Tips for shopping secondhand (and how to find exactly what you want)

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We’re back in Michigan and I’m ready for the final quarter of 2020 even though I’m still not exactly sure what it will bring. As I mentioned previously, my sustainable swaps challenge for September was Secondhand September, meaning the shopping I did was secondhand. I shared my finds on Insta stories before our trip, but wanted to share them here as well. And figured I should go further and share my shopping tips for secondhand shopping. I have shopped at resale shops and on Poshmark since late high school/early college.

I distinctly remember dragging my mom all over San Diego, CA in 2008 to find a specific Buffalo Exchange store haha (thanks for your patience Mom!) Over the years I’ve purchased bags (like this Dooney + Bourke) and (this Louis Vuitton), fully beaded vintage dresses, boots, jackets, sneakers and more.

In addition to being able to find past season items that you may have missed, shopping secondhand is a more sustainable choice – both for the planet and your wallet. I actually published a post a few years ago covering how and where I resell items – so definitely read that as well!

Admittedly, trying to shop secondhand can feel daunting and overwhelming but my goal today is to leave you with tips and tricks so you can find exactly what you want secondhand!

For most shopping you have two options – in store, or online. We’ll cover in store first because it’s easier and quicker.

Shopping secondhand in store:

If you’re shopping secondhand in store – TRY IT ON. I don’t care if it’s a bag. Try it on! You want to see how items fit. And while you’re there trying items on, make note of brands you like, what sizes fit you, styles you were interested in, etc and take that info so you can continue to shop those brands online!

Shopping secondhand online:

If you’re shopping online you need to be specific. Know what you’re looking for going into it. What you’re looking for can also be varying levels of specific…stay with me.

For example, say I know I like Madewell’s Classic Straight Jean and I know that I sized down one size in the pair I have, but I’m open to seeing what others washes/colors and straight styles are available. I could open the Poshmark app, search Madewell Straight Jean, and filter to my size. It will pull up varying styles and straight/slim cuts of Madewell jeans in the sizes I have put into my filter. (see below on left).

But maybe my goal is more specific – I want to find the Madewell Classic Straight Jean in Lunar Wash…so I type that in. As you can see below – way less options but customized to EXACTLY what I’m looking for.

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Something else SUPER IMPORTANT I want to mention…

….read the reviews of the product you’re searching for from the original/other retailers website. Return policies aren’t really a thing for secondhand. Yes, you can always resell, and Poshmark does have policies in place to protect both buyer and seller, but it’s not the same as a traditional 30-60 day return policy.

I spoke about this when I shared on Instagram stories, but I had been looking at the Sam Edelman Jennifer combat boot since last year, and when I set out to find it on Poshmark this year, I first visited Nordstrom’s website. Why? To read the reviews of everyone who purchased them last year…looking for things like how they held up, if they ran wide or narrow, if they ran true to size, or were uncomfortable, etc.

This proved incredibly beneficial for me, as the general consensus was to size down. So, instead of searching for the boot in a size 7, I filtered for size 6.5 and ended up finding a pair that worked for me!

But also, it doesn’t have to be last season for you to find it secondhand….

If you find something you like in store, it never hurts to do a quick search to see if it’s available secondhand. Madewell has my exact jeans from last year on their website still, but they’re also available on Poshmark. Since I know my size and what I want, I’d buy on Posh and save myself the money.

A perfect example of this is my toasted marshmallow coat from last winter. Bloomingdales had it for around $120 (here’s a shot of it), but I knew I was buying it as a “fun” coat and not my tried and true wool winter coat, so I searched the brand name and style on Posh and found one that had only been worn ONCE for under $50!

Now, you may be thinking – Okay Maddy I don’t have this kind of time to put into shopping. And my response would be –

You are an adult. Stop buying cheap clothing because it’s trendy in a size that may or may not fit you without even thinking about the cut, fabric or how it works in your closet.

Tough love? Maybe. But valuable advice. Take the time to figure out what you like to wear, what makes you feel good and what works for you life. Take more than a few seconds and look at the fit of the item, the fabric breakdown, the care instructions. Search Pinterest and Instagram – find brands and styles you admire, make a wishlist and then begin the hunt.

If all of that sounds too daunting – that’s where I come in. Looking to work with me for styling? Check out my options here. And always, shoot me a message on Instagram, text me or send me an email if you have questions.

All my secondhand shoppers – I want to hear about your best find! and all of those who want to start – keep me posted on how it goes.

Much love,
Maddy

Ps. Don’t forget to pin this post for later 🙂

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