The secret to bagging a designer bargain online.
I thought Vinted would be online fashion landfill, turns out it's a goldmine for designer finds.
When I created an account on Vinted, I intended to simply sell those items I’d tired of, never worn or that never quite made it into my wardrobe rotation. It was always going to be a one-way street. I’d seen lots of people raving about their Vinted purchases but I assumed I’d use the money raised from my sales to buy new and box-fresh.
Well, that all took a turn when I saw a white NY baseball cap for £12. It was brand new with tags, less than half the price of any I’d seen in-store or online and given that all I wanted it for was to keep the sun off my face when I went walking, getting it for a bargain price seemed like a no-brainer.
I snapped it up and a few days later, said cap arrived with a sweet note from the seller. My interest was piqued and since then I’ve bought a few more things and I’m delighted I did. I’ve found rare finds that were no longer available online but, in the main, I’ve hunted down and found brand-new items at a fraction of the price.
The key to finding a bargain is, in my opinion, searching with a filter of ‘brand new with tags’ and making an offer, a reasonable one, to see if the seller will come down. In my experience, both as a seller and a buyer, there’s always a little wriggle room…
I’ve bought about 20 items from Vinted but these five stand out as my favourites…
Midnight Rider x Free People Sonny & Cher T-Shirt, RRP £68.
I started with this one because I know what you’re thinking. I said I was done with Free People months ago and yet here I am spending more money on the very brand I said was like a bad boyfriend. My biggest issue with Free People was the running theme of poor quality but this collab is 100% cotton and it’s Sonny and Cher so how could I not? I don’t mind spending my money on Free People as long as it’s a quality I feel justifies the price tag and, in this case, it felt like value for money.
I haven’t seen anyone else wearing this and feeling as though you’ve found a one-off is always a little bit thrilling, right?
This close match is still available from Free People: Sonny & Cher Tee
My new personality is ‘walks for fun on the weekends’ and, as a result, I’m slowly adding durable, waterproof hiking gear to my wardrobe so I can navigate all sorts of terrain whatever the weather.
I wouldn’t normally think of Free People (yes, them again, I’ve got a problem okay!) if I wanted to get good quality outerwear. I’d do the sensible thing and go to Mountain Warehouse or Millets and get something sturdy and functional with endless interior pockets, pullies, ties and velcro fastenings. I couldn’t un-see this jacket when it came up on my feed. Stylish, functional, brand new and less than half the price. I’ve never clicked ‘buy now’ so quickly.
Plus, I’m delighted to report that it stands up against rain and wind and has already accompanied me on a few wet walks and kept me dry and warm. For all the negatives of Free People, I can’t fault this item for quality and style.
This jacket is available in an array of colours on Free People: Singin’ in the Rain Jacket.
I tried these jeans on last summer and fell in love. Not because they are super flattering because in reality I look like something out of Pigeon Street when I wear them but I appreciate the high waist and ultra-wide leg for supreme comfort. I’d never spend £160 on a pair of jeans that did ‘nothing for me’ but I would spend a little over £20 on a pair of jeans that I could ‘bum around’ in.
These are now my go-to to pull-on for working from home or running around the corner to grab a coffee.
These jeans are available in the sale from John Lewis: Good American Good 90s Jeans.
Adanola is a brand that’s caught my attention over the last year or so and I’ve bought some great pieces from them - mainly gym co-ords. Their style is fantastic but, for my money, the quality is a little lacking. I saw this co-ord on Victoria Magrath and loved how cosy it looked so added it to my search on Vinted. Sure enough, after a week or so, the Waffle Bra came up and I made an offer. It retails for £27.99 so the final price of £20.73 wasn’t a huge saving but it felt like a bit of a win. A couple of weeks after this purchase, the Joggers came up and I swiftly made an offer and snagged them for £39.74, which is a nice saving from the retail price of £52.99.
As comfort co-ords go, there’s nothing like this set. It’s been too warm to wear it yet but the joggers are comfy, the crop has some support and with a hoodie thrown over the top, you have something stylish and snuggly.
The waffle scoop bra is currently out of stock but these joggers are still available on the Adanola website: Waffle Pants.
I only discovered Scotch & Soda recently when I happened upon their Carnaby Street store. I searched for them on Vinted and sure enough there were a tonne of great pieces, all brand-new with tags, with some great savings. I found this shirt and snapped it up immediately. It’s a perfect fit and their shirts usually retail for around £70 and I snagged this one for under £30.
I have a few white cotton shirts and some of them are quite stiff, which means they wear me more than I wear them and they are an absolute swine to iron. This shirt is not too thick and not too thin and is the kind of thing you throw on and instantly feels as though you’ve worn it a hundred times before.
This dupe is currently in the sale at John Lewis": Dianne Heart Print Shirt.
Sonny was abusive towards Cher, so yeah, maybe you could have not after all.
I have bought Marimekko dresses from Vinted for bargain prices. I love Vinted ❤️