Building a winter wardrobe second-hand: coat, knits, boots and layers

Start with what you already own

Before you buy anything, take out your winter clothes and look at them honestly. What did you reach for every day last winter? What stayed in the wardrobe? What is worn out? Make a short list of the gaps, in order of how much you need them, and buy only to fill them.

1. The coat

A good winter coat is the piece that makes the biggest difference, so it is worth the most care.

• Choose the type for your days. A wool coat for town, a padded or down coat for the coldest days, a waterproof parka if you walk or wait outside a lot.
• Check the fabric label. A high wool percentage is warmer and lasts longer than a mostly synthetic coat that looks the same.
• Check the fit with a jumper underneath. Compare the coat's measurements with a coat you own that fits over knitwear.
• Look at the wear points: cuffs, collar, pocket edges, lining at the armholes and buttons.

Our guides to how a winter coat should fit and telling if a wool coat is good quality go into detail.

2. Boots

Wet, cold feet ruin a winter day faster than anything.

• Check the soles for grip and wear, and the heels for wear at the back.
• Check the uppers for cracks at the flex points across the toes.
• Ask whether they are waterproof, especially for walking boots and wellies.
• Compare the insole length in cm with a pair that fits you, leaving room for thicker socks.

Our guide to buying second-hand winter boots has a full checklist.

3. Knitwear

Two or three good jumpers will carry you through most of the winter.

• Wool, merino, lambswool and cashmere are warm for their weight and resist smells, so they need washing less often.
• Check the composition label in the photos.
• Look for pilling under the arms and along the sides, and holes held up to the light.
• Check the cuffs and hem have kept their spring.

A cardigan is a useful extra, since it goes on and off easily between a cold street and a warm room.

4. Layers underneath

Layering keeps you warm outside without overheating indoors.

• long-sleeved tops in cotton or merino
• a few shirts or blouses that work under a jumper
• a fleece or light padded gilet for very cold days

Choose thin layers that fit close to the body, so they do not bunch under knitwear. Our guide on how to layer for UK weather explains how to put them together.

5. Trousers, jeans and skirts

• Heavier denim, corduroy, wool trousers and thick cotton keep the wind out better than thin fabrics.
• A wool or tweed skirt with thick tights works as well as trousers on cold days.
• Check the waist, hip and inside leg in cm against a pair you own, so you are not relying on a size label.

6. Accessories

These are cheap second-hand and make a real difference to how warm you feel.

• a wool scarf, long enough to wrap twice
• a hat that covers your ears
• gloves, checked at the fingertips for holes

When to buy

Autumn is the best time, when sellers clear their wardrobes and you have the widest choice before the cold arrives. Late winter can bring bargains on pieces sellers want gone before spring.

Check fit before you buy

Sizes vary so much between brands and decades that a label is not enough, especially for coats, which need to fit over other layers. Use the measurements in the listing and compare them with clothes you own. Our guide on how to measure clothes shows which numbers matter, and our Will it fit? checker compares them with yours. If there are no measurements, ask the seller before you buy.

On Rewear your payment is held until you confirm the piece has arrived and is as described, and you have 14 days from delivery to report a problem. Buyers pay a buyer protection fee of 30p + 3% on the item price, shown before you pay.

The short version

Spend first on a coat that fits over a jumper and boots that keep you dry. Add two or three wool knits, thin layers underneath and warm trousers, then the scarf, hat and gloves. Check fabric labels, wear points and measurements, and buy in autumn for the best choice.