I just *had* to get these rainbow sequin jeans, and I simply *had* to wear them for Valentine’s Day. This is where my style journey has brought me in 2021, and I’m okay with that. It’s a fun (and sparkly) place to be. If, like me, you’re feeling this energy and already on your way to google these jeans, here’s my tip: they’re from Topshop, and I recommend sizing up. I got my usual denim size (Poshmark for the win!) but they juuuust fit, and not as intended. It’s supposed to be a loose, boyfriend fit and, ummm, it’s not on me. They’re also quite cropped, which considering how short my legs are, is somewhat of a feat. But otherwise, they’re fun. Go on, and get some sequins in your life!
Mixed Prints Encore
If you’ve been reading the blog since 2013 or so, you may remember this sweater. I was super into it at the time. Then, around 2016 or so, I gave it up. Years later, I came to regret that decision; my style has moved in such mysterious way that, while on the whole I dress nothing like my 2013 self, this sweater now once again appeals greatly. I am so lucky to have made some wonderful friends through social media, because one of the them helped to find this sweater again — brand new with tags, no less. A feat, considering how long it’s been since it was actually released. And here it is again, paired with another new-to-me piece that I love just as much. Bold graphics, what can I say!
Casual Cozy Chic
This is my version of sweats-but-make-it-look-like-you-tried. Instead of pants, a lighweight, potato-sacky skirt with a generous elastic waist. And instead of a sweatshirt, well, a cozy, soft sweater. They both, ummm, have the word “sweat” in them? Anyway, I love this shade of blue and being swathed in it is heavenly.
Throwback, Academichic Style
How’s this for a 2017/2018 throwback? Since re-discovering this Theory plaid blazer in my closet, I’ve wanted to do something interesting with it, colour story-wise. In the end, I picked this blue-forest green (not quite teal, not quite sage) sweater to pair with it and bring out the purple in the plaid. Love it. Added a shirt for a bit of extra layering, and to extend the line since the blazer is somewhat cropped on me, and I quite like how the pop of white brings out the other colours. Professor chic is timeless, I guess.
First of all, let me start by saying that I’ve been loving Poshmark a little too much lately, all around. It’s just so darn easy; all those listings at your fingertips, so easy to scroll through mindlessly, especially late at night. (Revenge procrastination is a real thing, apparently.) Ahem. That being said, I thought it would be interesting to look back and take stock of how my Poshmark strategies have evolved over the past 6 months of use.
Here’s what I like about and how I use Poshmark.
Keeping an eye on favourite designers
I regularly check new listings associated with a shortlist of my fave designers (think Dries Van Noten, Marni, Carven, Issey Miyake, etc.). There are usually one or two new listings a day, at most, so keeping on top of “new arrivals” is easy. I am not actively hunting for anything in this category, but I am basically on the lookout for (1) attractive bargains, and (2) holy grail pieces. Have yet to spot anything in the second category; as for the first, finding an attractive bargain is only the first step, of course – it still needs to be something I like and want. Lately, nothing has really caught my fancy. Still, I check on these usually every day or every other day. Good bargains don’t come up often for these designers, and don’t last long, and I don’t want to miss out on any one-of-a-kind deals.
Keeping an eye on fabulous deals
In addition to my shortlist of designer faves, I have a longer list of liked brands that I check in with once a week or so. My strategy is similar to the above, but because these aren’t my most favourite designers, I’m less worried about missing out – hence, less frequent checking. I always sort listing by “most recently added” to see fresh listings first. Once in a blue moon, I will also sort by “price dropped” to see if any older listings have been re-priced to move, so to speak. I try not to let myself be swayed by price too much, but sometimes, if something is a good enough deal, a “maybe” can become a “why not”. As we all know, I love experimenting with clothes.
One example of a piece from this category is a MaxMara skirt I snagged for $30 plus shipping. I don’t check on MaxMara all the time, but I will occasionally look it up to see what’s new. I’m mostly interested in costume jewelry (they have some fun pieces) and any unlikely bargain on a wool coat (fat chance!). This skirt wasn’t something I was specifically looking for but (a) it checked all my boxes, style wise; and (b) hello, huge bargain!
Looking for specific “want not need” itemson the cheap
Thrifting is all about the joy of the unexpected discovery; I love that about it but, sometimes, it’s nice to have the option to look for something very specific without paying a premium for it (ahem, eBay). Enter Poshmark. This works especially well for more mass-market brands, which tend to have more available listings than designer ones (so the chances of the item you’re looking for popping up for sale are much higher). I have a rough list of items I’m looking for, and I will run specific searches for them once in a while. For example, the black tulle H&M dress I got a while back? I’m hoping to find the same dress in the cream colourway. Similarly, there is a Zara dupe for a Wilfred skirt I’ve been coveting; also on my “BOLO” list. There is a Topshop dress I randomly spotted last year on eBay, and I’m holding out hope that I can find one someday in my size for a more reasonable price I’m willing to pay. Basically, if I can find it for cheap on Poshmark, I will get it; if I can’t, then I won’t.
The downside of Poshmark is that you can’t “save” searches, so you have to manually search for things each time. As a result, some of these searches only get run once in a blue moon, when I remember a particular item. This is also a good way to test whether something is memorable enough to be worth pursuing.
My one lesson learned here is: comparison shop. Always. Most brands have a market price range, but there can be outliers – both on the high end and the low end. Needless to say, you want to try to find the low end outliers, and avoid buying a high end outlier. Aritzia is a good example. I find most of the listings to be overpriced, relative to retail value; sweaters, for example, run from $50 and up, which is at most 50% off retail. But, with luck, you can stumble across a decent deal under $30 for a new or like-new sweater. I find Zara and H&M are also, weirdly, becoming similar in terms of pricing – lots of listings with prices near retail value (or higher, after you account for shipping). I don’t know what that’s about but I’m not a fan – it’s why I avoid eBay nowadays, after all.
Speaking of Zara and shopping around, here’s another piece I score recently: this red belt.
I have been looking for corset-style belts to accessorize some dresses in my closet, and happened to see this belt. It looked promising. Saw it was Zara and decided to hunt it down. The first listing I saw had it for $25 (plus shipping). Kinda pricey. After more scrolling, I eventually came across a listing (with not great photos) that had it for $10. THAT was a deal I was willing to entertain.
Hunting for inexpensive jewelry
This is one of my most favourite things to do on Poshmark, and it’s what I spend the most time doing. I do a mix of approaches here, running both general searches (“ring” sorted by newest) and specific ones (looking up favourite brands). While there are certain general criteria I look for when it comes to jewelry, I am not looking for specific pieces; in this sense, my searches are most akin to thrifting – I don’t know what I’m looking for until I see it. I’ve actually discovered lots of new-to-me jewelry brands this way, as well as found some unique pieces I love – most of them for well under $50 (all in). Here are some of my faves:
These two were a bundle deal for under $40The perfect turquoise ring (also under $40 shipped)This pretty moonstone ring was part of a bundle, I think I paid $10My first Monica Vinader ring (beautiful lapis) … but not the last Pink quartz and Amazonite (the latter is also Monica Vinader)
Do you have a strategy for shopping on Poshmark? Or favourite things to hunt for? Tell me everything in the comments.
Black, I’ve come to realize over the last year, is a colour I wear around other people; not sure what that says about the way I relate to others, but I think black is something of an “armour” for me. Deep down, though, I am a gushing fountain of rainbows and sparkles. Which is how I dress now that I’m home (not really alone, but for all intents and purposes not “out in public”). Still, every now and then, I like to revisit my goth princess fashion fantasies. To wit: this outfit. I had actually planned to attempt a more “street style” ensemble, layering the tulle overlay part of this H&M dress over jeans. But, I wasn’t happy with my first attempt, so I switched to leather leggings instead. I’ll have to go back to my experiment another time, but this outfit was a happy compromise.
On Repeat, Forever
Are you sick of this tee and this skirt yet? I hope not, because I love both of them so much. And I love the juxtaposition in their pairing. It’s kinda cheeky, which is a vibe I’m leaning into a lot these days. Having fun with clothes is one of the few sure bets during this pandemic season. A cute outfit is guaranteed to lift my spirits, even for a short while – which, I will take right now, gladly. Throw in a pair of red shoes and some statement earring into the mix too, while I’m at it. Why not? Those earrings, by the way, are a great conversation starter on Zoom meetings.
Yellow & Grey
Pantone is having the last laugh. I confess I was one of the folks who questioned Pantone’s choice for colours of the year; yellow and grey seemed so, well, dated. Yet, here we are, two months into 2021 and I’m wearing more yellow than usual, and even this head-to-toe grey and yellow outfit. Granted, these are not the chosen shades of yellow and grey, but still. Who but Pantone would have guessed? I really like this Sol Angeles tee – it’s cute without being too twee, and just the kind of bold graphic that I’m super into at the moment. I couldn’t resist pairing it with my paperbag-waist pants from Anthro – both from a style and colour palette perspective, they work so well together. A slam dunk combo, you might say.
