The Real Real

I don't exactly remember how I heard about TheRealReal.com, but it was likely due to some lovely person in one of the Selkie fan groups.  TheRealReal is a luxury resale site offering high end items at a reduced price.  They occasionally have samples of luxury goods that didn't make it into production, meaning you can get a rare item on a budget.  They also resell items, but as with any resale shop just because it still has the tags doesn't mean it hasn't been worn and sometimes altered. 

TRR has authenticators to help keep everything legit, but they're still just humans and they do miss things occasionally, so be sure to thoroughly inspect your item as soon as you receive it.  The real cons of shopping at TheRealReal are in the fact that items are extremely limited in size and availability.  Very often there is only one of each item and if you're looking for Selkie, you'll likely only see it in XXS, XS,  XL or XXL which are Selkie's standard sample sizes.  While other sizes do pop up too, it's very hit or miss and it's one of those sites you have to check a couple of times a day if you really want to catch a bargain.

So, this Wallflower Ritz Gown popped up on TheRealReal and in my true size, which was awesome as I'm rather tired of having to alter clothing, and since this dress was still on Selkie for $400, seeing it on TRR for only $271 seemed like an amazing bargain, so I bought it.

My order shipped within a day or two and arrived within a week.  The dress was in perfect condition and still had its original tags attached.  The only trouble was that this cotton dress, like all the ritzes, was dragging the ground by several inches so I decided to take 9.5"/24cm off the ruffle, essentially cutting it in half so that this dress would be more practical and get more wear.

I hadn't yet begun work on the alterations when Selkie had a Labor Day sale and the Wallflower Ritz went down to about $200.  Oh, believe me when I say that I thought long and hard about returning this dress to TRR and getting the sale dress instead so I could save that extra $70, but in the end, it seemed like such a hassle and a bit of a risk.  Selkie very often has items go out of stock and never ship, so I was risking not getting the dress at all just to save a few bucks.  Granted, I wasn't happy that I had spent more than I needed to, but sometimes the amount of work to save money just isn't worth it.  I decided to keep the dress and begin the alterations.

My experience with TRR was great and it is possible to find bargains but it's not a guarantee that they have the best price.  I have seen a few things that were way over priced, so I do recommend them if you love a good deal, but I would also recommend checking resale sites and keeping an eye on Selkie and other shops for sales because you can also find a better bargain there sometimes too.

Shopping Info:  TheRealReal.com, Wallflower Ritz-$399 from SelkieCollection.com, Dollhead Ring-$28 from Unlogical Poem, Aria 5° Flats-$79 from VIVAIA, Removable Bow Accessories-$9.90 from VIVAIA