5 Fashion Insiders on How to Find Real Deals on The RealReal
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In 2021, The RealReal—a luxury resale and consignment store with online and brick-and-mortar locations—settled a class action suit for $11 million. (Turns out its authentication process isn’t as foolproof as advertised.) Fast-forward to 2023, and the company has made significant strides to scrub its platform of counterfeit and/or wrongly labeled clothes and accessories. In fact, many fashion insiders still turn to TRR to shop more sustainably, find coveted archival styles from previous seasons, and get their hands on some real deals (pun very much intended). Here’s how to get the good stuff.
Olivia Lopez, Creative Strategist and Founder of Bon Weekender
Not only is Olivia Lopez a creative strategist for brands like Chanel and Loewe and the founder of Bon Weekender, an online travel destination—she’s a self-proclaimed TRR fanatic. So much so that when the company went public, she convinced her family to buy stock. “I think The RealReal is best for its robust selection of archival designs and vintage takes on contemporary trends,” Lopez shares. “I love searching for pieces from past collections by Prada, Marni, and Chanel in particular.” Despite being a loyal customer, Lopez always does her research before committing to any purchase. “When it comes to buying accessories, I always cross-reference the original brand page for product details and images,” Lopez says, “I almost got duped from another second-hand designer reselling site when looking into purchasing a Bottega bag before noticing the interior detail looked very different from existing Bottega bags I owned.” Her biggest takeaway? Always check the product description before checking out.
Meg Strachan, Founder of Dorsey
Meg Strachan, founder of editor-loved jewelry brand Dorsey, avoids shopping the TRR site in favor of perusing brick-and-mortar locations. “I don’t look at the site every day, I don’t follow their emails, I don’t go online and look for things, I don’t scroll at 2 A.M., I don’t heart things,” Strachan says, “I truly browse because I feel like it’s the ultimate browsing store.” She thoroughly enjoys the hunt, estimating that roughly 50 percent of her wardrobe is secondhand. Fit is also super important to Strachan, which is a gamble when shopping online, especially since it’s not possible to return everything you buy. But most importantly, she carefully considers every single purchase. “I won’t buy anything if I don’t sleep on it for two to three days,” Strachan says. “I will regularly just leave things and come back if I can’t live without it.”
Jenny Lei, Founder of Freja NYC
To avoid accidentally buying a fake, Jenny Lei, founder of handbag brand Freja NYC, prefers newer brands like By Far. “I stay away from the higher-end brands—more contemporary brands are less likely to be counterfeit.” For the unfamiliar, Freja NYC designs vegan leather handbags through a manufacturing process that uses 95 percent less water and 55 percent less energy compared to traditional polyurethane leather, so it’s not surprising that Lei takes a mindful approach to shopping even when doing so secondhand. She only logs onto the site when she has a plan in place, as opposed to browsing for fun. “I try to be really specific,” Lei says, “Otherwise, you’re gonna keep looking for what you want.” Lei prefers to buy things off The RealReal that she’s already tried on IRL. “I really like it, I already felt it, I already know what color I want, I know what the fabric is made of, and I know a little bit about the brand,” Lei explains. “Then I go and see if I can find it for a little bit of a discount.”
Tenicka Boyd, Content Creator
Tenicka Boyd frequently visits The RealReal virtually and in person. She shops online once a week, and makes a point of visiting the Soho and Upper West Side stores in New York City at least once a month. In terms of navigating the seemingly endless digital platform, she relies on alerts and saving items she’s contemplating buying, but advises moving quickly if you find a true gem. “If you see a unique piece you love, snatch it up,” she says. As far as authentication concerns about the site go, Boyd isn’t too worried about fakes since she doesn’t buy designer handbags second-hand, but recommends shoppers learn how to become good authenticators of designer clothes themselves. You also have the option to walk away if you aren’t feeling confident that a style is legitimate. “I always tell people if they’re concerned, don’t buy it,” Boyd says. “It’s not worth suffering through the thought that you overpaid for something that’s not even real.”
Laurel Pantin, Brand Consultant and Stylist
The RealReal offers a plethora of options, which brand consultant and stylist Lauren Pantin acknowledges can feel overwhelming. “The main critique I’ve heard of The RealReal lately is that there’s just too much,” she says. “It’s overwhelming, and the edit feeling of it is gone; but if you know how to navigate it, it’s still very usable.” To make the site easier to parse through, Pantin narrows her focus on the brands she knows work well for her, and suggests you do the same. (Phoebe Philo-era Céline makes the cut, of course.) “Start there, and once you get more comfortable combing through the site, set your parameters a little wider.” One of Pantin’s best-ever finds? A gold embroidered and pearl-encrusted Altuzarra dress she wore at her wedding, even though she already had two dresses ready and waiting. “I ended up shoehorning a third dress in between the wedding dress and party dress,” Pantin admits. “It was unnecessary, but it was so beautiful.”
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