At around 14 years old, just when I was starting to go through those awkward years of eye rolling, I began to develop a love for clothing. Admittedly, at this stage it was entirely materialistic and in accordance with what was considered 'cool' at the time. However, at 14 years old it's not easy to get the money together for a £60 hoodie (probably Hollister or Jack Wills at the time), no matter how well I washed my dad's car or how many cups of tea I made granny, I always seemed to fall short.

This is what lead me to Depop, eBay and ASOS Marketplace. I'm sure many, if not all, of you are familiar with eBay. Depop and ASOS Marketplace are similar in that you can buy and sell second hand, but with a focus on clothing. These three websites allowed for me to irrationally spend what little money I had throughout my teenage years. 

Now listen closely this part is really going to get your heart racing… The oldest pieces of clothing in my wardrobe are all items that I have bought second hand, and this is for several reasons. The first and probably most important reason is that these clothes never seem to go out of fashion. The second reason is that most of it is high quality. This is most likely because I typically chose  older ‘vintage’ items of clothing. Items which were made before companies were doing everything in their power to cut production costs. Some of the items I still own that I ordered in the early days of Depop include a Ralph Lauren Harrington, a Versace linen shirt, and a Dickies t-shirt - all of which are from the 90s. These items of clothing have all outlived many of the clothes I’ve bought new.

Now 22 years old, I continue to buy much of my clothing on these sites. However, the prices aren’t quite as low as they once were. Thanks to companies such as Depop, buying second hand or sustainably has become fashionable which, yes is good for the planet, but not so good for the bank account. Vintage Nike hoodies of a certain kind can now sell for as much as £150 when their original price was probably in the £40 region. There can also be issues surrounding reliability of sellers as they are often just your average Joe getting rid of some old clothing with no previous experience of selling or customer service. 

I’ve decided I won’t be buying off one particular Depop seller again after an unpleasant experience. Having bought a hoody off their page that took two weeks to arrive, when it did it finally turn up it was stained all down the front. This followed with MONTHS of persistent messaging to get a replacement as agreed which then turned out to be incorrectly sized (at this point I gave up).

These are problems you’re unlikely to face with Nearly New Cashmere. As Ali’s son, I’ve had my fair share of cashmere, much of it free and discounted, yet still I rummage through the bag of rejects on a regular basis. Many of our customers (you…) steal the jumpers I have my eyes on, the most recent being a vintage N.Peal jumper. Returning to work after the weekend I finally plucked up the courage to buy it, only to find out some bloke had bought it for himself over the weekend. Tragic. 

Since I’ve been working for Nearly New Cashmere, I’ve developed a better understanding of second hand clothing and what makes Nearly New Cashmere unique. Cashmere is considered a luxury material and therefore attracts a luxury price. Nearly New Cashmere, however, sells second hand cashmere for a fraction of its original price. Whether it’s a recycled cashmere sweater now in the form of a neck warmer, a brand-new jumper made from recycled cashmere yarn, or a second hand cashmere polo neck, the price is guaranteed to be fair.

In the early days, Ali wasn’t completely aware of the rather popular Ralph Lauren cable knit cashmere jumpers. I made her aware that such jumpers could range from £400-£600 on the Ralph Lauren website. Despite this, you’ll be pleased to hear that our prices haven’t really changed, and you can pick them up for as little as £40 on our website. There’s a blue Ralph Lauren cable knit on the website now if anyone’s interested? The fact you can pick these jumpers up for such a price should blow your mind really. What’s even more crazy is the magical reconditioning process they go through, but I won’t bore you with that today.

All in all, my experience has taught me that there are a lot of things to take into consideration when buying second hand. However, chances are you’re going to come out with something better in the long run, whether this be a bargain, or a more unique, luxury item.