How to Find the Best Online Thrift Shops and Vintage Clothes
Vintage clothing is all the rage today. Why wear the same mass-produced shirt that everyone else is wearing when you could score a one-of-a-kind find in a vintage or thrift clothing store? Whether you’re after designer labels or just a cool, out-of-the-ordinary T-shirt, there are countless vintage stores and thrift shops that can satisfy your desires.
It’s not surprising in the digital era that sifting through racks of clothes in the thrift store has given way to the online vintage clothing site. Online vintage stores have the advantage of letting you rummage through much bigger virtual piles of clothing that have been collected from a much wider area. What’s even better is that you aren’t restricted to searching clothes from just your local neighborhood – you can search for vintage finds nationally and even worldwide. Fashionistas of all ages and preferences can enjoy themselves while sifting through the best vintage online stores.
Filters and Search Options
One of the biggest advantages that an online thrift store has over its brick-and-mortar counterpart is that you can effortlessly apply filters to the goodies in an online store. However, not every online vintage store makes it equally easy for you to narrow down your browsing options.
Shopping is definitely less frustrating on sites like ThredUP, which lets you filter items by designer, color, price, category, or, helpfully, the quality of the garment, from “new with tags” to “like new,” “gently used,” and “signs of wear.” Rokit also stands out for its extremely helpful filters. As well as shopping by gender, color, designer, and type of clothing, you can also filter results by size, by the shade of military color, and even browse by decade.
Some vintage clothing sites that don’t have simple filters do nonetheless invite you to search for the type of item you have in mind. ASOS Marketplace, Beyond Retro, and What Goes Around Comes Around also have easy search bars.
Designer Labels
Much of the joy of shopping vintage is the thrill of finding designer items at knocked-down prices. Some vintage stores specialize in selling only designer labels, such as Vestiaire Collective, which will only sell authenticated designer fashion. It has a huge stock of labels like Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Celine clothing and jewelry, as well as rare, unlabeled boutique items.
You can also browse one of the biggest collections of vintage Chanel alongside Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Gucci at What Goes Around Comes Around, or buy higher-end vintage from designers that include Chanel and Valentino from Archive Vintage.
The Thrill of Thrifting
Of course, not everyone turns to secondhand shopping for designer finds. Many people frequent thrift shops specifically for obscure clothing, bygone fashions, and unheard-of-labels, not to mention lower prices.
In addition to the thrill of the hunt for marked-down designer clothing, plenty of vintage shoppers and thrift-store loyalists are just looking for clothes that aren't the usual run-of-the-mill shopping mall brands without caring whether or not it's a designer item. Beyond Retro is a great option for interesting, different, and unusual clothes. You can find everything from swimwear to jeans, from coats to playsuits, all from designers and manufacturers who you’ve never heard of. Rokit also serves up a wide mix of clothing items, brand names, and non-branded items. While What Goes Around Comes Around presents many designer items, you’ll also find regular old-school T-shirts in the collection.
Is it Authentic?
If you’re buying vintage designer wear or want a genuine 1920s tea dress, you’re not going to be happy to discover that you’ve been duped by a cheap knock-off, which is why we really appreciate vintage clothing sites that guarantee authenticity. Vestiaire Collective puts effort into investigating and authenticating every piece of clothing that it sells so that you can feel reassured that you're really getting what you think you are. What Goes Around Comes Around joins in offering an authenticity guarantee that every item is hand selected and inspected to be sure that it’s authentic vintage.
Outdoor buffs and Patagonia loyalists will have plenty to yodel about on Patagonia Worn Wear, an official Patagonia site that offers authentic secondhand apparel from the iconic brand. Patagonia Worn Wear features a large supply of slightly worn, discounted clothing for men, women, and children ranging from jackets and vests to pullovers, packs, and gear.
Clothing Style
Although you can find a little bit of everything in vintage stores, online thrift stores tend to have a distinct personality. If you're in the market for a particular style of clothing, some websites are going to serve you better than others. For example, girls and women who are into floaty, dreamy boho and gypsy-style clothing will find heaven at ThredUP, which presents long skirts, maxi dresses, bohemian basics, and floral prints. If your taste tends more towards the edgy, eclectic, and super-cool, you’ll be better served at Etsy, the beloved online bazaar known for its eclectic assortment of found, recycled, and handmade products--which includes more than a fair share of vintage clothing and accessories.
Curated, feminine, and romantic dresses, skirts, shirts, and coats are on offer at Adored Vintage, which takes women such as Julia Child and Diana Vreeland as iconic style models. Shoppers after delightful vintage dresses will find the biggest range here. Hipsters will be happy browsing at Rokit, based in the extremely hip and trendy Camden Town area of London.
Types of Clothing
It’s safe to say that just about every vintage clothing site sells women’s clothes, but if you’re looking for vintage children's wear or menswear, you’ll have slightly less choice. Rokit stands out for offering plenty of men’s and kids’ vintage clothing, but it’s rather unusual in that regard. ASOS Marketplace, What Goes Around Comes Around, Beyond Retro, and Vestiaire Collective all have extensive men’s vintage clothing collections as well as large collections for women, but they don’t offer any kids’ clothing.
If you’re after vintage accessories and jewelry, you can browse through Vestiaire Collective, Adored Vintage, and Etsy for huge collections that span styles and centuries.
Discover More with Online Thrift and Vintage Sites
Shopping for vintage clothing and accessories online opens up a treasure trove of designer and non-designer clothes, bags, shoes, and jewelry for men and women. Whether you’re looking to save money on clothes or are eager for a one-of-a-kind dress for a special occasion, you’ll find that online thrift shops and vintage clothing stores like the ones recommended here can solve every clothing dilemma.
