Are you for RealReal?
*Never meant to make your closet cry* tears of joy.
Welcome back to Take Your Time. Today’s letter is a very exciting one because it’s in partnership with my most-visited and loved place to shop: The RealReal !!
To say I’m obsessed with The RealReal might be an understatement.
After messages, Instagram, and email, it is genuinely my most-used app on my phone.
My therapist probably wouldn’t love this, but it’s even part of my wind-down ritual before bed. I’ll check in on my Obsessions and then make my decision in the morning with fresh eyes and full conviction that it needs to come home to my closet.
I have friends who are equally devoted to the hunt. I wish I were joking, but as I type this, one of my best friends Lisa, texted me that I needed this. I think I might.
RealRealing is a love language.
The closet karma theory
Here’s how I think about my obsession with shopping and TRR: The RealReal is closet karma.
The gems I find on TRR exist because someone else made space. And when I consign something I’ve loved but stopped reaching for, I’m creating the next person’s gem. It’s a true cycle, the circle of life for your wardrobe. I buy, I wear, I love, I let go, I fund the next chapter.
I’ve been a RealRealer since 2014 (someone please make me a name badge with my start year!), and at this point, a solid sixth of my closet comes from TRR. I love that my wardrobe is made up of pieces I’ve dreamed of and have been on the hunt for for a while. Things that feel me coded, which I think is the best way to build out your personal style.
The Art of The Saved Search
Here’s the thing about shopping both in-person and online: it’s a sport. A sport, I tell you!
It’s about commitment, consistency, and the self-assurance to know that the gems that are meant for you will not miss you. One way to secure said gems is by really learning the art of ‘The Saved Search’.
Take a beat and think about it for a second: what are some of your favorite pieces in your closet? What feels like YOU. What are some of your favorite brands that might be more under the radar? The more out there, the better! I can’t speak to the tagging back-end system, but they’re doing the lord’s work to randomly place things in TSS, aka The Saved Search.
I save things like tie-dye. Feathers. Bolero. Cape. Etro. ‘Beaded Dries Van Noten’. Loro Piana Beanie. Brunello Cucinelli Boots. Get vague, get specific. Check daily.
We all have a personal brand color… mine is Crown Affair Green
Put a Polka Dot On It!
My Hangisi Love Affair
These shoes elevate any look (any look I tell you).
Feathers and Tie Dye and Boleros, Oh My!
It’s Fendi Bageutte Season — I’m seeing them everywhere right now!
Hourglass anything, please.
We know I have a soft spot for hourglasses (hello, Crown Affair and Take Your Time visuals), but this love continues in my closet, too. Demna’s 2016 hourglass sculptural designs? Say less to me. I actually can’t get enough, and I hunt them down on TRR. I shared this one the other day, but someone bought it from my stories. Acting fast matters!
A Lowkey But Elegant Bag
These Hunting Season bags made me realize I had a type when it comes to easy evening bags. There’s always a fresh rotation. I can’t wait to bring them with me this summer on all my travels.
With a new chapter comes a cleanse.
Here’s the thing that just happened: I may have bossed a little too hard and bought myself a house (!!)
I know, it’s crazy, and I’m still processing the whole thing. Hilariously, the first thought that flashed through my brain, not furniture, not paint colors (but don’t worry, I got there fast), was: I need The RealReal to come help me clean out my closet.
Because that’s how a RealRealer thinks. A new chapter means a new closet edit. What doesn’t fit the next version of your life goes back into the cycle. It funds what comes next. It creates space, literal and energetic, for the pieces that belong to who you’re becoming.
I wasn’t wearing it anymore, so I RealRealed it. And then I bought something I actually reach for.
How I actually use TRR (the circular closet, explained)
I treat my TRR store credit like a savings account for my style. Consigning isn’t decluttering, it’s investing. Every piece I let go is funding the next find.
I also think about resale value now when I buy. If I’m going to invest in a major piece, something luxurious, something real, I know that The RealReal gives it a second life if it stops being mine. That changes how I shop. I buy less on impulse and more with longevity in mind. I ask: Will I still reach for this in five years? Will someone else love this if I don’t? Knowing I bought that Alexander McQueen jacket at retail last year and could resell it on TRR if I stop reaching for it? That’s what guilt-free luxury actually means.
Clothing is a part of how I tell my story. It’s how I collect evidence of who I’ve been and signal who I’m becoming. The RealReal is where that story gets to keep going, for me, and for whoever finds my Valentino sweater next.
Take care, and take your time, always,
Dianna
And Now… Three Things I Love and A Haircare Tip
A favorite personal laptop case, and an amazing personalized gift.
I’m late to this book, but damn, if you love Greek mythology and perfect writing, it’s the perfect summer read.
It’s hard to choose THE lip but I think this is it. It’s my favorite cocoon cozy luxe lip, now with color!
A Haircare Tip: The Vacation Shower Cap Hack
Pro move on vacation: use your hair towel as a shower cap.
We’ve all been there—you arrive at your destination only to realize you forgot your shower cap, or the hotel one is flimsy, tears, or somehow doesn’t fully cover your hair. Have no fear, I have a simple solution: use your hair towel.
Yes, really. Wrap your dry hair in The Towel and hop in the shower. No, it’s not the same as a waterproof plastic moment, but for a quick body shower, it does a surprisingly great job protecting your blowout or keeping your style intact.
It’s one of my favorite travel hacks and another reason I never leave home without it.
 | A guest post by
|
I didn’t know I needed a feather sweater but here we are…
That little green straw Prada bag is 😍 and I agree with Lisa that you might need it!