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INSPIRATION AND ADVICE
HOW TO BE A BETTER THRIFTER
September 30, 2020
All month long, we've been celebrating Oxfam's Second Hand September initiative over on ASOS Marketplace, highlighting some of our amazing pre-owned boutiques. This has been a welcome reminder for all of us to thrift our clothes and develop more mindful shopping habits. And what better place to do that than the ASOS Marketplace?! To mark the end of Second Hand September, we caught up with Marketplace's Vintage Manager, Charlotte Welsh, for some tips, tricks and expert advice on getting more vintage in our lives.
First off, what’s one common misconception about vintage shopping? 👀
Lots of people expect vintage to be a bit damaged, but you can get vintage that’s in perfect condition! Most of what we have on Marketplace is Grade A: that means perfect condition, with no marks and no stains. And the quality is really, really unique: it stands the test of time.
Why is shopping second-hand better for the environment? 🌱
At the end of the day, you're saving items from going to landfill. There’s so much stuff already made, that you can shop vintage instead of, or as well as, new products and that will reduce your carbon footprint. Even if you want to have one piece that's vintage and incorporate that with some of your new pieces, that’s one piece you’re saving.
Pictures: ASOS
What kind of stuff can I find on Marketplace? 🔍
We have a massive range of products! Everything from really high-end, luxury vintage to rare sports brands. We’ve got technical fabrics, 60s and 70s styles and loads of really nice accessories. We have branded and unbranded pieces at a huge range of price points.
How on earth can I find what I like? 🙋🏽♀️
Go through the edits first. Sometimes we’ll have a seasonal edit like our fall one RN, or we’ll have a trend edit where we’ll pull together loads of products so they’re easy to browse without getting overwhelmed. Other than that, if you know what you’re looking for, our search function is really good. Also, knowing your measurements is really key, 'cause sizing can be different with vintage, depending on when it was made.
How do you know if something is authentic? 🧐
We pride ourselves on making sure that we don’t have counterfeit. We have our own in-house team that do site checks, and all of our boutiques have to follow a certain process when they're listing. We have our Fashion Not Fakes inbox as well, where customers can reach out if they’re not sure before buying a product at a high price point.
Now, screenshot these glossary terms...
PRE-OWNED: something that’s up to 10 years old
VINTAGE: something that’s 20 years old or more
ANTIQUE: anything that’s over 100 years
DEADSTOCK: something brand new that no one’s worn before
