Tradesy Treasures

I love dresses. I love dresses, like formal dresses, like I love cake. And Jelly Belly. But like a Kardashian, once photographed in them, I don't really want to wear them again. There a select few, like my recent birthday dress or some other random old BCBG, Halston Heritage, Laundry by Shelli Segal, and Xscape dresses (see a trend here- forgiving stretch jersey). But if they were really show-stopping or unique, how many times can you wear it before it's repetitive? I have one gorgeous Scala beaded gown that looks like it could be in a pageant. I bought it in Las Vegas in 2001, at a boutique in the MGM Grand for a last minute gala. It was way out of my budget but I loved it and HAD to have it. But that was the last I wore it. I wore it last September for a charity event in NJ but it's one of those REALLY memorable dresses. I feel like I can't really wear it again, at least for another few years. And by then, I don't know if I'd even fit in it. I just turned 40. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't know that it would be age-appropriate. Unless you're La Lucci.

Social media has definitely been a game-changer in regard to formalwear. Even B doesn't want to keep wearing the same shirts and ties after we've been in photos for 201 Magazine or on the Bergen.com website. Otherwise it looks like we have no other clothes. Like the girl who only wore one dress on Seinfeld.

I don't pay retail. We've established that. I feel like a schmuck doing that. Unless I was going somewhere REALLY special and it was an "it" dress. But I can't even think of somewhere I'd be going THAT special that I'd feel cool with paying full price. Even for the White House, I'd still stick to my regular discount haunts.

I need a dress for Jordan's bat mitzvah coming up. Ever since Loehmann's closed, I've been sort of at a loss. I go to Nordstrom Rack but it's usually a disaster and unlike Loehmann's their selection is not huge. I think because they carry SO much. Men, Women, Kid, Home, Shoes. Accessories. It's a lot. Loehmann's was mostly women's stuff with a sprinkle of men's and sometimes kid's. I've gone to the other discount stores. Saks Off Fifth is good. But Century 21 is just too overwhelming for me. I also know what I like. If I like a top or dress, I'd most likely just buy it in another color. Anything from the brands I wrote about above is likely going to be my pick.

I was looking for a Nicole Miller dress online I saw at Lord & Taylor in the store. I should've bought it at the moment. But I couldn't commit for $99 even though it was down from $290. Apparently I didn't learn my lesson after the red Franco Sarto boots at Marshalls. I was trolling the internet for the dress when I came across Tradesy and Poshmark. Basically eBays more targeted for current or sought after fashion. I was intrigued.  I started looking up my go-to brands. On Poshmark, I looked up the Xscape dress I wore to Syd's bat mitzvah that I LOVE. Mine is black but I was seeing it came in a bunch of other colors. For WAY less than retail prices new. I was able to score one in brown for $40. It came and the seller didn't mention she pinned the bust for modesty. (WHY?? There is never too much boob! Especially in a dress CALLED The Bombshell!).

I put the dress on and it was great. Except for the pinning. I took the pin out and there were pin holes. It also didn't lay right there because it had been pinned so long. It also turned out there was a little hole in the front in the seam. If the pinholes weren't there, I might have been able to live with the other hole. You couldn't see it unless the dress was stretched. Thing is, I don't love brown. I don't know why I thought I would. I would've kept it because brown is great for autumn. But not with a hole or three. So I sent an email to their customer service with photos. They quickly agreed to a refund that day, emailed me a mailing label, and I sent it back. Then I ordered another of the same dress, this time in blue, from someone else, for $30 plus $4.99 shipping (cheaper than the first!). Shipping on there is always $4.99 which isn't bad at all. TOTALLY worth it. I think it was at least $150 new.

I have tons of dresses I'm never going to wear again so I investigated both sites selling policies. On Tradesy, the shipping is built into the price. This is the best- you plug in the retail price of an item. Then they give you the price similar things are selling for. It's great. Then you don't have to go researching and scouring the internet for similar things and prices. It takes all the work out for you. You can list as many things as you want for free and they stay listed indefinitely - until they sell. There is no having to re-list like on eBay. It's not an auction. Everything is just purchased outright. I'm already in love and I haven't even sold anything yet.

Poshmark has good stuff to buy, but they want 20% of the profit! With Tradesy, YOU get 91% of the profit. I'm with them- all signed up. I got obsessed, as usual. I stayed up until 3am taking pictures of all my stuff. I have a dress form, who incidentally, doesn't have the best body, but it works. I put clothes on and off until I really needed to go to sleep. I spent the next day editing photos (ie, cropping out piles of dresses and clothes from my frenzy that ended up next to the dress form).

So, I'm on there. Selling my stuff. Check mine out or look through your closet and sell yours!

Tradesy! Use my link. I get credit and so do YOU. You get $25 in free first purchase credit for signing up with my link. http://www.tradesy.com/invite/tara-d-1449746?utm_source=RFL&utm_content=RFL0001_1449746&utm_medium=link

MY Tradsey "closet": https://www.tradesy.com/member/tara-d/1449746/

Poshmark: https://poshmark.com/feed - I don't think there are referrals/credit.