The momentum for the current crop of July Fourth clothing sales has been building for weeks, with stellar savings piling up like the ignitable material inside a firework. The arrival of the holiday functions like a match; lighting up the deals and sending them flying into the shop-o-sphere for our enjoyment. And, unlike a fleeting firecracker, these markdowns will have a lasting effect on our closets — especially when team Most Wanted is on the case.
Before we busted out our s'more-grilling cages and King’s Hawaiian hot dog buns, we went on the hunt for the best Fourth of July clothing and fashion sales that the internet has to offer. And, what we found was a host of stylish goods on offer — from slashed-price swimwear to delectable deals on dresses and fuss-free footwear. We suggest perusing these wearable markdowns ASAP before their sparkle sputters out for good.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Madewell
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If you’re watching the current season of Love Island UK, you might have noticed a slight difference in the islanders’ wardrobes. This year, the reality show — long synonymous with fast fashion dressing — has coupled up with eBay, its first ever secondhand clothing sponsor.
With the climate crisis racing through all of our consciences, many of us are looking for new ways to shop more sustainably, but the lure of micro-trends, sponsored posts, and influencer partnerships can be hard to ignore. Perhaps, then, the next generation of influencers styling secondhand on screen can sway more of us away from fast fashion.
On the show, the contestants’ outfits are a mix of old and new, put together by stylist Amy Bannerman, who has worked with the likes of Dua Lipa and Sophie Turner. Bannerman describes the process of selecting the islanders’ outfits as her “dream role” and hopes to break the stigma around pre-loved clothing. “People think of it being old tweed jackets with moth holes and jumpers with holes in the elbows. But you can get full-on sequins and party wear, and it looks like it’s just come from the store,” Bannerman tells Refinery29.
Love Island’s shift to pre-loved is a reminder that this movement isn’t a flash in the pan: it’s the future of shopping. Nevertheless, shopping on secondhand platforms can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, Bannerman, a seasoned expert, has some valuable tips. “Just be either really patient or really specific,” she says. “We used the ‘suggested items’ tool a lot because it brings up all similar brands. If you know things that you like, always check that because it will show you stuff you didn’t necessarily think of.” Bannerman also suggests looking out of season and noting down the items on your wishlist.
Want even more tips for shopping on sites like Depop, Vinted, Vestiaire, and more? Here’s what five top resellers suggest to help you bag a bargain.
“Filters are your friend” — Pascale Davies, 28
Pascale Davies started selling secondhand clothes around 2014 to make extra cash while at university and now has her own vintage shop called Pascale Eliza. “You can find the most random and unique pieces so the process of scouting and selling them on to someone who will love them is really rewarding,” she says.
Now selling mainly luxury brands like Moschino, Versace, and Emilio Pucci, Davies recommends having an idea of what you’re looking for before you start searching. “A lot of these platforms are now so oversaturated that it can become an overwhelming and ultimately unenjoyable experience,” she continues. “If you have even a vague idea of what kind of thing you’re after, make sure to use the search bar wisely — filters are your friend.”
Davies believes that Love Islandis the latest evidence that the stigma against pre-loved is on its way out: “Secondhand shopping has been making a really important shift over the last couple of years and as someone so dedicated to this, it’s a great thing to see.”
“There are huge amounts of counterfeit designer items online so learning to spot the fakes is key,” she says. “Check the details. Stitching should be neat and uniform, compare tags with sites like Vintage Fashion Guild and legitimate vintage designer sellers (like myself and 1stDibs sellers). If you’re not sure about authenticity, don’t risk it.” Platforms like eBay and Vestiaire also have their own authentication features.
Other tips include saving your search terms, which allows you to be notified when new listings become available, and searching for slight misspellings of brands to find a real bargain.
“Scroll all the way to the bottom” — Danielle Mass, 25
Danielle Mass started out selling old items from her own wardrobe and, by 2021, she had a team of seven women working out of a studio in London rebranded as Remass. The shop is dedicated to original sustainable designs and high-quality vintage, which she sources abroad.
Mass also recommends searching for old label brands that are still around now for unique finds. “New Look and H&M did such nice stuff in the 2000s and ‘90s. Google what the old labels look like and learn them. Old clothes are usually better quality than the garments made today anyway.”
“Snap it up when you can” — Thidarat Kaha, 33
Thidarat Kaha started her pre-loved and vintage store, Archive Six, in 2015 from the trunk of a car. Last year, she started selling and lending high-end, luxury and rare pieces from a London showroom.
“Secondhand clothing has never been a weird, taboo thing for me. It was just something that we did. I opened my eBay account when I was like 14 and it was a great addition to IRL thrifting,” Kaha says.
“You find the best-hidden gems when the brands aren’t listed because some people aren’t as savvy or are simply not that interested in what they are selling. So you could just search ‘mesh printed top’ and find some ridiculous archive pieces,” she says. “Don’t get buyer’s remorse — snap it up when you can.”
Kaha sees shopping pre-loved as an investment. “I know that if a piece has lasted 15-20 years already and still looks in relatively good condition, it will last at least as long going forward if it’s looked after,” she says.
“Don’t let minor damage stop you” — Bo Brearley, 27, and Eve Brearley, 23
Starting their business Past Trash seven years ago, this sister duo has since sold over 50,000 items to more than 30 countries and recently launched a series of pop-ups.
“Tailoring your results based on country often helps,” Eve suggests for finding a bargain. “For example, if you are after an item from a French brand, you can change your location to France, enabling you to see items that you normally wouldn’t see.”
“Don’t let minor damage stop you from getting your dream vintage or secondhand piece,” adds Bo. “Often items only need a single stitch or a new button in order to give them a new lease of life.”
Also, set alerts. “Our mom had a Sonia Rykiel jumper from the ’90s that Bo kept stealing,” Eve says. “So Bo set up an alert on eBay in the hope of finding the same one for herself. Two years passed before someone listed one but she got the email alert from eBay and the next minute it was hers.”
“Search specific brands instead of ‘Y2K’ or ‘vintage'” — Asal Tehrani, 25
This September will mark six years since Asal Tehrani started Susamusa, a London-based, vintage-inspired label which has since been seen on Bella Hadid and landed Tehrani on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list. “There are so many clothes out in the world and we consume so much. This is why I continue selling vintage and every Susamusa design is made with end-of-the-line fabrics or rolls that would otherwise be sent to landfill,” she says.
To find decent pre-loved items, Tehrani recommends searching for specific brands. “I love old Karen Millen, or old Morgan, or Miss Sixty. So I would search those brands rather than search ‘Y2K‘ or ‘vintage’, as there’s often a premium you end up paying [for those].”
Also keep an eye out for people clearing out their wardrobes. “Once I found a mom who was selling her wardrobe from 20 years ago when she used to go clubbing and I bought her whole wardrobe in bulk,” she continues. “If you see an item or seller who has a few things you like, message them and ask them if they have any more.”
This article was originally published on Refinery29 UK.
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“It’s a marketing opportunity for large businesses,” says Eli Erlick, a New York City-based trans activist, writer, and speaker. “And at the same time, there are some really wonderful people, organizations, and groups that are trying to change that.”
Pride Month originates from the Stonewall Riots of 1969, when LGBTQIA+ people in New York City’s Greenwich Village led a six-day stint of protests and clashes with police, following a raid at the popular gay club Stonewall Inn. Today, Pride is a worldwide commemoration month that celebrates resistance against harassment and anti-LGBTQIA+ policies, both celebrating queer communities and highlighting the obstacles they continue to face from society at large.
“They need to start steering away from these sorts of outdated terms and symbols that we’ve used for Pride, like ‘Love his love’ and just the rainbow,” she says. “There are so many other ways to represent.” Ziggy Mack-Johnson, a New York-based queer creator and stylist, agrees: “I try to stay away from the [rainbow] flag because I think it looks so cheesy. There’s so much more to my community than just the flag.”
Whenever Werner is looking to partner with a brand for or shop from a Pride-themed collection, she looks for the company’s mission and work within the LGBTQIA+ community.
“I always want to make sure that the models they’re using, the language they’re using, is very inclusive and reflective of the world we live in every single day,” she says. Werner also highlights that both creators and consumers should pay attention to whether a company only gets involved with the LGBTQIA+ communities for Pride Month. “People like me exist, not just in June,” she says.
When it comes to actual designs, Werner says Pride collections should have something that she’d really want to wear beyond June’s celebrations — she points to Alo Yoga’s campaign and collection, which featured people from the LGTBQIA+ community in the brand’s signature sporty silhouettes with a tiny rainbow-hued logo, as one of her favorites this year. Mack-Johnson says that companies should also tap queer creatives and designers to develop these collections, so they are “expressing [their] own lives,” something that brands like COS, Ralph Lauren, and UGG did this year.
While many wonder if these Pride-themed collections are even necessary, others argue that, amid a wave of conservative legislation, harassment, and hate crimes, donations made from the profits of these Pride-themed collections are often a lifeline for LGBTQIA+ organizations to continue offering services.
One of the organizations many fashion brands partner with is The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQIA+ youth, which this year worked with brands like Avre, Vogue Eyewear, Guess, Nautica, UGG, and Dolce Vita to raise funds. “Beyond having a charitable component that supports our life-saving mission, our partnerships must be rooted in the shared vision of building a safer, more welcoming world for LGBTQ young people,” says Kevin Wong, vice president of communications at The Trevor Project. “Brands must be open and willing to boldly demonstrate their commitment to the LGBTQ community year-round.”
Over the years, the organization has also partnered with Macy’s, Lululemon, and Abercrombie & Fitch. While the latter has come under fire for its lack of gender, racial, and body diversity, especially after the recent release of the documentary White Hot on Netflix, since 2020, the brand has partnered with The Trevor Project on a year-round, gender-inclusive Pride-themed collection. (Refinery29 reached out to The Trevor Project for comment but has not heard back at the time of publication.)
Beyond donating profits and working with the LGBTQIA+ community to ensure Pride-themed merchandise steers away from stereotypes, Erlick says there are a lot more companies could be doing. According to Erlick, there’s a pattern in the way that fashion brands partner with larger LGBTQIA+ organizations during Pride month. “These corporations don’t want to take a risk on smaller organizations, on organizations that might be doing more radical work and groups that are donating directly to trans people, for example,” says Erlick. “There are other organizations, for example, that have taken explicitly anti-capitalist or anti-racist stances, and those aren’t the organizations that we’re seeing having the most funding.”
For all the complications of making Pride merch, at a time when LGBTQIA+ people are increasingly under attack thanks to policies like Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and anti-trans legislation introduced around the country, Werner and Dekoning say that fashion can also be used as a tool to raise awareness.
“I definitely think it is a good thing because we need to keep these organizations running,” says Dekoning. But she says that fashion brands still have a lot to learn when it comes showing up for the LGBTQIA+ community beyond Pride month. “Reaching out to the community and getting the community more involved would be a very authentic way of presenting products in the future for Pride.”
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