The Rise of Pre-loved

My Valentino Tango heels bought from Vestiaire Collective for my wedding in February 2016.

The buy and sell culture in New York City was very much on the rise when I was there in September last year. New Yorkers were selling their used clothes, bags, shoes and accessories to fund another, often luxury, purchase. But they weren't buying new luxury pieces to fill the gaps, they were buying 'pre-loved'.

One website that has changed the pre-loved buying and selling landscape is Vestiaire Collective. Launching in France in 2009, the platform allows users to buy and sell pre-loved coveted items. It now services over 50 countries.

I have mentioned Vestiaire before on my blog. Their site is a daily go-to. I receive personalised alerts from them notifying me when a new item I am interested in becomes available. Very tempting I know! My Valentino Tango wedding shoes came from Vestiaire and they are still one of my most prized possessions.

When buying designer items, I make sure it is a piece I will get good use out of in the seasons and years to come. I'm all about conscious consumerism. While I don't intend to resell, I keep in mind the resell-ability of the item. For this reason, I keep the boxes and tags, and ensure it's stored well when not in use.

Vestiaire have a second-hand price calculator. This comes in handy when researching how much you could receive when reselling your item.

In Australia we aren't able to sell on the Vestiaire platform yet. But for my readers in other countries this is your chance to sell, save some extra money and make space for new pieces in your wardrobe.

Lei xx