Do you know what you’re looking for or does each shopping trip just offer up a surprise?
I always have a kind of mental list of things I’m looking for which is mainly made up of the “ones that got away”, that way when I’m popping in and out of charity shops I can be a bit more targeted and when I’m on a site like eBay I don’t fall into a massive rabbit hole and come out with lots of random stuff. Weirdly, a lot of things I look for are things I once owned and had to sell to pay the bills when I was an assistant. Perhaps I am sometimes buying back my actual item—true circularity!
What are the mistakes you’ve made with second hand shopping that makes you better at it today?
I am not remotely mathematical and never measure anything. I also hate being asked to measure things when I’m selling. I once bought a beautiful mid-century desk but when it arrived it was toddler sized. Another time I bought a drinks cabinet and was amazed at how cheap it was but when it arrived it was about 15cm tall and was made to display tiny china animals, not bottles of gin. I narrowly missed buying an incredible leopard print faux fur coat, just realising at checkout that it was for a Barbie doll and not a human. I also make the mistake of convincing myself to buy shoes which aren’t my size because I really love them, I have quite a lot of size 7 shoes which are like boats on my size 6 feet. Some of my favourites are actually coming to eBay soon, watch this space!
What are the essential parts of your wardrobe that you bought second hand and couldn’t get dressed without?
I have quite a severe coat and jacket obsession. The thing I love about them is they can completely change your look and can be quite far removed from your usual style; you can be more experimental with what you choose to layer over a simple outfit. My favourite ones are a navy floor length cashmere and angora overcoat which almost touches the floor. It was £10 from a Hospice in the Weald charity shop and I bought it in the summer when no one else was looking for such a warm coat. My latest favourite is a vintage ’80s GAP leather varsity jacket which is worn in to perfection and brings me such joy every time I put it on. It was £40 on eBay and it’s received a lot of compliments this year.
Do you look to trends for inspiration? If so, how do you set about applying more sustainable methods to shopping for new looks?
I only really look to trends for work and now that I don’t work for a magazine, trends are thankfully not really a part of my life. I buy things because I love them and I like how they look on me. I don’t really care if they are “on trend”. I think people are sick of being told something is cool one minute and is not the next. This really is a construct of consumerism and companies pretending they are reinventing the wheel to get you to buy more stuff. Everything you want is already out there, you just have to find it!
What are you on the lookout for this season/year?
I have been looking for a plaid shirt to wear tied around my waist with a skirt. I haven’t found the right one yet, but patience is a virtue. I have also been looking for a Balenciaga city bag for quite a long time and have just found one for such a good price in a colour I’ve never seen and which makes everything feel a bit off, but in a good way. Next on my list is a really luxe hoodie with a zip to layer under light-weight jackets going into spring. My brother has a really chic Vivienne Westwood one which I’ve managed to track down on eBay, not sure how he’ll feel about that…!
