Out with the new and in with old, consumers around the world are increasingly ditching fast fashion and making secondhand their first choice. As shoppers become more aware of the environmental impact of their purchases, fashion resale is becoming more mainstream, and closets are filling up with more used items than ever before. Although the most sustainable way to shop is simply not shopping at all, secondhand gets the silver medal.
While more shoppers work on making their wardrobes circular, thrifting keeps getting fancier, and as resale brands grow more consumers are opening their minds to secondhand shopping. Platforms like Depop and The RealReal work to destigmatize shopping secondhand as their inventories and consumer bases rise. Ebay, Poshmark, Vestiaire Collective and more, now make up a multitude of tools with enough products to spend hours scrolling through. It helps to know your way around a sewing machine so you can doctor up a few things like hemlines and minor wear and tear, but it’s never a bad time to take up a new hobby. And there are plenty of TikTok accounts that will have you putting in a waistband faster than you can type “my toxic trait is thinking I can do this.”
For all the secondhand virgins out there, the resale market may seem impossible to navigate. Venezuelan-born Nani Aguilar (@nani1998), certified thrift-a-holic, breaks down her thrifting prowess and shares what it takes to keep up her eclectic wardrobe. No stranger to local thrift stores, vintage shops, and online platforms, Nani has found her niche in thrifting while acquiring an expert-level knack for styling along the way.
“Everyone and their mother had the same Zara skirt as me,” Nani replies when asked her reason for shopping secondhand. “You can find so many cool pieces, things that no one else has.” According to Nani, thrift stores and vintage shops are the best spots for generational trends on a budget. Trends like the 90s aesthetic and Y2K have proven they are here to stay via runway shows à la MiuMiu, Blumarine, and Diesel. And when you can’t afford a $3,000 mini skirt, the best place to flock to is your local thrift store. Filled with all sorts of goodies literally from the 90s and 2000s, anybody can get their hands on the industry’s latest craze without taking out a mortgage.
Nani deems herself “shark-like” when entering a thrift store. She first recommends eyeing out the competition; “you already know the art school girls are getting all the good stuff,” so Nani feeds off their scraps, or whatever they discard from their overflowing shopping carts. “I do my research,” she says. Nani is well-aware that “the Depop queens might try and rip you off,” so Goodwill and physical stores are her safe place. She recommends always hitting the outerwear aisles, where her favorite thrifted find to date, a long black coat with faux fur collar, originated. And to never underestimate the sleepwear aisle as they are typically chock-full of those slinky slip dresses we see all over Instagram. When asked about what pieces are on her secondhand wish list, she beams at the thought of a baby blue, quilted Chanel. “Maybe if I took a semester off school, I could afford one,” she says through gritted teeth.
Born and raised in Naples, Florida, certified cool girl, Bronte Mongan (@brontemongan) has seen a designer handbag once or twice. Growing up in one of Florida’s most affluent communities, Bronte was well familiarized with luxury fashion and designer brands even before she started her internship at the renowned luxury retailer, Saks Fifth Avenue. In a town where thrifting isn’t even on the radar, Bronte sheds light on the experience that transformed her outlook on shopping, and how secondhand became her new staple.
It all started while she was on the hunt for her dream bag and an unlikely scenario dropped it right in her hands after almost settling for full price. Being surrounded by her wish list items every day at work, Bronte could not help but fall in love with the highly sought-after Gucci Dionysus handbag. “I just knew,” she recalls saying as soon as she laid eyes on it. The coated canvas felt durable paired with its weighty chain, and the silver, double-headed tiger seemed more subtle, more her style, than the double G logo that “all the preppy girls wore.” She would head to the Gucci department of the Saks she worked at to try the bag on every day, “sometimes twice a day,” she notes. She would do whatever it took until it was hers. Extra shifts? Check. Side hustle? Sure thing.
Let it be clear that Bronte’s quest for a Gucci Dionysus was not taken lightheartedly; the entire Mongan family was in on her quest. “One day my dad saw the exact bag at one of his client’s homes,” she remembers. He told his client about his daughter’s adoration for the handbag, “oh, this old thing?” she probably reponded. Months pass until Bronte gets a call, her father saying his client is planning on selling her bag online, and if his daughter was still interested. “Oh, I was,” Bronte gleams. It wasn’t until she discovered online resale platforms like The RealReal and Rebag before discovering there was a way to score a Dionysus at less than retail value. She scoured resale sites until she gained expert-level knowledge on the resale value of a Gucci Dionysus. If the price was right, it would be hers, “and it was,” she chuckles.
NYC turned Savannah-based Grace Dipaolo (@gracedipaolo) shares her secondhand shopping journey and her hot tips for navigating platforms like The RealReal. After a big change of scenery, lifestyle, and shopping habits, Grace walks us through her secondhand game plan.
“It took me a long time to hone my technique but I have got it down to a science,” Grace asserts. Whereas in New York most of her paycheck went to dive bars and cab fares, her more manageable lifestyle in Savannah allows Grace to focus on building a long-term wardrobe. “There are a few reasons that I prefer shopping secondhand. As I have gotten older, I appreciate quality so much more than I did even a few years ago. I treat my clothes better and I want them to be beautiful and durable.” Therefore, Grace opts for brands like Rag and Bone, A.P.C., and All Saints opposed to the fast fashion frocks of her past.
There is a level of artistry in the way Grace navigates her medium that is The RealReal. “First of all, I am not really a browser.” And in a marketplace with thousands of options to choose from, Grace goes in with a mission. “I first choose my category: jeans, sweaters, dresses, whatever it may be. I turn on the presets of my sizes. Then price. I start low and raise it by tiny increments if I need to.” For pieces like shoes and handbags, Grace goes one step further by choosing the color she wants in the search filters, “usually black,” and she only shops within those presets to avoid the temptation of spending more than she can afford.
Grace recommends going into department stores and luxury storefronts to touch, feel, and try on garments IRL. Once you find out what you like, leave that shit on the rack and go scour The RealReal for similar styles. Genius. “When I was younger, I definitely had less patience for the search that is required with shopping second hand,” she says. “Convenience tended to take precedence for me when I was shopping.” While twenty-three year old Grace was more occupied sipping mezcal with celebs in the Lower East Side, she now prefers the simple thrill that is curating her resale wishlist. And by the way, it’s to die for.
It is easy to get lost in the vast world that is shopping secondhand. Whether you’re a shark on the hunt like Nani or just hopelessly in love with a handbag like Bronte, there are countless options (and reasons) to shop secondhand. Maybe traditional thrifting isn’t your speed and you’re more like Grace, scrolling through The RealReal for sport. No matter how you opt to shop resale, next time you’re on the hunt for something, challenge yourself to look for options exclusively secondhand. You’ll too find your secondhand sweet spot in no time.
