how to shop this winter's fashion trends secondhand

5 trendy but timeless winter staples

Hi everyone, and welcome to all the new faces around here! This post is running late as I’m in the middle of a move that’s eating up all of my free time. But better late than never :) here we go!

I’m no fashion expert or trend forecaster. But I love spotting trends on the streets and social media. Fashion is so often associated with “newness” and “urgency”. When actually, trends come around, go around and come right back around. Which means you can buy most secondhand.

So here are a few I’m noticing as the weather turns colder — they aren’t new at all, and oh-so-easy to thrift:

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1. Plaid

Plaid, tartan, flannel — it’s everywhere! I remember stealing one of my dad’s old plaid shirts in high school. It’s such a cozy pattern for the colder days, and there are so many ways to wear it.

For some classic plaid, flannel, shirts, go for any heritage brands, and don’t be afraid to look for men’s sizes.

Monica showing us how it’s done / Pendleton retro ad

If you’re searching on eBay, you can find any color you want for under $50 by searching for vintage Pendleton.

Like pink:

Or this classic green & navy:

If you’re in Europe, the French brand Aigle has got your back — I like the soft colors on this one:

But you might be more in the mood for a more feminine tartan skirt. You could splurge on secondhand Vivienne Westwood that you’ll keep forever (my friend Marta got one, and I cannot wait to see her rock it):

Vivienne Westwood f/w1993 - proving she’s the queen of tartan

Here’s a chic option from eBay — expensive but still half the retail price:

Another green one from Vinted:

Or this orange mini that’s much more affordable at 55€:

To find pants, blazers, dresses, skirts — anything, type in “MaxMara tartan”:

A classic for 50€:

Or a dress you could slip over a turtleneck

2. Pleated skirts

A good segue, since this winter you’ll find these two trends hand-in-hand: pleated tartan skirts. But you can also go for more minimalist. Any 90s brand will get you great results here: DKNY, Kenzo, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein.

Kate Moss at Calvin Klein f/w 1994 / Prada s/s 1999

Love this midi denim DKNY:

Or this mini leather one (also DKNY):

Another one from Marc Jacobs:

Love this striped one from Kenzo:

3. Corduroy

So much of fashion is rooted in worker wear but corduroy was reserved for royalty back in the 17th century — literally corde du roy (“cloth of the king”). Thankfully, it’s now easily accessible to all of us non-royals.

Carolyn and John, modern day royalty, in 1997 / Sally

There was lots of corduroy in the 90s so searching for brands like Edwin or Banana Republic, or good old Ralph Lauren will get you some great secondhand options. (Do all fashion roads just lead us back to the 90s at this point?)

Get Sally’s look with this vintage Banana Republic blazer:

side note: last weekend I accidentally dressed just like Sally above, wearing my grandmother’s brown corduroy blazer. that pink snack is “beschuit met muisjes” - a Dutch tradition when a new baby is born (pink when it’s a girl, blue when it’s boy)

These simple Edwin black pants are a steal at 12€:

Or these brown ones are the perfect find if you’re going for Carolyn Besset’s look above (and who doesn’t love a good bootcut for winter boots?):

4. Polo (knits, shirts, anything)

Polo neck collars have been everywhere this year, in all shapes and forms. Knits, rugby shirts, t-shirts. The last time I remember polo collars being so huge I was in 7th grade and we were all wearing Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostale (ifyouknowyouknow).

For the winter, I love a cozy polo knit. We already covered the brand Rodier to thrift knit polos in trouvé’s last issue. Check out my last piece for some linked Vinted finds :)

9 knitwear brands to buy secondhand

And if you’re going for an oversized rugby shirt look you can never go wrong with vintage Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Fred Perry.

I’d go for a fun color, like this pink one to brighten up darker winter days:

5. V-neck sweaters

V-necks are like polos: they remind me (a bit too much) of middle school. But fortunately it doesn’t need to look like this:

🥲

This winter’s trend is much more in this vein:

left image from Tricot

A chunkier knit gives a more relaxed look, and is much easier to layer. My friend Jenny was wearing a Ralph Lauren v-neck knit over a little turtleneck the other day and looked so cute.

To score the perfect v-neck, try Armor Lux, Lacoste or Burberry.

Here’s a nice buttery-yellow wool v-neck from Armor Lux:

Also love a good sweater vest, and this green is beautiful:

Love this bright red one from Burberry:

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We’re pressured left and right to get in on the latest trends as fast as possible — it’s exhausting! Shopping them secondhand helps me filter out this noise a little bit. I feel less rushed because everything’s already out there anyway.

What clothing items have you been noticing this winter and are excited to wear?

Thanks for reading 🩵

— Laure