#ConsciousSplurge
How to Shop on The Real Real
So we all want to think more sustainably, which includes shopping more sustainably. And the road to sustainable shopping inevitably leads to The Real Real. (Note: it also leads to a select number of local consignment stores. Like my fave, Castanet. But I’ll get to that in a subsequent post.)
The problem with The Real Real is that it’s real, real overwhelming. When people ask me where I got something and I say I got it on The Real Real for — insert insanely cheap price here — they inevitably say “Oh, I can’t shop on The Real Real.” So, at the risk of losing my competitive advantage, here are some tips.
If you’re the same size as me, it would be helpful if you took a walk now. Exercise is important. Enjoy!
1.Know exactly what you want. The easiest way to shop on TRR? Look for something you’ve seen elsewhere. I’m often amazed at how quickly things in stores go to TRR. I guess buyers’ remorse is a thing. Even if your item is still in the retail store, give it a try. The key is to have a good description for the search. Ideally you can find out the name of the style. For example, The Row Patty boot. Get the name by searching for the item at a multi-brand website. You may have to try several. Neimans, Saks, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, My Theresa, FRWD, Shopbop, Moda Operandi, Netaporter. If a celeb wore it, try OutfitID to help find it. If you can’t get the name, try adding the year to the search.
2. Save your search. TRR recently added a search save feature, which eBay has had forever. This allows you to run a search, save it, and then go back to the site at any time and instantly see it displayed and updated. It is on the top right corner of the site, under the header MY TRR. I only wish they’d email you when something new came in that matches your search terms.
3. Skip the editorial stories. If you’re not looking for something specific, you can’t expect to conquer the entire site in one sitting. TRR divides the site up into digestible pieces by creating editorial stories around a color, material, cultural moment, etc. I never shop these. The emails and home page drive people to these curated shops, so they become oversold and are not the source for the best bargains. TRR doesn’t want to drive you to cheap stuff.
4. Shop one brand at a time. Have a list of brands you love, and choose one to shop one evening, another the next time. Refine the search by category (M/W etc) and size so you never bother with anything that doesn’t fit. Then save these searches.
5. Search your “trademarks.” Once you’ve got the basics down, experiment with searches for terms you’re curious about, that pique your interest, or that are inspired by favorite items in your closet. I like easy dresses that fall away from the body. “Trapeze” is one of my words. Since a favorite piece of mine has balloon sleeves, I sometimes search “balloon.” You make unexpected discoveries this way.
6. Heart your favorites. When you find something but are unsure about it, you can designate it with a heart. These items then appear as your “obsessions” when you click the heart on the upper right hand corner of the homepage. TRR will also email you about them “you obsessions are on sale!” (If you have limited willpower, you may need to opt out of these emails.)
7. Get on the waitlist. You can waitlist an item, which may seem weird (it’s used — there’s only 1!). But do it, because the person who bought it might return it. Also, this is a reason not to omit sold out items from your searches. BTW, take note if you’ve been looking at an item and it gets returned and rebought several times. Maybe there’s something off about it. Or maybe in all the try-ons it’s getting worse for wear.
8. Speaking of worse for wear — look at the item condition as you decide if you really want it. If you can’t deal with your clothes getting stains — don’t buy anything that says “tiny stain” or anything short of “very good.” Look for “excellent” or “pristine.” If condition is really important, you can search items that still have their tags from the home page and then sort them, or filter your other searches by “items with tags.”
9. Also, check to see if the item is final sale (in the product details). Most of the items on TRR are returnable, but at a certain point they become Final Sale. And all handbags are final sale. (If you buy these pieces and they don’t work, you can always consign them.)
10. Buy at the right time. Given that, timing your buy is important. If you can’t live without it, buy it right away. You can return it, but you don’t want to have your heart broken if you come back after coffee and it’s gone. Otherwise, you can play the markdown game. Heart the item and wait for the price to drop. Just know that after 30–40% off, pieces generally become final sale and unreturnable.
11. See it first: TRR has a program called First Look where you can see new items first. You can pay for it, or be given it as consigner. Honestly, there’s so much here, and with saved searches, I don’t think you need it. I have a hard time with the idea of paying for something that helps me spend money.
12. Check out the “sneaky stars”: A few things that don’t seem to sell on TRR (so deals are great): Black anything (hard to see the detail online.) Dress pants generally, especially dark, non-patterned ones. Denim (fit challenges; you’ll have to buy a bunch and return). Lesser-known brands, or brands lesser-known in the US (like Jil Sander).
Now that I’ve figured out the inside track on TRR, I’ve stopped shopping fast fashion completely. No resale value? No thanks. Why bother with some disposable H&M pants when for $30 more (true story), I can get TRR sale Cucinelli, thoughtfully and beautifully made in an Italian hillside town where it is the feeder of this small economy? If I’m going to treat myself, I’d prefer to feel real real good about it.
Find more #grownassfashion on insta @ heymrssolomon
