The stylish man’s guide to finding great second hand clothes
I’ll level with you – my journey into second-hand fashion started out of necessity. At 34, I left my full-time job at a luxury men’s magazine and quickly realised it wasn’t normal to be handed multiple designer pieces daily. If I wanted to keep dressing well, I’d have to buy my own, and vintage designer clothing felt like the most affordable and fulfilling route.
Today, the garments I truly cherish are not the freebies I collected during my magazine days, nor the occasional new luxury pieces I’ve bought since. They’re the pre-loved blazers, trousers, and shirts I’ve hunted down over the past few years, each with its own backstory and (invariably reasonable) price tag.
My passion for vintage first sparked at a Giorgio Armani show in Milan a few years ago. Watching the Italian maestro’s drapey, tailored silhouettes glide down the runway, I was struck by how modern they looked. The designer’s signature style, which gained fame in the early 80s when Richard Gere wore Armani exclusively in Paul Schrader’s American Gigolo, was suddenly trendy again. As I observed, I realised I didn’t need to spend £3-5k on a new suit. Instead, I could find vintage pieces from Armani’s vast archive with the same timeless appeal. Thus began my obsession with sourcing Armani runway pieces, both online and in shops around the world.
My first find was an ultra-fluid, oversized Giorgio Armani blazer in petrol blue wool-silk from a seller in Australia on Depop. It cost me £100 and instantly felt special – beautifully draped, making me look louche, and hopefully, a little like Gere. I quickly learned to focus on pieces with the black Giorgio Armani Via Borgonuovo label or, at a push, the Emporio label. While Armani Collezioni is more accessible, it often lacks the quality and finesse of the main line.
From there, my collection grew. I scored a herringbone wool-silk mix Armani Jacket at Wow Retro in Covent Garden for £40, an oversized beige cupro Emporio blazer at Good also in the Covent Garden area for £100, and my current favourite – an unlined jacket in iridescent silk, which I found on Vinted for £24. It’s finished with a slightly twee paisley pattern and features Mr Armani’s preferred mandarin collar. I wear it with denim to make it feel current and I receive more compliments on it than any other garment I own. When the jacket arrived, the thrill was unlike any I’d ever felt buying something new. I had used my knowledge and taste to uncover a unique bargain, and I was proud of it. One man’s trash, indeed.
That’s the beauty of buying vintage. There’s something uniquely satisfying about finding a piece you love, that costs little, and that no one else will have. People often ask how I deal with potential downsides like musty smells, moths, or the idea of wearing something previously owned. My answer is simple: dry-clean everything. It comes back feeling, wearing, and smelling like new – and, essentially, moth-free.
It’s also important to know which brands and cuts work for your body shape. For me, Armani’s length and drape suit my tall frame. For style commentator Raven Smith, his focus is less Milanese and more Belgian: “It’s all about stealth saved searches,” he says. “Be brand, size, season-specific. and wait. A three-year-old Dries van Noten Verner Panton alert bore fruit for me this spring.”
GQ’s fashion editor Angelo Mitakos, meanwhile, finds satisfaction in lesser-known brands. “I look for Dior, Gucci, and D&G, of course, but also niche brands like Patrick Cox for shoes, Vintage Gap for T-shirts (look out for the all-caps old logo), Hysteric Glamour, Vintage Jaeger, and Joseph. Daks and Aquascutum are great for tailoring.”
Lately, I’ve been broadening my horizons beyond Armani. I picked up a beautiful blue corded Cerruti suit from Good Vintage, as drapey as any vintage Giorgio, and a fantastically lightweight black Nicole Farhi suit for £50 at Broadway Market (pictured here with my favourite furry Marni Fussbett mules in acid green, which gives the retro cut of the suit an injection of modernity). The piece is likely from the women’s collection, but that doesn’t bother me. I also found a pair of wide-leg Wales Bonner white jeans at Retro Man Exchange in Notting Hill for £125. Though not the cheapest, they were unworn with tags, and a new pair would have set me back close to £600.
For online shopping, I recommend Vinted if you know what you’re after, and Vestiaire Collective for rarer finds – though be prepared to spend more. Otherwise, hit vintage stores and charity shops regularly, as new stock comes in often and you never know what you might find.
“Explore charity or vintage stores in affluent areas,” advises menswear consultant Luke Hodges.
“When I worked at Oxfam in Bethnal Green, quality pieces came through often. Volunteering there even gave me first dibs. Look for well-made tailoring - it lasts longer and can easily be altered.”
For designer and model Herbie Mensah, dedicated vintage fairs are the go-to. “Check out Mr. Vintage Fayre at the Mildmay Club in Stoke Newington. Portobello Market on Fridays and Saturdays is great for vintage leather, overcoats, and cashmere.”
Boot fairs require patience – you have to kiss a lot of frogs before finding your prince. But Mitakos sees this as part of the fun. He suggests the Pimlico boot fair or, if you prefer a bricks-and-mortar experience, Rellik Vintage in West London, which has been run for the past 25 years by industry maven Fiona Stuart. “As a fashion-led vintage store, Rellik’s trends are constantly changing,” says Stuart. “Last year it was trench coats, this year I’m feeling tailored trouser suits and great belts.”
If you’re struggling to find your style, Mitakos advises focusing on details. “Look for interesting buttons, unique fastenings, and different silhouettes. I’m currently obsessed with brooches – I bought six last week from charity shops in Sevenoaks.”
If all else fails, you could always join me on the Vintage Armani train. Just be prepared for some competition.
