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Second hand, second Brussels life

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10:02 27/05/2014

Brussels' crisis gives second-hand garments new life

Most Belgian locals and expats would say it is hard to look positively upon the 2008 crisis that took a hold of the Belgian economy and still affects us today. Yet oddly enough, one market has the same crisis to thank for its economic prosperity: that of second-hand alternatives.

Living in economic hard times, people in Belgium began back in 2008 to look at second-hand alternatives when making purchases. Thus began the second-hand boom in Belgium, where, according to market research firm iVOX, the number of Belgians buying second-hand was up 37% in 2013 compared to 2011.

With the economic factors in their favour, many already existing second-hand stores like Petits Riens or Les Enfants D’Edouard flourished. Meanwhile, other Brussels entrepreneurs quickly jumped on the second-hand wagon, giving Brussels its modern reputation as a second-hand hot spot. This includes Lady Dandy, Episode and Look (40 Rue du Midi).

Second-hand or vintage?

You could argue that even more prominent than Brussels’ second-hand craze is its emerging vintage scene. While many would say the two go hand-in-hand, mixing the terms can be a costly mistake; second-hand is by definition a used good transferred to a second user and therefore is almost always cheaper, while vintage can mean new OR second-hand garments, the key being that they originate or copy styles from another era. 

Due to their time-consuming preservation, timelessness or perhaps just overestimated value, shopkeepers try to sell clothes carrying the 'vintage' label at much higher prices. Gabriele Vintage, Peau d’ane and Foxhole are all stores selling very original and beautiful pieces – but for a hefty price. Then, in a league of their own are the Second Life festival, Second Hand, Second Life fashion show and Brussels Vintage Market. These events are focused on making vintage high fashion and quite fabulous. 

The best vintage stores in Brussels make sure to have a few bargains up their sleeve. Sussies, for example, has Stock Sale Sussies, which sells second-hand clothes by the kilo, and Look 50 at Saint-Boniface sells nice items at viable rates. Retro Paradise in Ixelles is Petit Riens’ selection of more retro or vintage items (but still at a reasonable price). 

Online

The latest of second-hand trends has joined forces with another Belgian consumer development: the growing popularity of e-commerce. According to a study from the payment processing company Ogone, the number of online transactions in Belgium went up by a quarter in 2012, with two out of three Belgians selling used goods via the internet.

Combining these two instances was how popular second-hand websites like 2ememain.be and Kapaza.be found fame. But now the concept is being developed with websites like Oh My Dress!. An online platform for the sale and purchase of second-hand high-end fashion for women, Oh My Dress! has taken Brussels’ second-hand market by storm: just a year after its launch, it already has 4,500 members and 280 regular sellers. More than 6,000 second-hand items have been uploaded, of which about half have been resold. Last March alone, the website had 20,000 visits, giving the platform a grand total of 250,000 visits since it began. Not bad considering the combined age of the founders, Arthur Spaey and Valentine Witmeur, doesn’t even reach 50.

Here’s how it works: potential sellers bring their apparel to the Oh My Dress! office in Brussels or send them by post. Witmeur, 25, then carefully selects pieces and suggests a price. If accepted, Spaey takes care of the photo shoot, uploading the garment and sending it to its future owner. The seller then receives a bi-monthly summary of all their sales. It’s as simple as that. Meanwhile, buyers can search articles by size and brand and benefit from a two-week return policy. 

“The idea is that people can get good fashion for their money,” says Spaey. “We wanted a user-friendly and professional platform offering second-hand products that look brand new. In other words: get rid of the unattractive, stuffy image of second-hand clothing.”

Oh My Dress! charges a commission per piece that can vary between 25 and 50%, depending on the selling price of the item. Most of the articles on the website sell for €35 to €80, which means a 35% commission. The seller gets 65%.

Stay tuned for the Bulletin's rundown of Brussels' best second-hand and vintage shops, online and in the city!

Photos courtesy Brussels Vintage Market

Written by Kelly Hendricks