04/26/2026
Sourcing inventory in Richmond is…interesting. It’s extremely hit or miss. When it’s good, it’s amazing. When it’s not, it’s a wild goose chase. I went to 4 different charity shops yesterday and I didn’t see anything worth buying until the third stop. The day before, I was surprised to find a pair of trousers from a fairly expensive, “artsy” German brand and when I was paying, the cashier told me that there was a second pair with the retail tag still attached. I gave her my money, went back to the pants racks, found the second pair and bought it. You just never know. Knowledge and experience are very important, but so are luck and timing.
I got into shopping second hand because the options accessible to me at retail prices didn’t appeal to me. If it was decently made, it was boring. If it looked cool, it was poor quality. The clothes I found interesting AND which were well made were out of reach for me financially. So I started buying vintage clothing and second hand designer clothes because that was the only way I could afford the kind of wardrobe I wanted. 30 years later, I can afford an occasional luxury item but I still spend 20-30 hours a week in every manner of secondhand venues scouring the racks for hidden gems. The only difference is that now, I’m not shopping exclusively for myself. I’m sourcing clothing, accessories, collectibles and home goods for 8 venues in Illinois, Ohio and Virginia and for one-on-one personal shopping clients. It’s a blast and there’s nothing like finding something really, really good and knowing that it was passed up by other shoppers who simply didn’t know what it was. But I kiss an awful lot of frogs trying to find the princes. To anyone who thinks “Pfft, I could go to the thrift store and find those things and the prices would be lower” I have two words for you. Go ahead. But give yourself at least a couple of hours if not longer, bring water and some snacks, and if you don’t live in an area with solid public transportation then I hope you have a car. The good stuff doesn’t just walk up and shake your hand, and the thrill of the hunt quickly becomes less thrilling when there’s nothing to catch. Sometimes you just have to accept that you’re in a shop that doesn’t have what you’re looking for, and move on.
Coming soon to Style Society Club in Oak Park, spring transition pieces from Alysi, Eileen Fisher, Elie Tahari, Heather Harlan, Hugo Boss, Lafayette 148, Milly, Piazza Sempione, Rundholz, St John, Theory, Tibi, Trina Turk, Veronica Beard and Vince.
Other new arrivals include ba&sh, Comfy USA, Gudrun Sjoden, J. Crew Collection (I typically don’t buy J. Crew unless it’s the Collection line or a collaboration such as Liberty fabrics, but I do work with one store that carries the brand and I’ll make an exception for them if the item in question is really cute), J. McLaughlin, Pomander Place, Porto, Rebecca Taylor and Ted Baker.
What’s next? That’s for the local shops to know and me to find out. But not today. After almost 7 hours on the road yesterday, I was so tired this morning that I didn’t even go to church. But tomorrow I’ll be back in action! Meanwhile, enjoy a few fashion snaps from the last couple of years, and some pictures from my home and travels because I’m all about fashion but not exclusively about it.
Ana in dress by Brian Reyes. Melanie is wearing Diane von Furstenberg and Kate Spade. Their cute frocks have sold but don’t worry, there are plenty more!
Christina is wearing Bitte Kai Rand, Moyuru and Natalie Martin from personal collection.
