Just an overview of the holiday outfit looks I featured during the 25 Days of Looks project in December.
During this project, The Real Real reached out to me regarding their Influencer Program. I was floored.
I’ve been struggling with how to share this news with you all for a while now and I guess there is not way to share than just sharing, right? But as with everything, I’m going to be as honest and myself as possible :)
I am a true believer of upcycling and giving a second life to designer pieces. Luxury goods run in a higher price range for many reasons (materials, cost of make, etc) and for that reason, many luxury items will last a longer time with proper care. It pains me to think that people will discard such well made (and expensive) goods when most people work so hard to save up for these items. So the surge of luxury second hand and consignment companies in the past few years has been quite exciting.
Before I dive into my thoughts on The Real Real and the services they provide, I want to clarify what being in their influencer program means-
H&M Shirtdress
What does it mean to be part of the Influencer Program?
First and foremost, being part of this program does not mean I am gifted free items or given a discount to use.
I also won’t receive a promo code to give you and I also am not being directly paid to post the links.
It only means that if you use the affiliate links posted on my blog and IG accounts to access the site, I may receive a small portion of any purchase you make. Here is the direct link to their FAQ regarding the program, and here is the link to my disclaimer.
Please know that I would not recommend or plug any product or service without having used and gotten familiar with it myself.
Why promote The Real Real then?
As I mentioned above, I’ve a true believer or upcycling luxury (and even high street) goods. I’ve tried a lot of services our there and of all the services I use, my go-to is definitely The Real Real. I find that they carry widest range of items, while many other companies focus on niche categories (handbags, shoes, etc). They also inspect every item on the site and provide a certificate of authenticity, which is a huge plus considering how many fake items are on the market.
I’ve been shopping on The Real Real since May 2016 and have purchased many items, including the Silver Christian Dior Metallic Songe Pumps (above) and the Tome dress (featured in the look with red books). I’ve always been satisfied with how the items are packaged and shipped as well as the return services.
If you are a luxury lover like me and like the idea of giving your luxury goods a second life, you can also consign with them. I haven’t done this yet but I’ve only heard good things from friends who are very active on the site.
The one down side is that they do not offer free shipping. Now, I feel two ways about this because 1 - they always have a 20% deal running (using code: REAL) which is great. However, when you get to checkout, the 20% pretty much makes up for the cost of shipping, so you aren’t really saving all that much more. This poses an issue because returns are not free either. So if you aren’t satisfied with the item, you will have to pay for return shipping. (However, if you live in NY, you can return your items at their store in Soho.)
Why am I sharing all of this?
As I continue to blog and share parts of my life through social media, you’ll see that my style is quite high-low. I love me a Zara, Asos, Topshop haul any day and pairing my high waisted ripped denim with some vintage Prada is pretty typical of me.
I love to share tips and tricks on how I save a bit of money without compromising my personal aesthetic. And so telling you about The Real Real was only bound to come up.
Obviously, if you use any of my links, it does help me out a bit too ;)
