The best search terms for browsing pre-loved fashion online, according to fashion people
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EBAY
PHOTOGRAPHER – CATHY MARSHALL
STYLIST – MOLLY JOHNSTONE
MAKEUP – MEG McCONVILLE
MODEL – EMMA @ PEOPLE AGENCY
WORDS BY ALLIE DAISY KING
Eight Australian creatives divulge their secrets to panning for pre-loved fashion gold.
As the old adage goes, one fashion girlie’s trash is another fashion girlie’s treasure. Wardrobe resale has become a pivotal part of our fashion community in recent years, with a growing number of Australian content creators exclusively devoting themselves to documenting pre-loved clothing.
But if you’re anything like me, you’ll have found yourself at one time or another wondering how these impeccably dressed people, with such immaculate taste, have managed to hunt down these incredible pieces. With such a volume of pre-loved clothing out there, it can be overwhelming (and prohibitively time-consuming) to sift through thousands of listings to find those golden pieces that suit your style, be it a perfectly breezy Alemais dress, an expertly tailored jacket from Camilla and Marc, or a Gucci shirt from the ’90s you‘ll never again find.
For more on the circular economy, head to our Pre-Loved section.
There are shortcuts, thankfully. From using highly specific search terms to sharpening your eBay algorithm just so, eight Australian creatives divulge their secrets to panning for gold in the ever-expansive online shopping landscape.
Erin Novick (she/her), fashion designer
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My best eBay finds have always come from searching vague terms and filtering by pre-owned, then colour, shape and material. The people who are more likely to be selling gems for less than they’re actually worth are the same people who are less likely to focus on marketing them.
My secondhand Tabi boots were listed as ‘Margiela leather boots’ for far below the retail price, found only from vague search terms and hours of scrolling. It takes time to find something good but you’d be surprised how many great pieces there are under ‘black silk dress’ or ‘leather shoulder bag’ when you’re using the right filters.
The people on [other platforms] know too much, they will price anything good higher than what it’s worth. eBay is much more sound when it comes to pricing. I found the perfect vintage leather jacket after hours of scrolling the search term ’brown leather jacket‘ and ended up paying more for shipping than the jacket itself.
Another goldmine is searching for older Aussie brands. They don’t retain resale value and are ridiculously underrated, so people offload them for cheap! The perfect cardigan can be found on eBay for under $50 by searching the brand ‘Alannah Hill’, one of my faves from the early 2010s.
Berniece Andrews (she/her), fashion student and designer
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My style has increasingly embraced Y2K fashion lately, making online shopping for vintage staple pieces essential. I frequently browse with keywords like ‘Y2K’ and ‘Vintage 90s’. They bring up a lot of nostalgic fashion, including some of my favourite early-2000s brands, like Juicy Couture, that really defined that era. Since a handful of celebrities epitomised the Y2K aesthetic, I often include their names in my searches to further enhance my hunt for similar clothing from that era.
Annika Nielsen (she/her), content creator
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The best tip I have is to know the actual name of the style you’re after. ‘Vintage’ technically means anything over 20 years old, and we all know there’s a big difference between 2004 fashion and 1974 fashion. If you know you want a ‘drop waist, cap sleeve, A-line dress’, it makes searching much easier and proper vintage resellers will know exactly what you’re after.
If I’m shopping secondhand online, I like to search for some of my favourite brands, even if I know they won’t be there. That way, if they ever do come up or if there’s a similar style or brand, the app will start to show me those pieces! My last tip is to learn your fabrics and how to take care of them. If you find a ‘once in a lifetime piece’ but accidentally ruin it because you washed it improperly, you’ll be searching for a replacement for a long time!
Hattie Nixon (she/her), content creator
Thanks to my mum, I’ve been a massive thrifter and collector for years. Whether I’m rummaging through racks or scrolling secondhand websites for the next ‘new’ item, I just know I’m going to find something good. When it comes to search terms to find items, honestly, I’m pretty loose with it. Depending on what I’m looking for, I might start with the brand itself and go from there. Some brands I search for are Celia B, Coachtopia, House of Sunny and Lisa Says Gah.
If I’m in the mood to browse and see what I find along the way, I love using search terms like ‘eclectic, chunky jewellery’, ‘colourful’, ‘vintage florals’, ‘kitsch’, ‘puff sleeve’, ‘bold colour’ and ‘sustainable’. From there, I can find items I like and then scroll to the other similar pieces shown underneath. Then, I can go into one of those items, scroll down and choose another, then scroll and – you get it. It’s a whole process. But, I think, if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, it’s the best way to dig through what’s for sale and start to find things you like.
Ashley Belle (she/her), partnerships manager
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I think some of my best thrift finds have come from what I’d call ‘competitor research’. That is, searching the brands I know I love – Damson Madder, Ganni, Poppy Lissiman – and capitalising on online sellers using keywords like these to sell items that aren’t actually from the listed brands. They‘ll have the same vibe or a similar style, and often a much smaller price tag… close enough!
Michael Sun (he/him), fashion writer
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Like most things in my life, my approach to online vintage shopping is vaguely deranged. I will eye off specific pieces then spend hours clicking through 89 pages of search results before risking my entire life savings on some unknown third party webpage, entirely in a foreign language, that looks like it hasn’t been updated since 2004. I’m going to be so vulnerable and admit that I currently have about 20 Google alerts set up for every variation of the phrase ‘Marc Jacobs Heaven Virgin Suicides skirt’ … my DMs are open.
Maggie Zhou (she/her), writer and content creator
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Secondhand online shopping is delightful, albeit a bit terrifying. There’s so much good stock online and it’s nice to be able to trawl through clothes at your own pace, from your own digital devices. I sometimes scroll with nothing in mind, letting the algorithm take control (usually shopping with my sizes plugged in). Otherwise, I like to search for brands I visually align with, like Frisson Knits or Ganni. Alternatively, if I spot something I really like, I’ll make sure to suss the seller’s profile to see if I can make a bundle deal of sorts.
Kostantina Vlahos (she/her), model and creative
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When searching for pre-loved items on eBay, I tend to look for the same brands I find at thrift stores. I’m quite particular about the colours I wear, so I make sure to include that in my search criteria, usually only going for neutrals or black. Recently, I’ve been into vintage French Connection because I love their baby tee cuts. By consistently searching this way, I’ve fine-tuned my algorithm, and now the clothes I like always seem to find their way to me!
Beci Orpin (she/her), artist
Mostly I look for Japanese labels like Beams Boy, Comme des Garçons, Frapbois, Hysteric Glamour and Mercibeaucoup. Buying vintage tends to work best for me when I’m searching for something specific, say a T-shirt or white shirt or Bermuda shorts (my current searches for summer!). Sizing is key when buying from [resale] sites – make sure you have your tape measure at the ready before adding to cart!
Ready to start experimenting with search terms? Head to eBay.
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