Searching Poshmark for Clothes I Miss

After my recent bout of election stress-induced bra shopping, there was something in me that just wouldn’t stop, so there have been several other clothing purchases.

A big reason for this was my newfound addiction to the Poshmark app. Once I got over my huff in response to its lax seller policies, I found it an incredibly pleasant way to browse secondhand items without all the sketchy bulk-sellers in the way. There’s also something less creepy about the shitty pictures on Poshmark that read more like someone’s bedroom and less like a warehouse down by the river (I’m looking at you, Ebay).

I’m also enjoying the more detailed listings on Poshmark as opposed to what you find on Thredup— in addition to the option to ask questions about the item and actually get a response.

While I’d lucked out with one purchase of Danskin leggings on Thredup, a subsequent attempt was not nearly so successful. I purchased a pair that had been mislabeled by Thredup as Danskin, when they were really Danskin Now. Danskin Now is a brand with a different manufacturer altogether; the items are clearly of lower quality and are usually sold at Walmart. (Thredup did credit my return, but the whole thing was pretty frustrating.)

I was looking for some particular Danskin leggings sold at Marshall’s or T.J.’s, not to be confused with Danskin Now leggings, or even actual-Danskin-website ones. I had to base my analysis of the Thredup leggings on the fabric content, as there are no style numbers, RN numbers, or pictures of tags on Thredup.

But on Poshmark, the tags are frequently shown in the pictures, and I was able to find a whole slew of my favorite Danskin style, 6279M. I “liked” about 20 pairs and pored over the photos, checking for pilling or holes. I was once again reminded by Matt about the dodginess of secondhand workout clothes (specifically the smell), so I ended up going with a New With Tags pair in a purplish-gray.

They seemed a bit pricey once you factored in the $7.11 standard shipping, so I hesitated at first. But Poshmark has an incredibly effective selling technique where once you “like” something, the seller usually sends you a reduced price offer, often with $4.99 shipping. When I got the reduced price offer of $15 with $4.99 shipping, I took it hook, line, and sinker. (Ebay has this feature for sellers, too, but it’s not as frequently used.)

The leggings arrived taped up inside a Pop Tarts box, but otherwise seemed fine. I loved the color, and they appeared to be the right style, but they did have that thrift store smell I’m so familiar with. Many of the bras I’d bought on Poshmark had some weird smells, too, so I soaked everything in a warm bath with detergent and vinegar before washing on a gentle cycle. This really didn’t do anything. So I plan on purchasing some cheap vodka to get rid of the smells— I used to spray it on all the dry clean-only clothing I sold on Ebay, and it worked wonders.

Well, once I finally got around to trying on the leggings, I quickly realized they were not, in fact, the same style as my other ones. They were low-rise when I was looking for high-rise. I discovered that they were actually made in a different country than the ones I already had, with a different “PO number” as well, something I’d never even seen on a fabric tag. Same RN number, same style number, and yet, not the same leggings.

I returned to Poshmark, this time seeking out the same PO number on the tags. I found a used pair with all the right numbers, marked down to $5 plus shipping.

At last, I had succeeded in finding what I was looking for. They were a perfect fit.

In any case, these extremely specific purchases were like a gateway drug to getting very spendy online.

For my next purchase, I decided to search for new “Under Armour Cold Gear” to wear running outside. I’ve been thinking that getting outside more would make a nice change from the treadmill, but my old Cold Gear leggings and RBX fleece-lined pants had gotten too big and were decluttered during my spring Wardrobe Overhaul. The Cold Gear top I have is also big, and it has been getting some wear, so I figured I should probably get a new one in my current size.

I went on the Under Armour website and was dismayed to find virtually nothing on sale, as well as a dizzying 9 different types of women’s Cold Gear leggings. I decided to wait for Black Friday to see if they had a sale (they did— more on that later), and focused on finding some pants to wear over the leggings instead. Despite an extensive search of various brands, I came up with nothing like the RBX fleece-lined pants I used to wear. All I could find were wide-leg fleece pants or joggers not made for cold weather.

And so I turned back to Poshmark. Searching “Cold Gear Under Armour,” I found a couple of options, asked a few questions, and ultimately decided I really needed these pants to be New With Tags. I eventually found some Under Armour Cold Gear joggers that I had read reviews of online, but that they don’t make anymore. When the bargain offer came through ($22 plus $4.99 shipping), I took it.

I was relieved to find they fit perfectly once they arrived— I thought I was taking a chance with a size M, but apparently that’s my new size in workout gear.

And Poshmark became my new default app. I’d check for offers or replies to questions any chance I got. And I browsed… a lot. Having had such success with finding my old favorite leggings, I started searching for my old favorite J. Crew tees. This led to searching for J. Crew wide-leg pants, which led to the shocking discovery of my absolute favorite pants in my current size.

The great heartbreak of continuing to lose weight for me has been the fact that my size 14 J. Crew wide-leg pants are too big. I loved those pants. Now here they were again, one white pair and one blue pair, just like mine— but in a size 10. I “bundled” them together for a 10% discount and only one shipping fee, and asked the seller if they had any stains or flaws, just to make sure.

This was Thanksgiving day, so I was away from my phone while on a Zoom call with my family. But when I tapped on the app later that night, there was a reply to my question with a further discounted offer: $47 plus the $7.11 shipping for both pairs. I considered making an even lower offer for a better deal, but I was afraid of offending the seller by lowballing her. I just clicked “accept offer.”

They came wrapped in tissue paper with the requisite Poshmark handwritten note, and they were a perfect fit. They smelled like Savers, so they’d have to get the vodka treatment too, but I was thrilled. I never imagined I’d ever have such great pants again.

I returned to searching for J. Crew Tissue Tees— another old favorite of mine and a legend in my wardrobe (these are the ones that lasted me 15 years). Then I started searching for LOFT Vintage Soft Tees—my most recent favorites that are now too big. And I found them.

I searched “blouson” dresses on Poshmark. That black LOFT one I wore 12 years ago was so good. But where would I ever wear one now? Would there ever be a day I’d reach for a casual dress instead of some pants and boots?

At this point I realized I should really ask myself, “Do I actually want to recreate my old wardrobe? There are loads of Clothes I Miss, but do I really want them again?”

And am I just looking to live in the past? Or am I actually validating the choices I made in the past via the clothes I choose to wear?

Tracking this stuff down was never an option before, even with eBay, where it’s often difficult and overwhelming to browse the search results. This makes me wonder if there’s something unnatural about finding these old clothes again. Should I be hanging onto every good thing I ever had, to the person I was before, to all the different sizes I’ve been? Or should I just leave the past in the past and look forward to the unknown?