Something about having a trip planned out always gets me in the mood for shopping. I have visions of myself in bright colors, beautiful dresses, and larger-than-practical sunglasses. These riveting visions simply cannot be carried by the boring, worn-out (not really) clothes I already have. I need NEW. I need crisp clean linens and glistening metals and a shiny new bag.
The problem is…I ALREADY HAVE TOO MANY CLOTHES.
Also, I spent three grand on my vacation already—why do I need to spend another thousand just on what I’m going to be dressed in while I’m there? That money could much better be sent on food and drink or souvenirs.
But I can’t let go of the idea of a nice new vacation wardrobe.
I feel like I have found a compromise. It isn’t perfect, and I’ll probably agree with every criticism you can come up for my solution—but I’m sticking to it. Instead of going out and buying brand new clothes, I just buy new-to-me clothes. In other words—I buy secondhand. I still get the thrill of an addition to my collection, without the price tag and without contributing to the creation of new garments that really didn’t need to exist.
There are a few different ways to go about this. If you are really passionate about digging for the best bargains, in-person thrifting may be the way to go. For those of use who like to find deals from our own couches, however, there are still plenty of good resources. A few of my favorites are:
- TheRealReal
- ThreadUP
- Poshmark
For my latest trip to Spain this past May, almost everything I wore was from TheRealReal. I enjoy a lot of the brands that they offer, but would never pay for them brand new—as much as I’d like to—within the constraints of my own personal budget. For those of us who don’t mind buying secondhand, it’s nice to find good quality garments for less than you could find something comparable on Amazon
Here are some examples of my recent finds:
Joie (silk), $20 after discounts
Reformation (new with tags), $28.75 after discounts
As a side note, this garment was listed as “very good” quality, but when I received it, it still had Reformation tags attached
Alice and Olivia Top (NWT), $23.75 after discounts
The jacket was also secondhand Anne Taylor, and the skirt was something I already owned from Amazon
Alice and Olivia (silk), $21.00 after discounts
Alice and Olivia, $21.25 after discounts
This dress was absolutely gorgeous and got me so many compliments!
Rebecca Taylor (silk), $16.00 after discounts
Plus another use of the Anne Taylor jacket!
AllSaints, $19.25 after discounts
I also brought a long-sleeved, side cut-out dress from BA&SH for $24.00 and an absolutely amazing palm-leaf pattern, cowl neck midi dress from Alice and Olivia for $27.00. I so regret not getting pictures in them!
Overall, buying new clothing for my trip was not the most cost-effective way to travel. However, shopping in this way was much more affordable than getting garments from these brands I really enjoy brand new. I would argue these clothing items were even cheaper than I would have gotten from Amazon, and they are of a high enough quality to last me much longer.
My next trip is this fall, and I’m already starting to think about what I want to pack. What do you think? Should I shop in this same way, try something new, or stick to garments I already own?
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