The disadvantages of shopping preloved: are there any?
The advantages of buying secondhand clothes are well documented by me in my blogs but what about the disadvantages. Here are some of the things I’ve read recently.
Quality control isn’t as high
This depends on where you are shopping. If you’re at a jumble or vintage kilo sale things are not carefully vetted. But every item that ends up on the Trash Chic rails is checked and on the rare occasion that there is a tiny defect I point this out on the price tag. It’s important to me that the items I sell are clean, undamaged and show little sign of wear.
Sizing issues
I don’t think sizing issues are restricted to preloved clothes. Some labels come up small and others large. This can be difficult if you’re shopping online unless you know the brand and how it fits you, although this can change from season to season. It’s more challenging if the item needs to fit perfectly, like trousers for example. You can ask the seller for detailed measurements before you commit. I’m always happy to do this. But I much prefer selling at my pop ups where people can try things on.
There’s less choice
If you’re looking for something specific, then that may take time but the great thing about shopping with sellers like me who curate our collections carefully is that the choice is often much better than in a high street store. We are not restricted to a season or style.
Less likely to find the latest trends
You may be surprised at the amount of people who purchase an item ‘on trend’, find it doesn’t suit them, and then immediately get rid of it so it can quickly end up as preloved. But why follow trends so closely anyway? I think it’s far better to mix and match, create your own style and wear what suits you and what you feel good in.
Lack of durability
I find this to be completely untrue as a lot of older clothes are much better made than those being churned out as fast fashion these days. Many vintage clothes will have been well worn by their first owner, but still have lots of life left in them.
Second hand shopping can take a lot of time
This statement I completely agree with. I spend hours sourcing quirky and interesting items for my rails. I understand that many people don’t have the time or the interest to do this but still want to buy preloved. At Trash Chic I’ve done the hard work for you and you have the pleasure of browsing quality clothes in a range of styles and sizes at affordable prices. If you’re searching for a particular item, I can try and source that for you … it’s what I love doing.
Take a look at the items for sale on the website or come along to one of my pop ups.
