Vintage Dupes for Favorite Brands
This post contains affiliate links
If you currently like or have ever liked shopping for vintage clothing, you can see the signs everywhere…
Square toed mules, woven oxfords, overalls, prairie dresses: ethical fashion has a passionate love affair with vintage silhouettes, patterns, and colors.
It seems that every fashion brand, “ethical” and otherwise, woke up this year and decided old is in. There’s something to be said, of course, for reviving old favorites with updated elements and new materials, especially when the brand produces thoughtfully. And it’s awfully fun to see the styles I wore as a kid come back into fashion.
But it starts to feel needlessly wasteful to buy much of anything new when department and direct-to-consumer stores are carrying essentially the same clothing as the local thrift shop. There are legitimate reasons to buy new, especially when it comes to sizing needs, but if you’re shopping for pleasure rather than necessity, it pays to shop secondhand first.
Yes, you can shop the literal ethical fashion item you want secondhand in some cases, but I think it’s worth it to broaden your horizons. Instead of thinking in terms of exact items, sometimes it’s beneficial to expand your search to true vintage items.
Right now, most products I’m seeing are highly reminiscent of 90s and early 2000s styles, so always use those decade markers in your searches.
While there’s plenty to be found on popular resale sites like Poshmark, I highly recommend EBAY and ETSY to find affordable vintage fashion. Head over to the site of your choice then use search terms like the ones I share below to narrow down your selection.
What’s On My List?
I just bought a beautiful Irish wool sweater reminiscent of chunky knits from Babaa and L’envers and some chambray coveralls like the ones they sell at Muumuu.
Cheap Secondhand Dupes for Your Favorite Ethical Brands (and Where to Find Them)
If you like REFORMATION DRESSES…
☀ Use search terms:
All That Jazz, Ditzy Floral, 90s Dress
If you like MATA TRADERS DRESSES…
☀ Use search terms:
90s Cotton Dress, 80s Cotton Dress, Cotton Day Dress, Vintage Cotton Dress
If you like EVERLANE SHOES…
☀ Use search terms:
Square Toe, Mules, 90s Ankle Boot, Kilty Loafers, Glove Flats
If you like EVERLANE DENIM…
☀ Use search terms:
Mom Jeans, 90s Jeans, Vintage Lee Jeans (avoid Levi’s unless you want to pay an arm and a leg)
If you like WIDE LEG CROPPED DENIM (like the ones at EVERLANE and MADEWELL)…
☀ Use search terms:
Ralph Lauren Jeans, Culottes, Gaucho Pants, 1970s Jeans, Bellbottoms, Cropped Flares
If you like WOVEN SHOES (like the ones at NISOLO SHOES)…
☀ Use search terms:
Woven Flats, Woven Mules, Huarache Sandals
If you like ELIZABETH SUZANN…
☀ Use search terms:
Linen Crop Top, Linen Circle Skirt, Linen Full Skirt, Linen Trousers, Vintage Eileen Fisher
If you like GEOMETRIC AND ABSTRACT PRINTS (like the ones at MATTER)…
☀ Use search terms:
1980s Dress, 1970s Dress, Mod, Retro Print, 1980s Geometric Print, Triangle Print
If you like CHRISTIE DAWN…
☀ Use search terms:
1970s Dress, Boho Dress, Hippie Dress, Gunne Sax, 1960s Dress, Vintage Wool, 90s grunge maxi dress
If you like CHUNKY KNIT SWEATERS (like the ones at L’ENVERS and BABAA)…
☀ Use search terms:
Irish Wool Sweater, Carraig Donn Cardigan, Vintage Wool Cardigan, Vintage Cashmere Cardigan
If you like COVERALLS (like the ones at MUUMUU and BACKBEAT Co.)…
☀ Use search terms:
Vintage Coveralls, Vintage Button Down Jumpsuit, Cotton Coveralls, Linen Coveralls
There are hundreds of ways to frame your search, so keep trying until you find the magic, one of a kind item that ticks all the boxes.
What are your favorite secondhand and vintage scores? How did you find them?
Leah Wise
Leah Wise is the founder of StyleWise Blog. She has been writing, speaking, and consulting on sustainable fashion, the fair trade and secondhand supply chain, and digital marketing for over ten years. An Episcopal priest, Leah holds a B.A. in Religion from Florida State University and an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School. When not working, you can find her looking for treasures at the thrift store.