Portland Resale Style Trends

After nearly 30 years in business, it's always fun to see Portland resale fashions and fashion demands shift each season. Sometimes we see it on the horizon and anticipate the trends, and sometimes something completely take us by surprise.

Last year, of course events took us all by surprise. What we saw coming and then hit us like a tidal wave, was the demand for athleisure wear, comfortable stay-at-home clothes and a rejection of fitted and formal clothing. When home became the workplace, styles changed abruptly. Our methods of operating in the Portland resale marketplace also shifted abruptly. Make that instantly.

Style 2021

This year, our Portland resale shop is humming along. Athleisure and comfortable clothing is still a hot trend, but we're seeing strong demand for dresses, designer handbags and most of all - Jumpsuits! Whether they're big overall styles, loose jersey knit or a crisp linen, they are in high demand. We suspect that since we've all been in yoga pants for more than a year, we probably want a little more style, but maybe aren't quite ready yet for the slightly more formal style of a dress. A jumpsuit can bridge that gap beautifully. Not every jumpsuit style is right for every body, nor for every occasion, but that's why we're here - to help guide you to a style that adapts to your lifestyle and body type.

What else?

Embellishment-especially embroidery! Whether it's eyelet, an embroidered edging or bib front, Portland resale shoppers are snapping up anything with an embroidered design. Johnny Was is our hottest demand brand. We can pretty much sell anything they make. It's all fabulous, of course, so that doesn't hurt. It's also pretty spendy new, due to the amount of detail in the construction, so resale is a very appealing alternative.  Who doesn't like saving40-75% of retail, am I right?  The other reason we surmise that embroidery is a hot ticket right now is that it adds a lot of detail to an outfit. Spending a year without dressing up at all makes one want to add some fun and spice even to a casual outfit.

Johnny Was, Sundance, J Jill, Coldwater Creek; all these brands are jumping on the embroidery bandwagon right now, so we're delighted to be able to offer Portland resale shoppers a wide variety of styles and price points. Even Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft are designing some lovely eyelet style tops and dresses.

Lace joins the fun!

A close relative to eyelet, lace style vary from extremely delicate to bold. Many are fully lined so a separate tank or camisole is not required. Others are completely sheer and definitely require a bit of layering! (Or as we like to joke - what do you wear under a lace top? A lot of perfume!) Lace is a breathable and lightweight option for summer comfort, too! You don't have to be a girly girl who is all hearts and flowers. We've seen lace in abstract patterns, and even in a citrus slice design! If you don't want to jump in with both feet, you can always start out with something with lace trim. Lace has the ability to go in the direction of  a romantic look, but lends itself very well to the Boho genre too!

What about pants?

Pants are a bit all over the map this year, although high-waisted styles and crop lengths are both surging in the Portland resale market. Our shoppers are still going strong in their demand for stretchy yoga and workout type pants, but loose fitting and breezy wide legs are definitely a hit! In the summertime a wide leg, loose fitting pant is much cooler than something that fits more tightly, especially around the waist.  While we may be emerging from our COVID bubbles, we're doing it slowly and Portland resale shoppers still want to be comfortable. It will be interesting as the year progresses, to see whether more fitted and tailored styles resurge in popularity. I, for one, am a skeptic on that possibility.

Footwear for the lives we live now

This year is all about the cute sneakers.  Lace up, slip on, deck shoes, trainers, they are ALL popular! We suspect it may be quite some time before women go back to high heels and uncomfortable shoes. 

The great news is that shoemakers are really getting it! We've seen so many wonderful women's resale shoes come in our doors this year, and just as many go right back out to new homes! We even did a live video showing several fun new ways to lace up your shoes to add extra detail and interest to a plain pair of sneaks.

One last word about jewelry

Our shoppers are loving jewelry this year! And our consignors are listening to our pleas to bring us more. We've seen more sterling silver and consignment designer jewelry this year than any other year we can recall. Some of it is vintage and collectible, other pieces, like David Yurman and John Hardy are just plain gorgeous and highly desired. So, if you have pieces that are languishing in your jewelry box, bring them in - they are definitely in demand!