Australian fashion people share how they snagged their best pre-loved find

“It’s incredible to me that I can always look back on how far I’ve come through a single garment.”

I remember the day I discovered secondhand clothes. I was 12, getting close to starting high school and completely fashion-obsessed. Except the fashion I liked wasn’t the fashion I was seeing in brightly-lit shopping malls. It was more Hollywood-style dresses; pieces that seemed to hug all the feminine parts of the body with ease.

My mum knew I wanted a ’50s-style dress for an upcoming birthday party, so she took me to a store in our neighbourhood. The owner was a vintage collector, and the store was a haven of styles I’d only seen in old films, vintage ad campaigns and editions of magazines from bygone eras. I left the store with a white lace sundress that cinched at the waist and made me feel like I’d stepped out of a ‘50s movie myself.

For more pre-loved fashion advice and stories, head to our Pre-Loved section.

Since then, I’ve not stopped. When I’m having a rubbish day, I search for my nearest op shop, stick an audiobook or podcast in, and go browse. If I’m watching a film and find a dress I love, I hunt for similar styles on eBay. 

Pre-loved clothing makes me feel a part of history. It gives me the freedom to express my creativity and the parts of myself that don’t feel aligned with the modern world. It allows me to feel that I can indulge in fashion, without harming the planet. And it offers great stories. 

The discovery of those iconic secondhand pieces always makes for such great dinner party tales. To the envy and delight of my friends, I can retell the moment I saw the bag, dress or shoes of my dreams. Every vintage shopper has a similar story, it comes with the territory of pre-loved fashion. From a Coach bag that goes with everything to a Miu Miu dress found serendipitously to Prada heels that fit like a glove, here’s how eight Australian fashion people unearthed their best pre-loved find. 

Charlie Rosenberg, content creator

In 2023, I was solo travelling around Europe, thrifting almost every day (as any thrift-lover would!). European secondhand shops are next-level compared to Australia. My top goal? Finding cowboy or biker boots. While in Lisbon with friends, we discovered a packed vintage store and at the very back, there was a small boot collection where I found the (soon-to-be mine) iconic vintage boots of my dreams. It was love at first sight, and no baggage limit was stopping me!

These boots hold memories beyond fashion. Every time I wear them, they bring me back to Lisbon and remind me of one of the best times of my life. If I’d found them back in Melbourne, they’d be special, but finding them while on such a personal journey gives them a whole new depth of meaning.

Every item I buy secondhand comes with a history and instantly becomes part of mine, which I love, whether it’s a cosy sweater from Berlin or a necklace I found in a little Parisian shop. Every piece takes me back to the place and moment I discovered it. Unlike regular shopping, these items stand out as unique mementos. 

@charlierosenberg_

Allie Daisy King, writer and social media producer

I think the fashion gods were smiling down on me the day I found this skirt. At an op shop in Waverley, I saw the beautiful fabric from a while away and made a beeline. There was something so unique about the piece, from the delicate fabric to the windowpane pleats and the perfect periwinkle colour, I knew I’d found something that I will cherish forever.

@alliedaisyking

Annie-Marie Cheney, eBay Australia’s Fashion Lead

It’s so hard to choose just one! My top three are a pair of Alemais pants I bought to complete a set (that was sold out everywhere), an Oroton beach bag just in time for summer and a Polo Ralph Lauren cardigan for my daughter. 

I always recommend a few strategies for finding those unique gems. Start by getting specific with your search terms. For example, instead of just typing “jacket”, try phrases like “denim oversized jacket”, “vintage leather biker”, or “’90s bomber jacket”. Being detailed with style, colour or even brand names can lead you to exactly what you want. eBay’s filters are helpful here, too, helping narrow your options while keeping your budget in check. 

For brand enthusiasts, eBay offers an impressive selection that includes iconic Australian favourites like Aje, Scanlan Theodore and Zimmermann. Knowing your preferred brands and having your measurements at hand ensures you’re not only buying pieces you love but ones that will fit and flatter. You can shop eBay’s pre-loved market with confidence, knowing that eBay has your back with its Money Back Guarantee. So, if the item you receive isn’t as it was described in the listing, you’ll get your money back – no problem.*

@ebayau

Liz Sunshine, photographer

I was having a matcha in Melbourne city, a break from photographing style on the street, when my scrolling thumbs paused on a Miu Miu dress from 2001. I’d been seeking a ‘French country’ aesthetic to soften my often hard-edge, masculine approach to dressing for some time, but no brands were really doing it in a way that felt authentic. Polyester lace and basic fits dominated what was available on the market, so in truth, I hadn’t collected much at all. 

One of my favourite vintage designer boutiques in Melbourne city had posted my perfect dress to its feed and in a moment of divine luck, it was in my size. Within minutes of seeing the post I had tried on the dress and tucked the cotton lace, wrapped in tissue paper, under my arm.

I think that if secondhand clothes are the cornerstone of your style, not only does it say you truly know who you are as you handpick items from jumbled racks, but the clothes themselves (so often ‘off trend’) become key players in defining your identity. It’s an uncopyable resource that rebels against the copycat culture of social media.

@lizsunshine

Alicia Millan, designer and founder of Aletheia and Phos

I was in Greece with some of my best friends and they messaged me to say they’d found an amazing vintage store. I left the cafe I was at and made my way to Mo Vintage in Athens. I’d never seen a store like this, filled with archival couture pieces from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. There were dresses I remember seeing in my mum’s Vogue magazine when I was a kid. 

The owner, Mo, knew every detail about every piece and shared images of them on the catwalk. He showed me a dress that a supermodel had worn walking for Versace. It was a surreal experience. I found a pair of Prada heels from the ’90s – still brand new – that immediately spoke to me. [It was] a strappy gold stiletto with a red velvet heel, a thick pink bow on the front and the same pink ribbon to tie around my ankle. A one-in-a-million find, and the perfect fit. 

One of the reasons I love secondhand shopping most is it gives me an opportunity to really express myself. It’s one of the only ways I can find pieces that I really connect with. The things I like are often one-off, things I haven’t seen anywhere else before. It gives me an opportunity to express my personality through fashion. 

Also, I don’t really want to be buying new things. I find that things that are older have stood the test of time, the quality is usually pretty amazing and it feels a lot more sustainable to me. The only time I really buy something new is if it’s going to be an investment piece, if I save up and spend that bit more because I know the quality is there and it’s going to last. 

@aletheia_phos

Mikey Sakinofsky, actor, model and writer

This was the first skirt I ever bought myself – at Goodbyes in Prahran, in 2019 – and I remember being so scared to bring it up to the counter for fear of judgment. I hadn’t even come out as trans/non-binary yet and I had so much internalised shame around wearing “fem” clothing. I even justified it to my parents by only ever wearing it over pants. However, it’s become one of the most gender-euphoric items of clothing I have ever owned. It’s incredible to me that I can always look back on how far I’ve come through a single garment. 

Secondhand and vintage stores not only house archival pieces of history that each tell a story but they also provide avenues to communities that otherwise struggle to access ethical clothing. For a lot of gender non-conforming folk, it also allows them easier access to pieces that can further their gender expression, without judgment. In some cases, it can be life-saving.

@mikeysakinofsky

Sophie Marcoux, founder and director of Ficifolia Fragrances

My favourite find is this secondhand leather jacket. I picked it up about two years ago and my boyfriend lovingly calls it the ‘Vanilla Thriller’. It’s mint condition white and cream leather, and the fit is incredible. I don’t think it was ever worn as I’m still breaking the leather in! Finding a white leather jacket in this kind of condition is so rare and it’s been such a fun addition to my closet. 

It was one of those rare circumstances where the jacket was actually on display and I ran in to get it! The part of pre-loved shopping I find most difficult is digging to find gold, but this jacket was literally the easiest find. It was at one of the secondhand stores on Chapel Street, which I know get sifted through quite quickly, so the thrift angels were with me that day.

My thrifted and vintage pieces are consistently my most-complimented items in my wardrobe. My shopping strategy nowadays is to thrift my ‘fun’ pieces and buy my quality staples new. I love breathing new life into an old item and my wallet (and the environment) also thanks me for it!

@ficifoliafragrances

Maya Madsen, model

This bag is definitely a ride-or-die for me. I stumbled upon it about eight months ago and I had no idea we’d end up inseparable. It’s a vintage gold Coach slouchy bag and honestly, I was a bit worried about how I’d style the gold. But when I love something this much, it just seems to work with everything.

There’s something so satisfying about pre-loved shopping to me because it’s like a treasure hunt: higher risk, higher reward. I don’t go in expecting to find something specific, that just leads to frustration. Instead, I let the thrifting gods take the wheel for the day. There’s something about cool, worn pieces that adds character [to my style]. They feel more lived-in and easier to blend into my own wardrobe; it feels more natural and like it’s meant to be. 

@maya.madsen

To unearth your next pre-loved find, head to eBay.

*For full eligibility criteria and all terms & conditions, read our eBay Money Back Guarantee policy.

eBay is not endorsed by or affiliated with any of the brands referenced in this article.