If you’ve got a wallet and a conscience, it’s likely you’ve thought a little about sustainability recently. It’s difficult to buy anything these days without thinking about what impact it might have on the planet. And so it should be. Fast fashion can be extremely bad for the environment, so it’s about time we start spending our money responsibly.
Besides which, it’s rather nice to have one-of-a-kind, vintage pieces in your wardrobe. So, in the name of sustainability (and of course, fashion), we’ve rounded up the best places for online vintage shopping. Whether you want an untouched designer backpack or a pre-loved floral jumper straight from the 80s, we’ve got your sorted.
Rokit
With new (old) products being added every week, Rokit is the UK’s largest collection of pre-worn and designer clothes. They do clothes and accessories for women and men, with a particularly sweet line in vintage sportswear, ski and snow clothes and festival outfits. We fancy ourselves in this cosy, classic vintage Missoni knit.
We Are Cow
This beloved secondhand shop sells vintage pieces, but the team also make garments from salvaged materials. The retailer cares about sustainability, but also wants you to look and feel good. Which you would do in this repurposed Ralph Lauren shirt dress, now with spaghetti straps and O rings. Bonus: they have free delivery in the UK for anything over £50.
Beyond Retro
There are eight Beyond Retro stores across the UK and Sweden, if you wanted to experience the magic of sifting through racks of vintage clothing. Otherwise, it has an extensive but carefully selected range online, which is curated by fashion specialists who match modern trends with old clothing. If you want to receive your goodies by the next day, just order by 2pm. We’ve got our eye on this reworked Ralph Lauren bomber jacket from the plus size section.
Open For Vintage
OK, be warned: Open For Vintage is a luxury vintage shopping destination. Some of the price tags are frightening, but hey, you get free delivery if you spend more than £500. It’s teaming with seriously luxe pieces, many of which are not for the under-stated, like this black and gold monogram calfskin Gucci backpack, for instance. All items are from boutique sellers and you get a sweet 14 day window for returns.
ASOS Marketplace
ASOS has got its own vintage outlet in ASOS Marketplace, which sells from more than 750 boutiques. We’re quietly obsessed with this navy women’s one-piece ski suit – and we don’t even know how to ski. With all the usual convenience of an ASOS shop, only this time you’ll find all your classic designer labels right next to artisan-made products from around the world.
Urban Outfitters Vintage
The team who runs the Urban Outfitters Vintage range select one-of-a-kind vintage pieces to sell. It also reworks old material into new garments. For instance, how could you go past this classic checked flannel shirt?
Farfetch
Online marketplace Farfetch sells vintage clothing from more than 3000 brands, ranging from your big designer ones to your smaller boutiques. It delivers to 190 countries around the world and has local sites in 15 languages. We’d snap these Nicholas Kirkwood ballerina shoes up quicker than you can say “sustainability”.
St Cyr Vintage
So, St Cyr Vintage started out as a small vintage shop in Camden markets, focused on local brands. It still has an outlet there (perhaps Taylor Swift can swing by on her afternoon stroll with Joe Alwyn), but it’s expanded since the humble beginnings in 2009 and now runs a raging online store. We’re low-key obsessed with these red 1980s vintage shell earrings.
Pennies Vintage
Pennies Vintage has a physical shop in Islington, London, where you could spend hours sifting through their glorious wares. You can also check out its stock online, of course. It’s especially good with carefully maintained, original vintage wedding dresses, which we can’t stop clicking through. If we were to get married anytime soon, we might consider this lace dress from the 1940s.
Mero Retro
Mero Retro operates out of a sweet store in Dalston, East London, so you can still get that in-person shopping experience if you want it. It stocks all sorts of hand-picked vintage goodies, but they’re especially proud of their kimonos, their Nepalese garments and their own range of organic Fairtrade cotton T-shirts. We’re wondering if we could pull off this pale blue silk kimono jacket.
Oxfam
Of course you can find Oxfam shops all over the country, with proceeds raising money for all sorts of global issues like access to water, education, equality and women’s empowerment. So you can feel especially altruistic about any purchases you make here, starting perhaps with this vintage Laura Ashley Sheer Layer Maxi Dress in a size 12.
Regathered, via Etsy
Regathered is a seller from Huddersfield, England, if you’d like to support a small business as well as vintage sustainability. She specialises in knitwear, children’s clothes, beanies, scarves, scrunchies and jewellery. We like this vintage rainbow ring, which is straight from the 1980s.
Thrifted
Thrifted started out of a Bristol student house in 2015, the company is now based in Essex with more than 15,000 items in stock. It also have a market stall at the Brick Lane Vintage Market in London, and of course, a website. They have designer items as well as affordable options. We’re a bit keen on these vintage high-waisted yellow Moschino jeans.
Hello Handbags
Hello Handbags is an online boutique that stocks clothing, handbags, accessories and handbags from 1900 to the 1990s. Every item is carefully picked for its quality, but some of them are imperfect, which only gives them character. We’re a small bit in love with this vintage clutch bag with diamond bow detail – aren’t you?
The Stellar Boutique
After many years working in the fashion industry, a woman called Stellar decided to start her own boutique – appropriately named The Stellar Boutique. She’s worked as a designer and a stylist, so she really knows what she’s doing. You can search for clothes, accessories and other miscellaneous goodies on her website by decade, meaning you can pick the best of the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. We’re quite into this 80s vintage jade green cardigan, tbh.
Retro Daisy
Retro Daisy wants to help you indulge your inner pin-up girl, with vintage pieces from the 1940s and 50s. They’re really inspired by a Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn aesthetic, so you’ve come to the perfect place if that’s what you’re after. Check out this Vivien of Holloway bombshell red sateen dress.
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