In a world where “new in”, “while stocks last” and “as seen on ...” are permanent fixtures in our inboxes, it can be hard to cut through the noise of fashion marketing. Do we really want it? Is it even our style? (What even is our style?!) Or are we just following the crowd towards the same en vogue items?
Bestselling author and culture journalist Otegha Uwagba is having no such existential crisis. “I like things that make me feel unique,” she says. “Things I don’t think everyone else will buy.”
Instead of seeking identikit “it” items, Uwagba goes off-track with her “collection of ugly shoes”, and prefers to “take risks with clothes and bags, and wear things that are challenging to look at”, she says.
This offbeat approach to styling sees Uwagba blending pre-loved designer finds with out-of-season buys and inherited treasures – and recently inspired her to launch her own fashion email to serve the droves in her DMs asking for her style secrets. It’s also an aesthetic that lends itself to vintage and secondhand shopping.
Uwagba’s monthly newsletter, Add to Wishlist, is her curation of fashion finds: one-off items from eBay, discounted luxury pieces from Prada, Marni, Jacquemus and JW Anderson, and lesser-known designers. “It’s tips I’ve picked up as an ardent shopper,” she says. “My pre-loved shopping strategy and how to find high-end fashion at more affordable prices.”
Having spent her teenage years trawling east London’s Brick Lane with her sister, Uwagba is an old hand at rummaging through vintage shops, but online shopping allowed her to, literally, refine her search and advance to designer pieces.
“I spend a lot of time looking at resale and secondhand designer,” she says. “I feel like what you’re paying for with designer is the quality and originality of design – and the designer having vision.
“People are like: ‘Oh, it’s just about the logo,’” she says, “but I pretty much never wear things with logos on them and that’s why I’m shopping designer. Because I like how the item looks.”
Uwagba’s vintage Gucci Jackie shoulder bag is an exception to the no-logo rule. “I make an exception for the Gucci insignia,” she says.
Other designers that interest her include Rejina Pyo for her captivating silhouettes; Acne Studios for its feminine-meets-cool designs; Tibi for elevated basics; The Row for pared-back luxury accessories (see the “great classic handbag”); and YSL (the vintage bag “perfect for evening”).
Uwagba’s other most-loved secondhand finds include a pair of diamond solitaire earrings, Ferragamo Vara bow shoes, a Nanushka dress (bought on eBay for 10% of the original price), and a pair of ATP Atelier Costanza feather heels she’d coveted for years. “At the time they were out of my budget,” she says, “but I always wished I’d got those shoes.” She found them five years later, in the right size and colour: “It was a sign.”
It’s a good lesson in making designer styles more accessible. “Rather than buying something when it’s fresh off the block, you can wait a few months, there’ll be people selling it at half the price,” she says.
To help, she sets up alerts: “I’m always trying to hunt down the ones that got away,” she says. “Either I didn’t see it, I dismissed it, or it was out of my price range. I spend a lot of time setting up eBay alerts so that if the item pops up again, I can buy it.”
As more designer pieces make the wishlist, the issue of authenticity becomes key – which is where eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee comes in. By choosing blue-ticked bags, jewellery or watches, buyers can expect a multi-point inspection of their purchase before the item is shipped with its own authentication card.
“The idea that there are experts employed by eBay to verify items before they’re sent to me is reassuring,” says Uwagba. “When you’re investing that amount of money, you want those assurances.”
Having just finished renovating her London home, Uwagba’s current watch list includes a still- life painting and a chinoiserie mirror (the mid-century table and chairs we’re sitting at were also eBay scores).
Also on her list are a few fashion finds that may soon be coming to the Add to Wishlist email. A burgundy Chloé Drew bag, pair of Miu Miu kitten heels, JW Anderson skirt trousers (“that everybody hates, but I love”) and a glossy red Métier Stowaway bag have all been set up with the relevant eBay notifications. “Sometimes you have to wait,” she says. “It’s all about the long game.”
Otegha’s tips for shopping on eBay
Set up alerts
You can set up alerts for very specific items; those alerts will send you an email when your desired item is listed so you’ll never miss out.
Look at recently completed listings
If you notice a listing has ended but the item hasn’t sold, message the seller with an offer and they may re-list it as a Buy It Now listing so you can nab it straight away.
Make a note of when a listing is ending
It’s easy to forget when listings are ending, even with notifications. Make sure you write down or set an alarm for when a listing is due to end. Bid in the last 10 seconds to hopefully beat any last-minute bidders.
Found The One?
Once you’ve found the perfect pre-loved gift, The One for your one, you can make sure it’s the real deal with eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee – where blue ticked luxury bags, watches and jewellery are inspected and authenticated by experts. Shop eBay’s pre-loved luxury present collection
‘Authenticity Guarantee’ is independent from, and not associated with, any brands sold on eBay.
