Why it counts
For years the case for buying pre-loved rested on an assumption: that a second-hand purchase replaces a new one. In February 2025 WRAP measured it. For every five pre-loved items bought, roughly three replace a new purchase — a displacement rate of about 65%.
That is the number that makes this worth doing rather than merely worth feeling good about. Alongside it came published per-item savings: second-hand jeans avoid more than 30 kg CO2e, second-hand trainers more than 12 kg.
It also means the other 35% is real. Buying pre-loved as well as buying new is just buying more. The intent matters, which is why there is a section on it below.
Where to look
Charity shops
Still the best value in the country, and the only route where your money does something else useful on the way past. Affluent areas have better donations; hospice shops tend to price low; specialist shops know exactly what they have. Go often and briefly rather than rarely and hopefully — stock turns over constantly.
Vintage shops and fairs
Curated, so you pay for someone else's expertise and time. Worth it for era-specific pieces, tailoring and coats, where construction quality is often better than anything at the same price new. Fairs and touring markets are good for volume.
Resale apps
Vinted, Depop, eBay, Vestiaire and others each have their own character and fee structure. We have covered them properly elsewhere rather than repeat it here. The sustainable fashion apps worth using →
Swaps and clothing libraries
Not buying at all, technically — but the same wardrobe outcome for no money. Alternatives to buying new clothes →
What to check
Ten minutes of inspection is the difference between a bargain and a bin bag. In a shop, take it to the light. Online, ask for photographs — a seller who will not send them is telling you something.
- Seams. Pull gently. Look inside: generous seam allowances mean it can be let out or taken in. Overlocked-to-the-edge means it cannot.
- Zips and fastenings. Run the zip fully both ways. A replacement zip in a coat costs real money; a missing button costs nothing.
- Pilling and thinning. Check underarms, inner thighs, elbows and where a bag strap sits. Hold thin fabric to the light — if you can see through it at the seat or elbow, walk away.
- Stains. Old, set stains rarely come out, whatever the internet says. Check collars, cuffs and underarms specifically.
- Moth holes. In wool and cashmere, look at the back of the shoulders and the folds. One or two are darnable — a scatter of them means eggs, and you do not want them near your wardrobe.
- Smell. Smoke and mildew are extremely persistent. Perfume and mustiness usually wash out.
Small, fixable faults are where the value is — they are why a good garment is priced like a poor one. Five repairs that outlast the high street →
Ten minutes of checking
The difference between a bargain and a bin bag. Then buy to measurements — not to the size on the label.
Getting the size right
The single biggest cause of unworn second-hand purchases. Sizing has drifted for decades and varies between brands, so a label is a hint rather than a fact.
Do this once: measure a garment you already own that fits you perfectly — laid flat, across the chest, the waist, the hips, plus the inside leg and the sleeve. Write the numbers in your phone. Then buy to those numbers, not to the size tag. Most resale sellers will measure a garment if you ask, and the good ones list them unprompted.
Two things worth knowing: vintage sizing typically runs one to three sizes smaller than modern equivalents, and anything that is slightly too big can be altered, while too small usually cannot.
Finding your measurements for online thrifting
Vinted, Depop and eBay have no changing rooms, and a size label from 1998 means something different from a size label printed last month. The fix is four numbers and a flat surface.
The most reliable method is not to measure your body at all. Measure a garment you already own that fits you perfectly, laid flat, and shop to those numbers instead:
Keep those four numbers in your phone. Then ask sellers for the same measurements — most good ones already list them, and the ones who refuse are telling you something useful.
Two practical notes. Add a little ease for anything woven and none for jersey, which stretches. And check the model's height in the listing photo: the same dress reads as midi on one person and maxi on another.
The neck rule for jeans — does it work?
The trick doing the rounds: wrap the waistband of a pair of jeans around your neck, and if the ends just meet, they will fit your waist.
It works often enough to be interesting and not reliably enough to trust. The reasoning is that neck and waist circumference are loosely correlated for many people — but the correlation is rough, it varies a lot between body types, and it tells you nothing about rise, hip or thigh, which is where most jeans actually fail.
So: use it as a rapid first filter when you are standing in a charity shop with an armful of denim and no changing room. Then check the waistband flat with a tape measure against your own number before you buy. The tape measure is the answer; the neck is the shortcut.
Buy with intent
Cheap and guilt-free is a dangerous combination. A £4 charity-shop dress you never wear is still a garment that was made, and it has displaced nothing.
Two habits fix most of it. First, know what you are actually short of — a capsule makes the gaps obvious, so you stop buying your fifth favourite jumper. How to create 25 outfits from 15 pieces → Second, know which colours work on you, because the pre-loved rail is where an unfamiliar colour is most tempting and least returnable. Take the free colour quiz →
Then ask the boring question: where will this go in my wardrobe, and what will I wear it with? If the answer needs three more purchases, it is not a bargain.
Care it back to life
Most pre-loved clothes need a little work, and it is the most satisfying part. A proper wash on the right setting, a fabric shaver on pilled knitwear, a steam rather than an iron for anything delicate, and new buttons if the old ones are tired — a set of good buttons transforms a plain coat.
Then log it. Watching cost per wear fall on something that started at £6 is one of the quiet pleasures of doing this properly. How cost per wear works →
The short version
Go often, check carefully, buy to measurements, and only buy what fills a real gap. Then wear it a great deal.
See our full guide: how to dress more sustainably →
Common questions
Where is the best place to buy second-hand clothes?
It depends what you want. Charity shops are best for value and serendipity, vintage shops for quality tailoring and era-specific pieces, and resale apps for finding something specific in your size. Nothing here is sponsored — none of these platforms pay us.
How do I check the quality of second-hand clothes?
Check seams, zips, and areas that wear first — underarms, elbows, inner thighs, the seat. Hold thin fabric to the light. Look for set stains at collars and cuffs, and moth holes in the folds of wool. Smoke and mildew smells rarely come out; most others do.
How do I get the right size buying second-hand?
Buy to measurements, not labels. Measure a garment you already own that fits perfectly — chest, waist, hips, inside leg, sleeve — and keep the numbers in your phone. Vintage sizing usually runs one to three sizes smaller than modern sizing.
How do I find my size when thrifting online?
Do not rely on the label — sizing has drifted enormously over the decades. Instead measure a garment you already own that fits perfectly, laid flat: chest armpit to armpit doubled, waist at the narrowest point doubled, hip at the widest point doubled, plus length and inside leg. Keep those four numbers in your phone and shop to them. Most good sellers list measurements; the ones who will not are telling you something.
Does the neck rule for jeans work?
Only roughly. Wrapping a waistband around your neck works often enough to be a useful first filter in a charity shop, but the correlation between neck and waist varies a lot between body types, and it tells you nothing about rise, hip or thigh — which is where most jeans actually fail. Use it to shortlist, then check the waistband flat with a tape measure against your own number.