The best second hand pieces to invest in this winter (expect lots of savings!)

Winter is a great time to purchase second hand pieces. The preloved market opens up a world of incredible high-quality craftsmanship and fabrics at a fraction of the price you’d pay for the same item brand-new. Not only that, but it’s also one of the most sustainable ways to shop. 

Many of the pieces that have been spotted on the runway that are trending right now will be easy to source second hand as they are coming back in fashion (sometimes not for the first time). Vintage stores are a great place to start. In Dublin, I love Badlands in Temple Bar as they’re always particularly well stocked. Flip, also in Temple Bar, is another great spot – they have a large catalogue of stock, albeit in a slightly more overwhelming environment. 

For a more straightforward way to shop, look for a curated preloved collection. The benefit of this is that the shopowner will have carefully hand-picked pieces for you ahead of time, saving you the trouble of trawling through rails upon rails of clothing and ensuring that you are getting the best of what they have to offer. Some of my top picks include Lou’s Lot in George’s Arcade, Loot on Drury Street and Agité’s online collection. 

Online, Imparfaite Paris offers a well-curated stock at a reasonable price along with Vide Dressing and Vestiaire Collective, two other places that will come in handy when looking for highly-coveted treasures.

Most of the items I recommend here are staples that you will keep for a long time, which is what makes them such great investment buys. Before putting this piece together, I spoke to the owners of several second hand stores, all of whom confirmed that they will be getting stock of the below in the coming weeks (if they don’t already have them). 

Shearling jackets

Shearling jackets are a brilliant piece to shop second hand. You can find really good quality jackets in excellent condition in many second hand stores and also in the second hand section of Folkster in Dundrum. They’re incredibly warm (making them great for winter) and once you own one, you won’t be able to move away from it. 

The style you will find in second hand stores is generally quite 70s/80s with an open collar, however, you may be able to find a more aviator style on online second hand platforms. For example, the Acne Studio jacket is a coveted style, but is definitely an expensive investment piece. 

Don’t forget to look in the men’s section of stores too – the sizing in second hand stores is generally a little smaller so you might be able to get a men’s jacket in a size that’s close enough to what you would normally wear.

Buying a shearling jacket second hand will cost you from €120 to €185, as opposed to around €1,500 new, so this is a piece you can make incredible savings on.

Oversized wool or cashmere coats

Beautiful woollen coats just aren’t made the same anymore… unless you have an unlimited budget, that is. But, shopping second hand means that you have access to a whole world of craftsmanship that simply does not exist anymore;  beautiful cashmere coats made in Italy, woollen coats handmade in England. The fabrics are incredible and the quality and craftsmanship are absolutely key – these are coats that could be 30 years old and have been designed to last over 100.

Think about the money you could be saving too. For the price of a preloved piece you would get a polyester coat that would not keep you as warm, with cheap buttons, sewing and lining. It is important to understand that all parts of a garment matter when it comes to quality and that some brands make savings by relying on cheaper thread, lining and fabric… all of which just leads to an increasingly disposable item. 

For camel, charcoal or black coats, be sure to look in the men’s section where you can get that lovely oversized look. Usually, a good second hand woollen/cashmere coat will cost you around €90 to €120, most of them barely worn. A high street piece will be much more expensive – €250 to €400, while a more luxurious brand (100% wool or cashmere) will set you back at least €900.

Bomber jackets

Left: Grey and burgundy bomber from Badlands,€40. Right: Burgundy leather bomber from Flip, €65.

The bomber jacket comes straight from the 80s/early 90s, which means there are so many second hand shops selling them. Some are closer to a varsity jacket, which can be really fun with jeans or a leather skirt – oftentimes, you will have a choice between bold, colourful ones with contrasting sleeves and a plainer one (often khaki or navy). Most are quilted so will keep you warm during the colder days. 

Again, don’t forget to look in the men’s section as bomber jackets are best worn a little slouchy and oversized for that laid-back look. This is definitely a piece that looks better second hand, the styles designers are being inspired by are the exact pieces you’ll find in your favourite vintage stores so why not go straight to the source?!

A fun second hand bomber will cost you around €40 to €60 in good condition and around €150 to €200 new. 

Chunky sweaters

There should be a lot of choice when it comes to the Aran sweater. The only issue with the vintage version is that it could be a little ‘scratchier’ than its more modern counterparts (progress can’t be all bad!).  Think about the quality you are getting though, and try them on to be sure of how they feel on the skin.

For cashmere jumpers, look to the more curated preloved stores. This style has exploded in popularity over the past 15 years, and you can find a great deal online.

Good quality chunky sweaters made with thick wool will cost around €50 second hand but €100 new. There is also a lot of choice when it comes to colourful Italian woollen jumpers, in very high-quality wool that will keep you toasty.

A second hand cashmere jumper is better sourced from the men’s section as they look even cooler when worn a little looser, in a neutral colour. Expect to pay around €50 for a cashmere jumper, more for a branded version. This is still much cheaper than a brand-new version, which would be around €90 to €100 minimum, or around €200 for a branded version.

Leather separates 

Centre: Leather blazer from Loot, €95. Right: Lambskin skirt from Imparfaite, €69.

Leather skirts have always been a must-have in any cool girl’s wardrobe, so you will be able to get a nice second hand one relatively easily – and for a fraction of the price of a new piece. The beauty of leather pieces is that they age well; if the leather was of good quality to begin with, then it will still look great now. Many preloved options are lambskin which are always butter soft on the skin. 

Leather skirts are a classic, but the leather blazer has now come back into style too and thankfully, this is another easy piece to find. Think of the classic 90s look with Julia Robert’s character in Notting Hill and Gwyneth Paltrow in Sliding Doors.

A second hand leather skirt in excellent condition will set you back around €60, while a new one will cost at least €150. A preloved leather blazer will be similarly priced and will usually cost anywhere from €80 to €120 – they’re much more expensive if buying new though and will cost at least €250. A lovely patina (subtle hints of aging that develop on genuine leather) on a perfecto (a specific style of leather jacket) will make it a little more lived-in and cool. This can be found second hand for around €80, but at least €300 new.

Tweed jacket

Left: Tweed blazer from Agité, €45. Centre: Tweed blazer from Lou’s Lot, €60.

Tweed jackets are an incredibly versatile separate making them a brilliant piece to have in your wardrobe, and you can buy a second hand version at much less than the retail cost of a new one.

Many were made in Italy, Ireland and the UK using high-quality wool and a level of craftsmanship and know-how that is now reserved only for the most luxurious brands (often at a cost accessible to very few). Never underestimate just how many areas brands can cut costs in when making a garment – thread, lining and buttons are important too, and with second hand tweed jackets, you are getting pieces where every detail has been mindfully crafted.

This is a piece you can wear as a blazer over a shirt, under a coat or over a jumper – you can also pop a light puffer coat on top if it’s really cold out.

Woollen blazers are a great piece to add to your wardrobe as they will look more tailored and put together. They will dress up a leather skirt or jeans wonderfully. Don’t be afraid to mix your tweed jacket with a colourful knit too.

An unbranded tweed jacket can be found for around €50 to €60 for a pure wool piece in good condition, while a brand-new pure wool equivalent will cost a minimum of €180 on the high street.

Levi’s jeans

It is a well-known fact that vintage Levi’s jeans are super flattering – they’ll lift your bum better than any shapewear will! The trick is to find the right size, as sizes up until the mid-90s were not the same ones that we know and use now. A vintage 27 is the equivalent to a 25 denim size nowadays (a small 8). Vintage jeans are also a much more sustainable choice – most pairs were made so long ago that their carbon footprint has now been offset… this in comparison to a brand-new pair of jeans which requires 1,800 gallons of water to make. Vintage jeans are also softer and more comfortable too, kind of like a second skin!

Pick a light blue for a more 90s look or a darker blue for something that would blend in more easily with a work wardrobe when paired with a blazer and loafers, for example.  

A truly vintage 501 is becoming a highly coveted item, so a good pair could cost you at least €40 to €75 depending on where you go and the condition. However, a new pair will be much more expensive, costing upwards of €125. New jeans also require much more wear before that “worn-in” look is achieved. Other styles, such as a pair from the mid-00s, will cost around €30.

Marie Shortt is a French stylist living in Paris. She offers personal shopping, styling and wardrobe detox services. For more information, click here.

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