The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Secondhand Shopping
Although maybe I should be, I'm not ashamed to admit that I have made almost 50 virtual secondhand purchases in the past year. I can confidently say that learning how to navigate online resale platforms has completely changed the way I shop, spend, and see the fashion industry as a whole. There is SO much to find online and today I'm going to help you learn how to refine your own virtual secondhand shopping experience to maximize the fun and fashion you find!
Some of my favorite places to shop are Poshmark, Depop, TheRealReal, eBay, and ThredUp. Most of the time, however, you can't just pull up the website and expect to immediately see awesome pieces in your style. You have to learn how to curate your experience and search effectively.
Let's say you're looking for a new going-out top. Instead of immediately jumping to Amazon or FreePeople, spending $40+ dollars, and contributing to the vicious cycle of fast fashion, let's start with a secondhand platform. One of my favorite strategies is to pick a brand you love (like WithJean, Reformation, Skims, or Victoria’s Secret) and add keywords like “vintage” or “sparkly” or “going-out” and plug it into the search bar of your favorite site. Often, sites will pull items from brands I don’t recognize but that give a similar vibe to WithJean or Reformation (and they are cheap) ensuring I get a cool item that no one else has. Here are some cute going out tops I’ve found recently:
I know most of you can relate to having spent way too much money on a MarMon outfit in past years. The cheapest and most sustainable way to find a truly unique Marathon Monday outfit is to find one secondhand. I love shopping online rather than at an in person thrift because you can refine your search. My favorite way to go about it is to find an inspo pic and search item by item. You can find a super unique item to make your outfit pop in under $10 most of the time. So before you jump to retail brands, check brands like Poshmark, Depop, or Thredup!
Poshmark is my favorite when I want a super specific item. This summer, I was obsessed with the Levis Low-Pro jeans. I didn’t want to pay $100, though. So I went to Poshmark, typed in “Levis Low-Pro” and immediately found loads of listings. I ended up securing the jeans (new with tags!) for $25. I love using Poshmark when I have something very particular in mind because I almost always find it there for way less than retail. Right now, I’m looking at these Isabel Marant slides that are going for less than 15% of their retail price.
With the BCFC Met Gala and Fashion Shows coming up, I am planning on using virtual secondhand shops to buy my dresses, and you should too! Save the planet and your money and shop secondhand!
