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Is it just me or does it feel like everybody and their neighbour has been to Japan in the past 12 months?
That’s certainly how I felt before booking my recent trip in early October, after an overwhelming feeling of FOMO and a yearning to explore the neon-lit streets of Tokyo for the first time. The city is known for many things, including its incredible nightlife, beautiful temples and unique food scene. But just as high up on that list is their fashion.
They’re a global capital for style, meaning my over-worn Cotton On jeans from 2020 and sneakers with soles that were falling off were simply not going to cut it for my trip.
Another small snag was that planning a trip to Japan is no cheap feat, so if I wanted to afford to go while also not sacrificing my style, I had to think smart.
Vinted was my saviour
Ever since Vinted became available in Australia, I fear I have lost my entire personality to this app. Or maybe, it’s enhanced it? We can only hope. That’s up to the discretion of my friends, family and co-workers who have had to endure my ramblings about how good (and oftentimes so, so cheap!) my purchases have been.
“I love your top,” a co-worker said innocently a few months ago, before she knew better. “Where’s it from?”
“Vinted,” I said. “Four dollars. Shipping was also only a couple dollars. It came from the UK. I have twelve more packages arriving this week.” I say this the way other people say they’ve found God.
For those that haven’t hopped on the Vinted train, it’s a second-hand clothing app, much like Depop or eBay, except shipping from the UK sometimes costs about the same as a coffee. Which means those European or American brands you’ve always wanted, but could never get shipped to this lonely little island in the Pacific, are suddenly within reach.
It also means my postman knows me by my nickname now. Still undecided about how I feel about that.
My addiction especially amped up in the lead-up to my Japan trip. I accumulated 27 parcels in the week before I left, all filled with an assortment of clothing items I deemed “cool” enough to debut in the streets of Tokyo.
It also saved my bank account, allowing me to spend more money at the 7/11’s or buy that overpriced matcha from a viral TikTok spot.
So, with that information forced upon you much like all my loved ones have had done to them in recent weeks, I now bequeath you with some of my top tips if you’re a newbie to the app and not impartial to a good bargain. And, I’ve also enlisted Melbourne stylist Emelia Morris, who actually knows what she’s talking about when it comes to fashion.
Get specific (and filter by fabric!)
Morris says the trick to shopping pre-loved is narrowing things down. “Whether it’s a colour, a silhouette, a fabrication or even an exact piece you’ve already seen, the more you play around with what you’re searching, the more you might be surprised by what you find,” she tells WHO.
Handily, Vinted lets you filter by fabric, so you can go straight to the linen and cotton and pretend polyester was never invented.
I’ve been loving the babydoll trend that Olivia Rodrigo had been donning across her recent tour. I was luckily able to nab a 100% cotton Glassons babydoll blouse that I had my eye on when it was released but it had sold out too quickly.
Match looks from Pinterest with photo search feature
One unique thing about Vinted is the ability to search from a photo, which is super handy if you’ve been seeing a certain trend or look on Pinterest and wanting to dupe it.
If you’ve spotted a specific piece, Morris suggests you “search the brand and the piece or screenshot it and use image search to see if you can find it pre-loved.”
She also says pre-loved is the low-stakes way to test a trend: you can “try one piece first and see whether it genuinely works with your wardrobe or whether it was just very convincing on Pinterest.” I have been personally victimised by several very convincing Pinterest inspo pics that I soon realised I had no confidence to pull off in real life.
One trend I have been loving however is the Mary Jane sneaker, and thanks to image search, I tracked down a burgundy pair based on one of my pins.
I actually got a few compliments on them while bar hopping at the Golden Gai, which again, was a big mistake for those girls who asked me where they were from and would have likely rathered a short ‘n’ sweet answer so they could get back to drinking, over my 20 minute pitch about Vinted.
Shop the Northern Hemisphere’s leftovers
Being at the bottom of the world finally pays off. “We also have a bit of an advantage here in Australia because we can already look to the Northern Hemisphere and see these colours being worn,” Morris says.
Chartreuse and turquoise are her picks for spring, and some of what UK shoppers bought for their summer is already being relisted, potentially barely worn.
Bundle to save on postage
If you find a seller whose wardrobe feels like it was curated specifically for you (it happens more than you’d think), bundle.
Adding several items from the same seller into one order means you only pay postage once, and many sellers offer a bundle discount on top. This is how I justified buying four tops from a woman in Scotland instead of one. I’ve never met her, but we have the same taste, and I think about her often…
Not just clothes, books too!
Vinted isn’t only for clothes. Books are on there too, often for less than their original price. From contemporary fiction (if you’re eager to dive deeper into the world of Heated Rivalry after watching the series), and even a lot of classics like Wuthering Heights, and Sense and Sensibility for next to nothing.
They’re an excellent companion for those long-haul flights or bus journeys while you’re travelling. For Japan, I brought Mieko Kawakami’s Sisters In Yellow. Plus, there’s something I find so romantic about a pre-loved book, knowing it’s already been enjoyed and getting to continue its little life elsewhere in the world.
Sell what you’re not wearing
It’s free to list and sell on Vinted, so sellers keep every dollar, and shipping is built into the app through Australia Post.
This was also a huge reason I was able to afford nights out in Tokyo after listing a few of my older items I no longer wear or fit in to.
“You can sell the pieces that are no longer working for you, put some money back into your clothing budget and use it towards something you’ll get more wear from,” Morris says.
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