Smokeylita's Lolita Wardrobe and Code

What I like to check when shopping secondhand

Lolita fashion is some of the most secondhand-focused fashions I have been in (of all the 2 fashions I have been in lol) and it makes sense! The cycle of fashion is slower in this fashion than it is for most fast fashion, and the pieces are usually in great condition by the time someone is finished with the piece. In addition, many pieces are expensive, and do not necessarily lose their value overtime. Brand pieces, taobao pieces that are no longer printed, and can sometimes end up more expensive than when they were purchased.

But that is to say that you need to be cautious with what you pick out. Unless you’re at an in-person swap meeting, all you have to go off of are the images the seller provides, and that’s often tricky.

This is what I personally think about when I’m shopping around on lacemarket or closet child, and I see something that catches my interest.

A lot of this is centered around lacemarket, but can also apply to closet child, mercari, etc.

  1. Does it actually ship to my country, or do I have a shopping service I can use?
  2. Can I actually afford it without putting myself in financial ruin?
    1. Is it a price I’m really willing to pay for it? I’m not paying $80 for dirty, extremely worn socks
  3. Does the seller have any pictures besides a stock photo? If someone doesn’t provide other images of a secondhand dress, I don’t even touch that listing if I’m not utterly desperate. Even if it is in a bag, I want to confirm that they
    1. Have the piece
    2. It is actually in the condition listed
    3. They have checked it enough to make sure no insects or animals have gotten to it
  4. Is there anything hidden in the photos they provide? Are pictures of the back of the dress conspicuously unavailable? Do they cover up a particular spot every time? That can be suspicious
  5. If there is damage seen, is it specifically in the form of small, dark brown spots, or anything else that seems likely to be from a bedbug infestation?
    1. Regardless, you should wash your clothes when you get them, always assume the worst
  6. Is there any damage that I wouldn’t be able or willing to fix myself?
  7. Has the seller sold things before? Do they have many negative reviews, or does something consistently come up in the reviews that bothers me?
    1. If the user hasn’t sold anything before, do they have a proof photo that shows their username and the date in one of their photos, to confirm they didn’t just steal these photos from elsewhere?
  8. Is there anything else in the listing that makes me feel uneasy?
  9. Now that I think everything looks fine in the listing, I check to make sure the piece will actually work for me
    1. Is there a lolibrary listing?
      1. If so, how does that look compared to the photos given?
      2. What was the original price? Is it less than the original price, or more?
    2. Are there measurements on the listing or in lolibrary? Does it fit?
      1. If the seller says it’s a US medium or another size without giving specific measurements, I usually avoid the listing because that just doesn’t mean enough to tell me how it will fit
      2. I personally prefer to have about about an extra +- 3cm range available from measurements given, since it’s not always clear if it’s the maximum garment measurements or the maximum human measurement, which can give about a 3cm difference
      3. If the seller provides measurements, and it’s different from lolibrary, the one I trust more is on a case-by-case basis. Seller measurements are usually flat and will be slightly off, but if the piece has been modified, then of course I go by their measurements. Always double check closet child or wunderwelt sizing against the lolibrary entry
    3. Will this actually fit in my wardrobe? I use my coord builder to test this of course, but you can take a look in your wardrobe and consider a few things
      1. Do you have any pieces that would match any of the colors, themes, or motifs on this?
      2. If not, would you be willing to get things to match it? (Like, if your wardrobe is still small or if this is a dream piece)
      3. Can you imagine wearing this to a meet? Around your house? To the grocery store? When do you want to wear this?
    4. How long has it been on Lacemarket? Do I need to buy it right this second, or can I wait a bit?
      1. For solid black x white pieces and unusual prints from indie brands, I usually will get it sooner rather than later, since I’ve had the most trouble getting those on lacemarket.