Did you all have a great, very long weekend?! By Saturday, I had lost track of what day it was! One evening, we went out with friends to celebrate a birthday. We had lots of fun and a beautiful evening weather-wise.
I shared my outfit on social media, but I was wearing two items that I found via The Real Real, one of my favorite sources for second-hand designer pieces. I was wearing a Hermes enamel bangle and a Mark Cross pink handbag, which were both Real Real finds.
As much as I love Target, Amazon, and Nordstrom sales that are all arriving this month, I think there is no better feeling than finding a high-quality designer that is very gently used for a deep discount. It's similar to buying antique furniture vs. big box furniture these days. You get hard-to-find quality for much less than new, lower-quality items.
Also, Pittsburgh has a real shortage of designer stores. There is nowhere to purchase Chanel or Hermes here. Not only is designer shopping bleak here, but overall shopping is dismal.
Now, there are things you may not want to buy secondhand. You have to pay attention to shoes because I think they can get a little icky if they're heavily used. But I've found new-in-box shoes many times. When I buy a Hermes scarf, I make sure it is pristine and also get it dry-cleaned. I don't typically buy anything like a cashmere or wool sweater just because it weirds me out but everyone is different with their level of comfort for used goods. I think bags, jewelry, and special occasion dresses (which you typically only wear once) are the safest bets. Bags are especially a good second-hand find as even if they're pretty worn, if they are made of leather, you can take it to a reputable cobbler/leather salon and they can make it look good as new.
Anyway, you get my point: second hand is worth the browse via sites like The Real Real and Fashionphile.
I thought I would round up some great finds to share with you all in case you are in the mood to browse!
Brands I like to search...
- Hermes
- Chanel
- Mark Cross
- Ferragamo
- Oscar De La Renta
- Roger Vivier
- Manolo
- Goyard
- Dior
- Lela Rose
- Agua by Agua Bendita
- Bernadette
- Emilia Wickstead
- Monique Lhuillier
- David Yurman
- Aerin
- Roberto Coin
- Retrouvai
- Anya Hindmarch
Some things to keep in mind...
- I like to use the filters when I browse. I've been searching for a small gold evening bag with a crossbody optional strap. I search handbags and then dwindle them down by sorting 'color' and 'crossbody' styles, which helps me to browse for exactly what I'm looking for.
- When it comes to clothing, I sort by sizes but include a few sizes up from my size as most things can be tailored.
- I keep saved searches for things I'm continuously looking for. For example. Paul Andrew made a colorful striped bow flat many years ago. I look for that pair of shoes weekly on all of the resale sites. I have thought about them for years, they sold out, of course, and I've never found them again in my size! But I have seen the shoe pop up in other sizes, so I am holding out hope.
- Sometimes, the code REAL gives you 20% off, I always try it at checkout, just in case!
- Some items are final sale. You should definitely pay attention to this. I prefer to purchase items that can be returned.
- Pay attention to the measurements. I sometimes find the sizes are mismarked.
- If you purchase jewelry, get it appraised within the return window (they have a tight return window!) so you can be sure you are getting what you paid for. I haven't purchased much fine jewelry from The Real Real, but in the instances that I have, the item has appraised higher and the document that came with it was correct. You get the best value with unbranded fine jewelry.
- Know your prices. As much as The Real Real can be a place to find deep discounts, hard-to-find, and popular items can sell for more than retail. It's a personal preference that I just will not pay more than retail for something so I make sure I'm getting it for less.
- I like The Real Real app because I can save items and then watch the prices. Sometimes things get marked down!
---
Are you following me on the LikeToKnowIt app?! You can shop all of my outfits, favorite finds, and more in the app. I am constantly updating it with the latest! You can also access all of my posts, here, if you don't use LTK! You can also find me on ShopMy, another shopping platform!
This content may contain affiliate links; when you click the link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no cost to you).
1 comment:
Post a Comment