want something brash and bold. A plain pencil skirt won’t sell for much despite its high original price tag.

On the other hand, a buyer looking for Margaret Howell or Jil Sander will be after understated elegance, or something more utilitarian. This theory applies to lots of high end brands. Bear this in mind before purchasing and you’ll minimise losses.

Gym Wear?

Would you buy secondhand gym clothes? Having been in the secondhand clothes market for so long I personally have no problem with it – give it a wash and it’s good to go. However I know plenty of people who wouldn’t touch it! What’s your view?

Today I bought very little but I did pick up a gorgeous little MM6 tunic dress and a Gymshark jacket, along with a classic The White Company merino sweater.

Some long overdue menswear

Robert Noble tweed suit and a Favourbrook tuxedo jacket (RRP £995!)

Two decent days bargain hunting. Purchases include:

COS jumper
COS dress
AllSaints cardigan
Temperley jumper
Robert Noble tweed suit
Favourbrook jacket
Paige jeans
Sarah Pacini skirt
Rapha jumper
American vintage jacket
Jigsaw jumper

It’s worth mentioning that country sports attire has a big following on eBay – tweed shooting jackets, hunting waterproofs and premium equestrian labels are all worth buying second hand. Check the condition as they’re often vintage but buyers are often willing to overlook a bit of wear for this type of clothing.

Style and ski wear

Despite the atrocious weather I still managed to find some little gems today………

Real fur Zara bomber and Sweaty Betty ski leggings

Diane von Furstenberg lace dress
Sweaty Betty leggings
rag & bone jeans
Zara fur bomber
AllSaints chunky jumper
Custommade cardigan
Rene Lezard quilted coat
Elisa Cavaletti shirt
Free People one piece

So a really great mix of items, found within about an hour and a half of shopping. Most of this will appear in my eBay store so take a look. If you’re thinking of selling your own clothes on eBay let me know if you have any questions. Happy bargain hunting!

Floaty dresses and designer rainwear

Secondhand shops have started bringing out their spring rainwear so lots of treats in store. In a single village charity shop I spotted an Aquascutum translucent mac with silk lining, an Aquascutum trench and a fab Uniqlo raincoat.

Plus – gorgeous designer skirts by Raoul and A.P.C., and a floaty silk Reiss dress…….

Look out for luxury knitwear moving on to the sale rails too – don’t forget that small holes or bobbling are easy to rectify on most knitted items so don’t be put off (just don’t sell them on if you’ve mended holes).

Maison Martin Margiela and more

Not a bad day at all today! Here’s what I bought……….

Ghost jacket
Maison Martin Margiela for H&M dress (see picture below!)
COS dress
Levi’s trucker jacket (brand new!)
DKNY jumper
Oliver Spencer tweed jacket

So all in all, pretty good. I’m especially pleased about the H&M dress because as collaborations go this is one of the most popular, and one that I haven’t found secondhand before. I’ve decided to sell this one as it’s not quite my look – but it might be yours!?

A word about designer/high street collaborations – I love them but not all are popular with buyers. Check before you shell out too much.

Advice for potential sellers

A very lean buying day today so no bargains to share!

For anyone interested in starting a fashion retail business I thought I’d share a bit about customer service – a really boring phrase but vital for growing your business.

Fashion resale has a poor reputation for its customer service – just google reviews of any of the major reselling sites. There are problems for both buyers and sellers, particularly when there’s a dispute.

So how should you deal with a complaint? Simple. The customer is always right! Even if you strongly disagree with their complaint, take it on the chin and refund them in full without any grumbling.

Why do this? Well it’s the age old cliche of turning a negative into a positive. Buyers will be impressed with your quick and positive response, therefore much more likely to visit your store again, and recommend it to others. You might make a small short term loss but trust me, it’ll be worth it in the long run!

Welcome

Hi, and welcome to My Preloved Wardrobe – hopefully soon to be your new favourite fashion blog (with a difference).

Quick introduction – I am a full time secondhand fashion buyer and have built up a pretty successful eBay business selling some of the amazing clothes I find – some from private clients of mine, and some from secondhand and charity shops. Over the last ten years interest has grown substantially in the secondhand market – be it for financial or ethical reasons.

These days I get asked so many questions about it that I’ve decided to start this blog. I aim to share with you some of the frankly unbelievable clothes I find and answer your questions on anything from what and where to buy, to how to run a successful eBay store. Mainly I just want to share pictures of clothes!

What did I find in the secondhand shops today!?

Just a selection of what I bought today – all available in my eBay store

La Perla jacket (brand new!)
Joseph sequin dress
YMC jacket
COS skirt (brand new!)
Tucker blouse
Sandro tiger sweater
Sandro bulldog sweater
Sandro ‘S’ sweater
Goat dress
American Vintage jacket
Sandro t-shirt

Get in touch via the comments box below – I’ll be back soon with my latest finds. Don’t forget my eBay store is just a click away at the top of the page!