If you’re not already exploring Vinted for secondhand clothes, you need to be!
Vinted is now the UK’s third biggest fashion retailer, ahead of the likes of Zara, H&M and ASOS and it’s an absolute goldmine once you know how to use it properly.
Buying petite secondhand does come with its own challenges though. Fit is hard enough to judge from photos at the best of times, and unlike buying new, you can’t just return something if it doesn’t work. The upside is that you’re never really stuck with it either, since you can always resell it on and try again. So it’s a bit of a gamble each time, but one worth taking once you know what you’re doing.
So if you don’t know where to start, or you’re already using Vinted, here’s everything I’ve learned for finding the best bargains and buying items that actually fit, my top 5 tips.
1.The Filters Are Your Best Friend
With over 800 million items on Vinted, it can feel completely overwhelming, and hard to know where to even start or find what you’re actually after. This is where the filters come in, and I love using them. You can filter by category, size, brand, condition, pattern, price and material, so there’s no need to just scroll aimlessly.
You can also use the filters to sort the order of results, and if you don’t set this, it’ll default to sorting by ‘relevance’. When I’m just browsing, I always sort by newest first. It’s honestly my favourite trick on the whole app, and here’s why. When a seller lists an item, Vinted suggests a price based on what similar recently sold items went for, and those sold listings are shown cheapest first. That means sellers often end up pricing lower than they need to, without even realising it. So the freshest listings are usually the most underpriced, before the price has had a chance to correct itself. Get in early, and you’ll catch things at their absolute cheapest. If I could only give one tip in this whole post, it would be this one.
If I’m looking for something specific though, I switch to sorting by price low to high instead, so I can see the lowest prices items first within my exact search.
2. Train the Algorithm, and Let It Do the Work For You
Vinted’s algorithm is super smart and super helpful, and once it’s properly trained, it can find the items for you. To get it working, you just need to start liking items, which lets the algorithm knows what you’re looking for and what you like. It’ll note the brand, colour, size and more, so if you’re liking petite New Look skirts, it clocks that pattern and will starts serving you more items from New Look, and more skirts in a similar design using the colours in the listings you’ve liked. YThe more specific you are with your likes, the more tailored your feed becomes, and the less scrolling you have to do. These suggested items can be found on your Vinted homepage.
Honestly, I find most of my bargains on my homepage this way, since it does the hard work for me. If I’m looking for a specific dress and can only find it in the wrong size, I’ll still like it. That way, it’ll serve me any new listings added of that same dress, and I’ll often find it in my size eventually. The same goes if I find something I love but it’s too expensive, I’ll still like it, since it’ll then serve me listings of that same item, and I’ll often find it again within my price range.
Once you buy a few items, the algorithm becomes even stronger too. It’s also really worth following accounts you’ve had success buying from, or other petite women you find on socials, they’ll often have a link to their Vinted account in their bio. Vinted will send you a notification whenever they add new items, so you’ll be the first to shop their listings.
And if you’re not already following me, you can find my Vinted account here, I do clear outs really often, so it’s always worth a follow.
3. Know Your Measurements
If you’re shopping for items you might not have tried on before, don’t own something similar, or you’re trying out a new brand, fit is going to be the biggest risk when buying secondhand, since you can’t try before you buy, and photos only tell you so much. And of course, you can’t return them, although you can always resell, which is what I often end up doing.
So the key to finding clothes that fit is knowing your own measurements, it’s your best tool. Know your own bust, waist and hip measurements, and keep them saved somewhere handy so you’re not digging them out every time you shop.
If you don’t fancy measuring your body directly, I totally get that sometimes that can feel hard, you can also measure something you already own that fits well. If you’re buying jeans, for example, measure the inside leg and the waist, and also take note of the fabric composition, since that affects the fit too. If your favourite jeans have elastane in them, something in 100% denim won’t fit quite the same.
If a seller hasn’t listed measurements on the item, just ask. Most are genuinely happy to grab a tape measure and reply, and it only takes them a minute. It’s always worth that extra step before you commit, especially on anything structured or fitted, since that’s where an inch out really shows.
Not sure where to start? Here’s my full guide on how to measure yourself (Members only), it walks you through exactly where to measure and how to get an accurate number every time (only for members)
4. Shop Brands You Already Know Fit You
For me, Vinted really works when I know what I’m looking for, or I’m browsing brands I know and love. I’ll often check if something I’ve spotted online can be found cheaper, or search for a favourite item in more colours, since I already know it’ll fit.
Use the brand filter to browse everything listed under your go-to brands. Some, like Topshop Petite, Next Petite and Missguided Petite, even have a dedicated petite filter built in, and Vinted keeps adding more, so it’s worth checking.
For any brand that doesn’t have a petite filter yet, my go-to trick is filtering by the main brand, then typing “petite” into the search bar too. It won’t catch every listing, but it’s a brilliant way to surface the ones that are there.
Once you’ve found a brand or style that fits you well, it’s such a low-risk way to build out your wardrobe, repeating a win rather than gambling on something new every time.
5. Don’t be scared to Send an Offer
Don’t be afraid to make an offer, even on something that already looks like a bargain. Most sellers, myself included, price with a bit of room built in from the start, expecting offers to come in, so asking rarely causes any offence.
Before you send one though, scroll down to the item’s info and check how long it’s been listed for. If it’s only been up a few hours, be a bit careful with lowballing if you really want it, since it might sell before the seller even responds to your offer, plus they’re unlikely to accept an offer this early anyway, as they’ll usually wait to see if it sells before considering offers. But if it’s been listed for over a week, that’s definitely your opportunity to send one. The longer something’s been sitting there, the more likely a seller is to accept an offer, usually because they’re keen to finally shift it.
The worst they can say is no, and more often than not they’ll either accept or come back with a small counter offer. It only takes a few seconds to send, and over time those small savings really add up, especially if you’re a regular shopper like me.
Don’t forget to check out the seller’s other items too. Sellers often have bundle discounts set up, so it’s always worth a browse, and you can send an offer on a bundle just the same as you would on a single item.
Bonus Tip: Vinted Is Also Brilliant for Finding Petite Shoe Sizes
If you wear a size 2, which can be genuinely hard to find new on the high street, you’ll have much more luck tracking it down secondhand here. Just use the size filter to search size 2 shoes and see everything currently available. Smaller sizes often get overlooked by bigger resellers, so there’s less competition and some real gems to be found.
Happy bargain hunting!
So, it’s over to you now. I’ve given you all my tips for finding the best bargains on Vinted, filter smart, train your feed, know your measurements, and don’t be shy about making an offer.
Give these a go and let me know how you get on, I’d love to hear what you find. And if you’re in the Short Girls’ Club, remember you can post your finds in the preloved group and share your Vinted listing or profile there too.
Want First Dibs on My Vinted Clear Outs?
I do clear outs on Vinted really often, so it’s always worth a follow. Follow me and you’ll get a notification whenever I add something new, so you’ll be first in line before it’s gone. Come and see what’s currently up for grabs, you might just spot your next petite bargain.
