My closet is your closet
Chloë Sevigny’s Sale of the Century was just the beginning – now, It-girls everywhere are selling off their wardrobes. Here’s how to join the resale revolution
MAKING SOME EXTRA CASH HAS NEVER had quite so much cachet: this year, the wardrobe resale has become the ultimate It-girl activity. Where once these modern style icons were known for displaying their impeccable style on the streets of the fashion capitals, now we find them behind a trestle table piled with pre-loved pieces, bum bag on waist, inviting us to shop.
The most famous, of course, came with Chloë Sevigny’s Sale of the Century, in New York last year. The queue for it wrapped twice around a SoHo block. But the actor is far from alone in this pursuit. In London, stylists Francesca Burns and Claudia Sinclair host Resale Therapy with Pixie Geldof; broadcaster Zezi Ifore, Liz Johnson Artur and ELLE editor Eni Subair are expanding theirs, called Plenty Plenty; and in north London, you’ll now catch the forever wellstyled writer Zadie Smith hosting charity jumble sales where labels traverse the entire fashion spectrum.
Besides being an opportunity to secure some fantastic new-toyou treasures, these sales have allowed us to breathe joy into the old-school ritual of shopping IRL, explains Liana Satenstein, who organised the Sale of the Century. ‘You can get whatever you want online using the right search term,’ she says. ‘But this process can feel sterile and exhausting. There’s no thoughtfulness. These sales are more meaningful, because they are so interactive and personal.’
I’ll happily admit that I have fallen fast for visiting as many of these sorts of sales as possible. I love that they can feel akin to rooting through somebody’s wardrobe, without the home invasion, and I find that inspiration is all around, even in the pieces you don’t take home. I was thrilled to acquire a pair of Geldof’s Prada sunglasses from the spring 2011 collection. I’d long lusted after them and got them for a fraction of their original price. Plus, it’s fun to share the story of how I got them, should anyone ask.
ELLE contributing editor Camille Charrière, who hosted her own sale, Wardrobe Witches, agrees: ‘I think it’s much nicer to rifle through someone’s wardrobe’s cast-offs than selling online, where it can be hit and miss or you can’t send it back.’
If you set up your own sale, be sure to consider not just where you choose to host it, but also to centre yourself as the seller. People want to know where the pieces come from, where they were worn and, ultimately, if they have a wonderful story.
‘Did some drummer of a major band hit on you 10 years ago when you wore that lace-trimmed Dior slip dress? Advertise that!’ Satenstein adds. ‘Did you club around Paris in those Manolo kitten heels? Talk about it! People like to world-build and to dream.’
Satenstein’s main advice for those who want to hold their own sale is: ‘Be present for it. Don’t just drop off your clothes and leave. People are buying your clothes because of you and the stories you have to tell about them.’ Charrière offers more practical advice: ensure you have ‘prices that make it worth the trek, a good variety of items, a killer playlist and an everything-must-go attitude’.
Now, who can convince Alexa Chung to host one?