These days, if you want to find the kind of extremely rare, once-in-a-lifetime fashion grail that dreams are made of, the easiest way to go about it might just be opening your browser to a secondhand site and typing in a weird search term. “We've been seeing all these funny search terms, things that actually feel sort of digitally conversant, like ‘dark academia’ or ‘Betty white fur coat,’” says Kristen Naiman, chief brand officer of the RealReal.
Since it launched in 2011, the online luxury consignment retailer has opened up the floodgates to a steady stream of secondhand fashion at our fingertips, with thousands of new items going live every day. Its diehards have alarms set to check the drops twice daily at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. EST. Others only frequent the site when they’re looking for something particular. But the mix of high-end rare vintage with everyday secondhand fashion at more accessible prices means there’s never been an easier way to cultivate a more meaningful sense of personal style—whether your search term is simply a brand name or something much quirkier.
Now the retailer is releasing a new book, Real Style: Dressing with Intention & Expressing Yourself Through Style. It’s a celebration of finding your personal style through vintage shopping, born, says Naiman, out of the understanding that the game has shifted in recent years. “We were having a conversation about the way we think about shopping and style and really getting dressed and how much we feel like it's changing,” she explains.
After all, we’re living in an era with an unprecedented interest in archival collecting and vintage culture. Social media has provided a massive opportunity for people to document their collections, share their obsessions, and collectively create new trends that often stem directly from the secondhand marketplace—like this past summer’s resurgence of Pucci or Roberto Cavalli.
The new tome, which is constructed like a coffee table book and set up like a guidebook, prizes individuality and personality over trends and shopping for shopping’s sake. The first section is all about defining your style. The second half is centered on building your wardrobe. “We were inspired by this idea of a wellness book mixed with something that was fun and engaging and interactive about style,” says Naiman. The idea is to celebrate true style, the kind that honors the little voice inside your head above all else. Rather than being focused on shopping seasonally or jumping on trends, it’s about the journey to understanding what you’re trying to say with your clothes.
