Organic by John Patrick Potato Sweater | on sale in a nice slate blue
James Perse fleece skirt | a few years old, purchased via eBay
Golden Goose superstar sneakers | secondhand via TheRealReal
Happy New Year! It feels like it’s starting today, for me, since Sunday both Leo and I were pretty sick and spent yesterday “recovering”. I have no idea why, it’s not because we drank to much or ate too much the night before, or anything like that. It was probably a bug. I was so nauseous I didn’t want to move much.
Anyway, I’m happy to start 2017; I always see the new year as a reset. Or an opportunity for one anyway. I don’t really do resolutions, but I try to set some goals and expectations for myself, and one of those is to buy more secondhand, when I “need” to buy anything at all, particularly leather items. As the owner of a secondhand shop (SLOWRE), it’s funny that I myself am not a great secondhand shopper, but I have never been very good at it, or chosen things that stay in my wardrobe for very long.
I’ve updated by wardrobe audit spreadsheet with new purchases – view it here. I’ve gone over my “wardrobe=200” threshold, but after going through some things this weekend, I am preparing to sell some things that were on the chopping block anyway.
As I’d been wanting a pair of metallic shoes (I thought the Rachel Comey gold mars mules would be the “fix”), and a new pair of sneakers (both of my Vince pairs have stretched out so much over the years, even with insoles and socks they’re getting less and less comfortable to walk in), I finally settled on this pair by Golden Goose. I’ve been obsessed (a word I would like to stop using to describe THINGS, but it’s accurate here) with Golden Goose for a while, wondering what the big deal was.
Finally, to get them out of my head, I bought a pair from Net-a-Porter. I understand what all the hype is now. I thought they were a little too shiny for me, and the sizing was off (I need a size 39 to fit my size 8 foot) AND they’re too expensive, so I sent them back. But once I’d tried them, I knew I wanted a pair. You see, they have a hidden wedge inside, that’s just ever so slightly elevated, but it really makes a difference in helping your legs look a teeny bit longer. And they’re cut low on the ankle, which I love, since I have no ankles. The toe is also perfectly shaped, not too pointy, not too round. They’re beautiful shoes, distressing and all.
And since I want to shop more secondhand, I stalked TheRealReal for a couple of weeks after sending the ones I bought back to try and snag a pair in a larger size that looked in good shape. I finally found this pair, and jumped on them, because I know how quickly things can sell out! I was also interested in trying out TheRealReal – I’d never bought anything from them, but I did consign a few things years ago. The experience was very good – they really have cornered the market on luxury resale; they offer frequent coupon codes, quick shipping, and almost everything is returnable.
I’ll definitely shop TheRealReal again, if I need to, as I’m always very impressed with their selection, pricing, and service. But, and I know I’ve said this before, I’m honestly just ready to live for a while with what I’ve got in my wardrobe now and not add anything new. To keep it realistic, I think I’ll “limit” myself to one “new” item a month (excluding things for review)? until I can get down to not buying anything at all but maybe one thing every quarter? And then not at all?
I need a challenge, and that would be a big one!!!
What are some of your style-related resolutions/goals for 2017?
Well, I was going to say my goal is to really limit my purchasing. But I clicked on some links and I’m tempted! Do you know what the fit is on the Stronghold selvage jeans on Slowre (skinny, loose, etc)? The other temptation is a pair of Golden Goose boots on The Real Real. I’ve been looking for flat boots this year.
i’m not trying to enable, but –
from what i can tell those stronghold jeans look like they’d fit rather straight/slightly slouchy to me. if i could try them on i would 😉 they’re a really nice denim, probably 100% cotton, but i’m not sure…
and golden goose boots are supposed to be AMAZING; the real real’s pricing is so good
Cute shoes, but I have to be honest, I still don’t get the hype over Golden Goose! I have had my eye on the Organic by John Patrick Potato sweater for quite some time, tho, and THAT, I’d pay for! (Well, on-sale, anyway…) What size did you get in the sweater? Are you happy with it?
I hate to be the proverbial “Devil’s advocate,” but I really don’t understand why you’d make the decision to “not buy anything at all”? You’re a fashion blogger. You love to shop. I get the desire to live with less, or within limits as a conscious decision, I just don’t understand why you’d go “Cold turkey”! Can you explain why? (And part of this is purely selfish because I love to see what you feature on the blog!)
my sweater is a medium – i like it a lot, the quality is very good, my only issue with it is that the sleeve opening isn’t ribbed and tight on my arm, it’s more open. if i want to push it up on my arms i have to roll the sleeves up instead of just push them up. a minor irritation, but still…perhaps if i’d tried it on in person, i wouldn’t have bought it for that reason.
as for no buying, you know me…i do that every so often, say that i’m going to stop buying 😉 and how long does it last?? i think i WANT to, i really don’t WANT to add more things to my wardrobe. but you’re right, i do have to balance that no-buying with adding some things in. and i still want to review items from new designers and more sustainable designers, so i have to try and make that work
i guess i want to feel like a “normal” person just once you know? not a “fashion blogger” LOL – like i wonder if i wasn’t, if i worked in advertising or something and went to an office everyday, what would my wardrobe look like?
That’s fair. And yes, I get it. But one of the reasons I think your blog rings true with so many of us is that you’re NOT “Insta-eyebrow, photo-shopped-within-an-inch-of-my-life, wearing 5″ high heels to go to the grocery store” Grechen! You ARE a normal person and that fills a niche in the fashion blogging world. It’s normal for you. Writers are exhorted to “write what they know,” and you do the same thing with Grechen’s Closet. You’re aspirational for me. You remind me that I AM worth dressing nicely for, in my simple, casual way….but with panache. You’ve changed the way I think about wearing and owning clothes…in a GOOD way! Keep on keeping on…you’re good at it. 🙂
Agreed!