This year, like many of you, my holiday plans are quite simple compared to what they might have been. I won’t be traveling to the US to see my family, and I won’t be having a big gathering. Instead, I’m keeping things simple and low-key at home in Hong Kong, but I’d still love to don some holiday style while celebrating at home. However, instead of buying something brand new, I’m suggesting going green for the holidays this year by recycling a past look or buying an outfit secondhand.
From sweaters to dresses, there are ways to be environmentally friendly (as well as economically friendly) this holiday season. Lately, I have been limiting my new purchases to purchasing through consignment shops as well as continually going through my closet to style new looks with pieces I already have. Purchasing secondhand pieces or recycling a look saves hundreds, if not thousands, of liters of water and kilograms of carbon.
Buying Secondhand
TheRealReal
90% of my purchases in the past 12 months (especially by top designers) have been through consignment shops, with TheRealReal being one of them. For the last few years, I’ve been consigning some of my own designer items through them for others to purchase and enjoy. All items are authenticated before being available for purchase, and international shipping is available which is how I’m able to make a purchase from Hong Kong. Some of my favorite go-to wardrobe staples have been purchased through TheRealReal, and when you buy or sell through them, they inform you of how many liters of water and grams of carbon you saved. A few of my current favorite items for sale that are perfect for the holidays include this velvet blazer, this ruffled blouse, these gold pants, this floral skirt, this striped dress, and these Victorian style boots.
Vestiaire Collective
Another amazing consignment shop is Vestiaire Collective, which also authenticates items before they are available for purchase. I have not sold anything on Vestiaire Collective yet, however I have a few friends that have and they speak very highly of the entire process whether it be selling or purchasing. There are some incredible secondhand designer items available that are more than perfect for the holidays and celebrating the New Year. Some favorites include this balloon sleeve dress, this designer blazer, this shimmering dress, these sleek heels, and this fair isle sweater.
Other sites I have bought authentic, secondhand items from include Etsy (my vintage Hudson’s Bay coat came from this site) and Ebay fashion.
You can also shop locally at your local consignment shops (bearing in mind any local restrictions due to the pandemic) to shop small and local this holiday season.
Shopping Your Own Closet
As I’ve been spending more time at home, I’ve been organizing a lot in each room – my closet included. I’ve gone through my wardrobe and recently went through each and every piece to see if it’s an item that still fits or still works with my style. I ended up donating a lot of items here in Hong Kong and back in Los Angeles when I visited in October, as well as brought several to consignment shops. I kept pieces I can style repeatedly in many different ways. I found amazing items in my closet I had forgotten about or were completely hidden. This holiday season, I’ll be re-wearing pieces I rediscovered in my closet this year, and I can’t wait to have fun styling different looks. Not only does shopping in my own closet save money, but it also saves water and reduces carbon.
My Look
Dress is secondhand from TheRealReal // Furla bag (old, similar here) // Jimmy Choo heels
Consignment shop finds
Dresses
Sweaters
