Big Secondhand Outfit Energy
Minimalist networking outfits, recreating outfit inspo without buying anything brand new, and the resale economy.
I have an event at the end of this month and of course I feel the urge to buy something new: I’m going to a big conference where absolutely no one will care about my outfit other than me. The catch is that there will be networking and I always feel more confident when I love what I’m wearing. My goal is to find the “right” outfit so I can pull off something that I deeply admire in other people - walking up to a group of strangers and introducing myself.
I’ve been adding to my Minimalist Outfit Inspo Pinterest board as I slowly transition my print-forward wardrobe (think: Emily in Paris) into something more chill (Sylvie). Prepping for this conference felt like the perfect time to put my board to the test. I have four spots left in my 10 Things pledge, but I’m going the preloved route to reduce my consumption footprint. For the past couple of weeks I’ve been on a quest to see if I can find the ultimate minimalist networking outfit by shopping secondhand and using what I already own. I clearly like a challenge since resale isn’t as fast or convenient as firsthand and my wardrobe is made up of so.many.prints.
Resale Everywhere All At Once
It’s not just me prioritizing secondhand - in the last few years I’ve noticed more people talk about their resale shopping in real life and on socials. I’ve also seen a gratifying number of people share their secondhand/vintage/thrifted/no buy/low buy wardrobes here on Substack.
Going beyond my anecdotal evidence, there are more of us shopping secondhand than ever before. The U.S. resale market shot up 115% from 2017 to 2023 with clothing as the top thrifted category. ThredUp’s 2024 Resale Report notes that the global resale sector is projected to make up 10% of the total apparel market by next year with online sales driving half of this spend. Promisingly, ThredUp’s report shared that over half of consumers shopped secondhand clothing in 2023, which climbed even higher across Gen Z and Millennials at 65%.
There’s also been a cultural shift around how we view secondhand in the context of gift giving, with 67% of consumers saying that the stigma around secondhand gifting has decreased and 82% saying they’re open to receiving a preloved present. This is encouraging news as we’re heading into peak holiday with US retail sales expected to increase up to 3.5% this season.
But the switch to secondhand needs to be accelerated since we already have enough apparel to outfit the next six generations. According to Depop’s Secondhand Fashion Report, there’s so much clothing in circulation that charity shops in the US and UK can only sell 10-30% of the apparel donated to them. The remainder is shipped overseas creating air, soil, and water pollution through incineration and landfilling. In a creative twist, charity retailers are opening their own Depop shops to help combat textile waste, like the British Heart Foundation who’s become a top seller on Depop thanks to a new audience of sustainably-minded digital shoppers.
Enough Data, Give Me The Outfits
There are three outfit ideas that I keep saving over and over again: cinched blazers, slouchy suits, and mismatched mini skirts, all in solid neutral colors. This is a big departure from my current wardrobe and longest-running style inspo board that’s full of bright colors, dramatic silhouettes, OTT details, patterns, and prints.
Look 1 - Cinched Blazer + Micro Belt Bag
I wrote a few weeks ago that I’m really feeling a cinched blazer. This silhouette has been on my wishlist for months and there’s SO much at resale right now. I’ve been belting my oversized blazers to create waist definition, but using a micro belt bag like this styling by Another Nue is an unexpected twist, with the belt and blazer’s tonal element elevating this look. (A big thank you to
for sharing Another Nue with us from her Denmark trip - I’ve been endlessly inspired by their styling ever since. If Copenhagen is on your bucket list like it is for me, you’ll definitely want to check out Kelly’s post.)
My first cinched blazer purchase was the linen Reformation Larsen Jacket as I’m trying to move towards natural fibers over synthetics - I missed the boat on this new and have been scouring secondhand sites all summer. The close fit and nipped in waist are exactly what I’m looking for after four years of oversized everything. Then The RealReal’s “Shop More, Earn More” event convinced me to add two Ganni jackets that I’ve been eyeing for months to my cart. These jackets are my top contenders for (what I’m now thinking of as) minimalist networking and I’m excited to try them out with pants that are already in my wardrobe.
Ganni
A quick note on Ganni: I have several of their pieces because I appreciate their values of progress over perfection. They outwardly don’t identify as a sustainable brand since producing new clothing ≠ sustainability. Instead they’re trying to become the “the most responsible version” of themselves. If you want to learn more, I highly recommend
’s in-depth interview with Ganni’s Chief Sustainability Officer Lauren Bartley, a must read if you want to understand what brand transparency looks like. Ganni also has a secondary Instagram ganni.lab that shares updates on their responsibility progress and it’s fascinating to see what they’re doing to reduce their footprint.Look 2 - Slouchy Suit
My slouchy suit origin story dates back to spring 2019. As I was in line for my morning work shuttle I would see the same woman waiting for her Uber a few times a week. She was usually wearing a perfectly oversized suit with a crossbody YSL bag and plain sneakers. I would look down at whatever leopard print/overly patterned thing I was wearing and think ugh. My best soft skill is approaching someone on the street to ask about what they’re wearing, but our timing never quite aligned and I don’t know where she got her suits which haunts me to this day.
In the five years since I’ve found so much suit inspiration, but I’m still searching for the perfect black or neutral slouchy suit. It’s a challenge to find secondhand suits online since they’re more of a try on IRL item. There’s one suit that I’m teetering on the edge of buying that’s been in my The RealReal obsessions for two markdowns. I’m linking below if you’re in the market for a suit at a sharp price point. As a backup I have my trusty green old Zara suit which has been my outfit of choice for multiple presentations and school events, so I think it’s ready for some light networking.
Look 3 - Mismatched Minis
Totally outside of my comfort zone, and therefore the outfit I want to wear the most. I’m drawn to jackets and skirts that are a mismatch instead of a true suit/matching set, made all the more interesting for the contrast in color and texture. Especially a longer jacket that balances out a shorter skirt, creating a transitional dressing look that takes away from the bare feeling I get in a mini and short sleeve top.
These two outfits cover both ends of the spectrum: one that’s more professional and one that’s more casual. I would feel comfortable wearing either of these to a fashion office or a networking event, but ymmv. The outfit on the left was my top minimalist networking pick, but I couldn’t get my hands on the pieces I loved so I had to admit defeat for the conference and consider this a long-range wardrobe plan instead.
The jacket drew me in for both outfits and I kicked off my search here. I found this perfect Source Unknown blazer on The RealReal to recreate the look on the left. I like to give things I want to buy at least a week to make sure I really want it, which meant this blazer sold out the morning that I was ready to buy it. I then saw the same jacket in a gorgeous rich brown color that I planned to buy with the next price drop, which also promptly sold out. But after a decade as a RealReal shopper I know this blazer will come back at some point so it’s staying on my list. Since the skirt depends on the jacket, I put a few in queue and moved on to the next outfit.
Between the skirt-like look, jacquard texture, and mod self belt, the Prada mini shorts make the second look. I’ve added them to my wishlist since I couldn’t find these in the Sienna colorway pictured. If these shorts speak to you as much as they do to me, there’s a green pair on Vestiaire for a casual $1.3K and black pair on Depop, a relative steal at $600. I’m having a harder time sourcing a quality oversized chocolate brown vegan leather jacket, but my Stand Studio bomber is a good substitute for when I find the right skirt.
During my search I found some great preloved items that might inspire your fall fashion and linked them below (site links only, no affiliates). My best find was a vintage Chanel that’s only $63 (!). I had to do a double take to make sure I read the price correctly. I included it below in case you have the skills to bring this back to life.
That’s it for this week, thanks for reading. I’d love to hear more if you bought anything secondhand from an inspiration image or what you’re tracking down preloved. See you next Wednesday!
over the summer I was really into this old 2013 Marni jacket I bought off TRR in 2020, I like it on top of an otherwise could-be-menswear look. The oversized look was never my cup of tea, I think I just prefer my jackets a little more feminine in general since the last thing I bought on ebay was a jacket with three-quarter sleeves and embroidery
(not necessarily hourglassy but definitely not the boxy AND shoulderpadded AND oversized look that's been a thing in fashion week street style photographs since I'm going to say, 2018 or so)
I really enjoy the mental deep dive - that’s what I find so interesting and fun about fashion. Btw I have that Source Unknown blazer in tan and charcoal. The shape is very linebackery, meaning the shoulder pads are SHOULDER PADS. 😉