everything i bought secondhand in june
+ 25 similar pieces you can shop.
Good morning!
First things first, a bit of housekeeping.
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I’m Viv, a Bay Area-based writer with work in Vogue, Marie Claire, SSENSE & more. I love vintage (especially old Prada/Miu Miu), color theory, jewelry, sociology and films!
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June was a fruitful month for secondhand finds.
I had been on the lookout for unique, interesting jewelry for a while, sifting through hundreds of listings a day for the perfect jade disc pendant, or a ring that would make my magpie eyes gleam….
What can I say—jewelry is enjoyable to shop for because there’s so MUCH of it out there and sizing is pretty straightforward. Very few surprises.
Then there’s skirts and dresses. In summer, I am loathe to wear pants. I prefer the ease of floaty fabrics, preferably silk, in vibrant colors that *just make sense* together. You’ll see what I mean.
In total, I bought five things. I’m gonna talk about each one, and hopefully it provides some keyword/visual inspiration for your treasure hunts.
I’ve also added 25 similar pieces to the secondhand sonar google doc that you can shop.
(1) Sterling Silver Shell Ring with Moonstone
The milky moonstone!!! The teardrop shell!!!
When this popped up in my eBay saved searches one morning, I went from bleary-eyed to sharp as an EAGLE. I locked in. I scrolled to check the size (it’ll work for my index finger), the price ($55, within budget), and hit checkout before I even washed my face. Early bird gets the worm, as they say.
This shipped from Germany and was supposed to get here last week, but it’s chilling somewhere in a post office in Colorado right now. That’s kind of the fun of eBay though. It’ll arrive when it arrives. An antidote to instant gratification amazon prime culture…
Shell shapes have been very popular in jewelry for a while now, but I think this design is quite timeless. I’m excited to play around with ring combos once it arrives! If you’re looking for a similar design in the market, designer/metalsmith July Rose (who I interviewed here) released a gorgeous silver shell ring this week.
(2) Vintage Ralph Lauren Silk Skirt
So, this skirt had actually been sitting in my Depop saves for a few weeks. I’m not sure why I was on the fence—maybe the pictures didn’t do it justice—but it was good to take my time before committing to an $80 purchase.
What drew me to this one was the soft melon green color, the body-hugging bias cut, and gold embossed discs/dots. It’s made of three thin layers of gauzy silk, each hitting at a different hemline, to create that slinky mermaid shape.
It looks better in person. Vintage RL silk skirts are criminally underrated.
My styling inspo was the Nicole Kidman divorce outfit. I think I did pretty well!
Next up, the STAR of the bunch…
(3) Iridescent Silk Slip Dress
Ooooo. Ahhhhh. I feel like a peacock feather.
Silk slip dresses are my favorite thing to wear in the summer. This particular one is a silk blend, with a stunning *iridescent* pattern that changes color depending on the angle. The pattern and sheen elevates it from the lingerie-esque vibe of say, a lacy silk slip. Also, it’s not sheer. Which makes it easy to put on and feel like a “real” outfit.
I already wore it three times this week (weather has been in mid-60s, I’m not sweating in it).