Chapter 20: What I'm Consigning and What I'm Buying Secondhand

Time for the semi annual closet purge.

Another fashion month done, another day spent going through my overgrown closet and plucking out the proverbial weeds.

Almost every time fashion week ends, I feel the overwhelming need to edit my closet. And after I’m done, I like to reward myself with some of the glittering wishlist items I’ve been looking at secondhand. Nothing is more satisfying, and there’s too many pieces of clothing that aren’t sacred. I believe in constantly rotating my wardrobe; letting go of things and taking second chances with pieces that are both new and vintage. Life is too short not to. So, here’s what I’ve been buying secondhand lately—as well as what I’ve been consigning.

First up, the fun part. Here’s what I’m buying secondhand.

What I’m buying: Victor Costa jackets

Victor Costa jackets

Clockwise, from left to right: Silk beaded blazer $120, Crystal jacket $699, Blue blazer $13 Floral Embroidered Mandarin Black Duster Jacket Coat $48,

I love true vintage and Victor Costa delivers on that. Dubbed the "King of Copycats," he rose to fame in the mid-1970s for mimicking high-fashion from Europe and bringing it to America for affordable price points. We love him. In particular, I’m swooning over his jackets, which are richly decorated and beautifully structured. Some of them remind me of the work of Cristóbal Balenciaga, with their tight waists, big puff sleeves, stunning velvet flocking, floral embroidery and romantic shapes. And they’re quite affordable too.