If I were to take inventory of my closet and choose the brands with the highest item count, they would be Aritzia, Lululemon and Sam Edleman. These are three brands that I absolutely LOVE. Their fabrics and materials are high quality, they have a variety of classic/timeless styles, anddd they have the price tag to match. While the tags say Aritzia, Lululemon or Sam Edleman, what isn’t shown is where I purchased them. 

I am an avid Poshmark shopper (I list every so often). I am someone who loves high quality clothing and accessories. I love timeless and classic personal style. Apps like Poshmark allow me to express myself through fashion at a fraction of the price ALL while supporting a sustainable lifestyle.

Today I am sharing my 4 tips that make secondhand online shopping a breeze for me.

Four Tips for Secondhand Shopping Online

• Know your measurements
• Buy/Search for brands you already know
• Message the seller with any questions
• New With Tags filter functionality if available

If you’re looking for a deeper dive into these secondhand online shopping tips, continue reading!

Know your measurements. I think we all have a general idea of what alpha size we typically wear, but I’m talking about specific body measurements. It’s always good to know your bust, waist, and hip measurements. Most brands use these measurements in their size guides. Whenever I come across a listing online, I search for the brand and similar style on the true brand’s website and compare my measurements to their size chart. I do this mainly for brands I don’t usually shop with or if I’m wearing a style where the silhouette is not flowy. This tip will help with online shopping in general, not only secondhand shopping. 

Buy/Search for brands you already know. Have you ever noticed that you are a Medium in bottoms at Brand A, yet a Small in bottoms at Brand B? Take inventory of the clothes that already exist in your closet and narrow down the brand that you have the most of. This should help narrow down your decision while shopping and give you more trust in sizing as you shop. There is nothing worse than buying your “typical size” for a Black Mini Dress from a brand you don’t know of or wear often, receiving the item, and the sizing being completely off. To avoid the risk of the style not fitting, buy what you know.

Message the seller with any questions. If the listing isn’t detailed enough, don’t be scared to ask questions! I’ve seen many Poshmark users ask for additional measurements like inseam or armhole. Similar to the first bullet point, it’s important to know exactly what you are buying before completing the purchase.

New With Tags (NWT) filter functionality if available. This is always the first filter that I use when I secondhand shop online. Granted, nothing is wrong with buying a style that is gently worn, but there are some listings out there for pieces that have never been worn! I like to search for styles with this filter first and if it doesn’t return anything that I am looking for, then I remove the filter and search as normal. This is a great function to find new items at a low price (usually lower than in-store).

I hope this helps your experience with secondhand shopping online! Let me know what tips you have or if my tips helped you below.