Spring is here, and with a new season comes the temptation to refresh our wardrobes with all the latest trends.
But before you head straight to the shops, Melbourne stylist Emelia Morris says it’s worth looking at pre-loved fashion for those pieces you’re curious about adding to your wardrobe.
“I love trends, I work in fashion, realistically I’m always going to want to have a play with what’s coming through each season. And while I absolutely still shop new, pre-loved is another great place to look, particularly if there’s a trend you’ve been wanting to explore.”
With Vinted now in Australia, there’s another way to search for those specific pieces you may already have your eye on – or simply have a browse and see what’s out there.
“To get the most out of shopping pre-loved, I think it helps to get a little more specific with your searches. Whether it’s a colour, a silhouette, a fabrication or even an exact piece you’ve already seen, the more you play around with what you’re searching, the more you might be surprised by what you find.”
Here are the three spring trends Emelia says she’d shop pre-loved.
Chartreuse and turquoise
If you’ve been wanting to experiment with colour, pre-loved could be the perfect place to start.
“Chartreuse and turquoise are two colours that will dominate as we head into spring and summer.”
Australian shoppers may even have an advantage when it comes to tracking down these emerging colours, with pieces from the Northern Hemisphere’s spring and summer already potentially making their way onto pre-loved platforms.
“We also have a bit of an advantage here in Australia because we can already look to the Northern Hemisphere and see these colours being worn. Someone may have bought into the trend for their spring or summer, realised the colour isn’t really for them or simply want to move it on and it’s already made its way onto a pre-loved platform, potentially barely worn.”
Rather than searching broadly for a colour, Emelia recommends thinking about the exact item you’d like to wear.
“If you want to explore a trending colour like chartreuse for example, I’d get quite specific with what you’re searching for. Think about the actual piece you’d like to wear, maybe it’s a chartreuse button-up shirt or a chartreuse carpenter pant and start there. If there’s a particular piece you’ve already seen from a brand, the year even better etc. Search the brand and the piece or screenshot it and use image search to see if you can find it pre-loved.”
And if you love a colour but aren’t quite ready to commit to wearing it head-to-toe, accessories can be an easier way to experiment.
“And don’t forget accessories. If you love the colour but you’re not sure you want to wear it in clothing, have a look at bags, jewellery or shoes. Bags and jewellery in particular are great for pre-loved because you’re not relying on sizing.”
Lightweight technical jackets
The technical jacket is sticking around for spring, but Emelia says the style is getting a lighter update.
“The technical jacket isn’t going anywhere for spring, but we’ll see it become a lot lighter, think lightweight nylon, funnel necks, sporty zip-through styles and windbreakers.”
This is a trend Emelia would particularly look for pre-loved, and she recommends broadening your search beyond traditional fashion labels.
“This is one I’d definitely look for pre-loved. I’d look beyond fashion brands too, sportswear and outdoor brands are a great place to search and there can be so much more available once you broaden what you’re looking for.”
When it comes to styling a technical jacket, Emelia says it’s all about creating contrast rather than leaning into a sporty look from head to toe.
“And I think the fun part is how you style it. Rather than going sporty head to toe, I love a bit of juxtaposition, a technical jacket with satin or silk shorts, a skirt or a more tailored pant. It’s that sporty luxe mix that makes the look feel interesting.”
For your Vinted searches, Emelia recommends getting specific with the terminology you use.
“I’d search things like lightweight nylon jacket, funnel neck jacket, windbreaker or technical jacket and then narrow it down by colour or brand if you know what you’re looking for and if you’re into vintage, narrow it down even further and type in the year of the design that you’re looking for.”
Dresses over pants
The dresses-over-pants look is also making a return for spring, and Emelia says it’s a trend that lends itself particularly well to pre-loved shopping.
“Dresses over pants are coming back in a big way for spring and I think this is a really fun one to explore pre-loved because you don’t necessarily need to search for a dress over pants look.”
Instead, she recommends focusing on the shape and fabric of the dress itself.
“I’d be looking more at the silhouette and fabrication of the dress something sheer or lace, a slip dress, an asymmetric hem or a more fluid style that you can layer over a pant you already own.”
It’s also a chance to look at pieces you might not ordinarily consider buying.
“And this is where I think you can have a bit more fun with your searches. Look at dresses you might normally scroll past and think about them as a layering piece rather than just a dress.”
When searching, Emelia suggests trying a variety of terms before narrowing things down.
“I’d try searches like sheer midi dress, lace slip dress, asymmetric dress, dress, silk or satin slip dress draped and then get more specific with colour, fabrication, or a particular designer or brand you like.”
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