The Most Stylish People I Know Shop Secondhand—5 Trends I’m Thrifting This Spring

Welcome to the Gen Z Mood, where I—Who What Wear UK’s 26-year-old social media editor—keep you updated with my mood of the month and the most exciting things I’ve spotted on the scroll. I’m always looking for new and thrifty ways to shop trends, and I’m taking you with me.

As a devoted secondhand shopper, I stand by the fact that some of the most interesting (and most-complimented) pieces in my wardrobe have got there after a thorough rummage of the rails in my local charity shop or late-night shopping session on eBay (the best are often post 2 am when you forget, only to be caught off guard by your Evri notifications a few weeks later). But as of recently I’ve not had the time to hit the shops so my favourite pre-loved tipple has been a cocktail of TikTok ‘brands to shop secondhand’ videos and apps like Vinted, eBay and Depop.

Maybe it’s the thrill of the barter or their pin-point specific search functions, but there’s just something about a secondhand marketplace with an algorithm that has my social shopping brain feeling very inspired—if a little freaked out by their knowledge of my taste levels… But I’m not alone.

Last week, after complimenting a few of my friends’ outfits, the conversation quickly became all about the last thing we bought second hand. “Thanks, I just got it on Vinted,” was the sentiment behind almost all of our recent purchases. Their app of choice and personal styles may vary (there are some seriously die-hard Depop girlies out there), but the common denominator at play seemed to be the fact we’d each sought out these individual pieces pre-loved. Doing the research and choosing to invest time into finding the right item rather than settling for a quick transaction.

Beyond my group chat, there’s a whole generation of shoppers curating their wardrobes via thrifted means. According to WGSN’s 2024 consumer insights data, “40% of Gen Z turn to resale to find the styles they are looking for” add to that 60% of TikTok’s global audience falling into the Gen Z bracket (1996 or later, if you were wondering) and you get an audience keen to engage with all kinds of thrifted themes content. Over the last year accounts like @maryannew_, @poxydreamgirl and @bethnicole.1 have garnered huge audiences by positioning themselves as secondhand experts sharing tips and tricks with users who return again and again to tune into their updates.

So with fashion month drawing to a close providing us with mucho trend inspo and a change of seasons bringing a fresh feed of new uploads to apps like Vinted and Depop there’s no better time to get your thrift on. For me, it falls perfectly in line with my ‘secondhand spring’, a challenge I’ve set myself to buy only secondhand this season, so you can trust me when I say I’ve put the work into this edit. From polka dot dresses to 00s sunnies, These are the trends I’ll be shopping and where I’ve found the best secondhand pieces.

Vintage Leather Buckle Bags