I have a confession: I’m a fashion hoarder. I try to blame it on my job (I do need to review these pieces, after all!), but the truth is that there are clothes in my closet that I’ve never worn, let alone stripped of their tags. I needed reinforcements to help me finally start purging, so I partnered up with The RealReal – and it was the best thing to happen to my closet in years (even if I was only emptying part of the space to fill it back up again).
Not only can you consign items, you can shop what everyone else is consigning, ranging from clothes to accessories to fine art. New pieces go live on the site each morning at 10 AM EST, and a brand expert authenticates each one so there’s no wondering is-it-or-isn’t-it? The consigning is as easy as it comes too, and you get an unusually high rate of 60-70% of the final sale price. I tried selling on eBay years ago. Taking quality photos, writing up info, uploading everything…it can become a job in itself! With The RealReal, it’s much simpler. There’s the option to send in your items with The RealReal’s free shipping labels, but I chose the White Glove service. This also comes at no cost to you; the only requirement is that you have 10 items to be picked up. Within hours, the local rep emailed me to schedule a time to come to my home, and help me clean out my closet. As you can imagine, I had a really tough time parting with the bags (they’re like my babies!).
Since she arrived at 5 pm, I thought I would soften the pain by opening a bottle of champagne, and turning the evening into a girls’ night. Suddenly the experience seemed like so much fun! I loved my rep, and for the record, she didn’t try to convince me to get rid of everything. In fact, there were pieces that she recommended I keep like my cracked white leather Proenza jacket. Once I really thought about it, though, did I actually need TWO pairs of the ubiquitous YSL Tributes ($375) collecting dust in my closet? Or the gorgeous yet completely sheer, full-length Prada skirt ($145) I bought in Italy (as pretty as it was, I just don’t see myself running around naked anytime soon)? No. Realizing the right thing to do (and with bubbly in hand for moral support), I also gave up a Lanvin dress ($195) I hadn’t worn in years; a super cute, perfectly-fitted Comme des Garçons cape jacket ($245) that I mysteriously never wore; a ruffled Miu Miu coat ($295) coat that was always just too big; brand new Hermès shoes ($425) that were also always too big (as much as I prayed for a solution, you just can’t tailor shoes); and hot pink, architectural Jil Sander heels ($275) that looked just as beautiful on my shelf as they did on the one at Barneys…yet I still never touched them. Why let all of these pieces sit hidden in my home when they could be out making someone else look good? One woman’s castoffs are another’s treasure, and with that in mind, I wish you happy hunting! I’ve got some closet space to fill myself…
Yves Saint Laurent Metallic Tribute Sandals ($375)
Hermès Slingback Booties ($475)
Valentino Rockstud Feather-Print Shoulder Bag ($1,295)
Chanel Chevre Card Holder ($345)
Hermès Caleche Bracelet ($275)
Giuseppe Zanotti Camouflage Sandals ($145)
Christian Louboutin Platform Sandals ($395)
Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti Dress ($95)
Chanel Camellia Earrings ($295)
Alexander McQueen Pants ($225)
Lanvin Butterfly Leather Cuff ($295)
Aghhhh! I am a fashion hoarder!
Making a girls’ night of my closet cleaning!
Never met a pair of stilettos I didn’t like. It’s a problem.
I love this Comme des Garçons capelet, but have never worn it for some reason. Off it goes!
I have a hard time parting with bags. This is a very special one, but I never use it. It should go to a loving home where it is appreciated.
White Dior super short hot pants seemed like a good idea when I was in Paris…
Kathy, the RealReal rep, loading up the goods!
This Prada skirt was a result of a huge shopping spree in Italy. Unworn with tags!
Sponsored by The RealReal and ShopStyle
I considered them but then read their horrible reviews!
Love the real real!
Beware! Do Not Buy Or Sell On Vaunte!! It’s Vaunte that should be shut down! They are stealing money to this day from the sellers. They take the sellers money when we sell our items and there is no longer a mechanism on the site to cash out what is owed. Hundreds of complaints everywhere – yelp, purseforum, vaunte facebook site. They’ve disconnected their phone and disabled their email on the site.