Fall fashion is timeless. With its familiar deep-colored palette and array of cozy silhouettes, fall designs have remained largely unchanged over the course of contemporary fashion. As a fanatic for all things autumnal, fall is my favorite time of year — if not solely for the outfits I get to wear.
And yet, like so many other girls, every year I find myself looking for new pieces to buy. Scouring the Zara and Urban Outfitters websites for their newest drops, looking for pieces that will perfectly prepare my wardrobe for fall.
As someone who tries to prioritize a largely sustainable lifestyle, over the course of the past year I’ve focused my energy on buying the bulk of my clothes secondhand, investing in pieces that not only deserve a second life but are friendly to a college student’s budget.
In the brief time that I’ve been practicing regular sustainable shopping habits, I’ve learned several valuable tips and tricks that have completely reshaped the way I shop and search for clothes, which is something I believe absolutely needs to be shared as the fall fashion season approaches. So, here are my favorite places, tips, and tricks for finding timeless fall essentials to add to your wardrobe.
- Jackets & outerwear: popular styles & where to find them
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From trenches to leather to suede, fall jackets are easily customizable to every individual style. Not only does this make finding your perfect jacket more personal, but it also creates far more variety in the places where you can find fall coats.
Leather, denim, and workwear jackets are incredibly easy to find online. However, they’re even easier to find in person. Every thrift store or flea market in the Boston area is absolutely filled with racks of these pieces. While oftentimes incredibly expensive firsthand and secondhand, these long-lasting pieces are far more affordable and often more unique.Â
Good places to find jackets include Vivant Vintage in Allston or on Newbury Street, the Garment District in Cambridge, FOUND Cambridge, and various flea and thrift markets all around Boston (these are best found on Instagram and through Google, but they happen regularly on weekends).Â
Additionally, pea coats, trenches (both cropped and long), corduroy, and denim jackets are super easy to find online. For trendy styles, Vinted and Depop are your best bet; use keywords like “peacoat,” “y2k,” “oversized denim jacket,” and “cropped jacket” to find affordable, stylish pieces that will last for years to come.
- Jeans & denim: authentic Y2K pieces at Y2K prices
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Everyone loves a good pair of jeans, and in today’s day and age of seemingly unlimited shopping options, it can be overwhelming trying to find a nice-fitting, good-quality, affordable pair of jeans. However, as impossible as it may seem, all of these qualities can be easily found through second-hand shopping.
Fall has always been a staple season for bootcut and flare jeans, and there is no shortage of these online, often ranging from as low as $10–$20. Sites such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Vinted host a myriad of sellers with authentic low-rise fits and hard-to-find colors, sizes, and inseams.Â
My most successful keywords, used primarily on eBay and Vinted, have included “y2k bootcut jeans,” “low-rise bootcut jeans,” “low-rise flare jeans,” and “flared/bootcut jeans.” My favorite brands for low-rise bootcut jeans include “Joe’s Jeans,” “Vintage Aeropostale Jeans,” and “Miss Me Jeans.” If you tend to lean more towards a wide or straight-legged fit, Depop and Vinted are full of secondhand Motel Rocks, Levi’s, Pacsun, and Abercrombie jeans, oftentimes for a quarter of their original price!
- The perfect fit: finding your new fall shoe
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Everyone knows that fall is the season for boots. Whether with jeans or skirts, I’m a firm believer that everyone needs a good pair of leather boots to dress up their outfits. Buying good-quality boots firsthand can be incredibly pricey (I’m looking at you, Frye campus boots), but finding trending shoes second-hand is far easier than many people might think.
Searching in person is always a good option because you get to really inspect the quality of a shoe, but if options are what you’re after, then online shopping is your best bet. Online vendors, like ThredUp, sell quality branded boots, ballet flats, loafers, and more for reasonable prices. Being a large-platform seller, they ensure that every shoe being sold is in clean, wearable condition, and if not to your standard, returns for money or credit back are always available.Â
To that degree, if you care more about affordability, individual reselling sites will be your best bet. In the hours I’ve spent on Vinted, I’ve found countless Frye boots for well under $100. If you’re a boot fanatic like I am, you’ll understand what an incredible price point that is for shoes that will last you a lifetime.
If boots aren’t your jam, it’s incredibly easy to find all styles of Dr. Martens, ballet flats, and popular sneakers such as Onitsuka Tigers or Sambas on reselling sites as well. Although Depop and eBay typically have better seller quality, Vinted and Poshmark will be your best friends for finding those new with tags (NWT) shoes for prices that feel like a steal.
As tempting, and as fun as it might be to go searching for this year’s fall microtrends, shopping second-hand for your fall staples is the most sustainable thing you can do for long-term planetary health. Indulging in a fun trend every once in a while is never a bad thing, but with seasonal staples that will remain timeless classics, buying preloved will not only save you money, but will save space in our landfills and ultimately help to save our planet as well.
Happy shopping!
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