A Secondhand-First Style Ethos

During my teenage years, in an open-air market in Mexico, I found a jacket in a pile of clothes that stretched as far as my eye could see. It was woven in green and orange on black canvas, and finding it felt like finding the needle in the haystack: lucky, momentous, and mine. There was only one, and I had it.

I've always had a unique style and have shopped secondhand since I was a child. At LaliSimone we call it a secondhand-first style ethos, and it's in our DNA.

What it means

A secondhand-first style ethos simply means that secondhand is the center and starting point of your fashion aesthetic. It is foundational to your style identity. Secondhand is where you shop first, second, and third when it's time to build or refresh your wardrobe or find a perfect outfit for that one event. This ethos is knowing (and loving) that your entire wardrobe can be secondhand without compromising a single stitch of style.

New isn't off the table, but lean toward makers and designers who produce in small batches, make the work themselves, and are committed to ethical production.

Secondhand-first at play

• Creativity. With one-of-ones, you use thought and imagination to make each piece work. The result: bold, quirky, sometimes weird but cool looks that are always more authentically you.
• Keeping things in use. Rehoming a piece of clothing has a far lower footprint than buying new. As long as an item stays in circulation, it stays out of the landfill.
• Choosing how clothes get made. Where we spend our money shapes how clothes are produced and who pays for it. Shopping secondhand steps out of the fast fashion cycle.

How to start

1. Follow what resonates. As a fashion stylist, I love the freedom to blend eras for a look that "just works." Pull from the 60s, 70s, 90s, 2000s, even the 1800s. If it calls to you, answer. And if you find yourself gravitating repeatedly toward a specific era, lean into that as well. The idea is to let your curiosity and imagination guide you toward preloved pieces that fit well and sit within your comfort zone, but nudge you into uncharted territory.
2. Know where to look. Curated shops like LaliSimone, thrift stores, resale sites like ThredUp and Poshmark, clothing swaps, and vintage markets.
3. Try the thing you've been curious about. A secondhand-first wardrobe nudges you out of your comfort zone, and a one-of-one makes it easy to try.
4. Go by measurements, not tags. Sizing has changed across the decades, so check the measurements against a piece that fits you well. Here's how to know if vintage will fit.
5. Wear it, then rehome it. Keeping a piece in circulation means wearing it well and passing it on when you're done.

Why it matters

Every piece that stays in circulation is one that doesn't need to be made and doesn't end up in the landfill. It's also the most personal way to build a wardrobe, because nothing about it is mass-produced for everyone. You can be this stylish with a far lighter footprint, and have fun doing it. If this makes you want to start, you don't have to do the hunting alone.

Come explore

LaliSimone is where we collect pieces we find interesting, reverent, and high quality, so you can explore vintage without the intensive legwork. If you love the thrill of the hunt, there's room for that here too. Shop new arrivals.

As I always say, let's keep things out of the landfill and look fly doing it.