Secondhand September: Finding Joy in Thrifted Favorites
Founder Post: Three looks that rediscover joy in preloved clothes - with a heavy stripe influence!
Your favorite thing doesn’t have to be new. At least for me, it always feels like a huge win when I discover something unique from a pile of random secondhand clothes.
That’s what I love about Secondhand September — it’s a reminder that the joy of clothing doesn’t come from the tags or the season, but from how it makes you feel. This month, I styled three outfits from pieces with past lives, and each one made me gasp, grin, and giggle (hello, Lorna Davis Say More Episode reference here and corresponding substack here).
Shopping secondhand is about more than saving money or even saving the planet (though it does both beautifully). For me, it’s about discovery — the hunt for something special — and connecting with pieces that already hold a story and letting them become part of mine.
Look 1
I found all of The Big Favorite’s reworked shirts secondhand. I loved bin-diving and finding some of the most beautiful cotton pinstripes I’d ever seen. Given my background in fashion, I know how much goes into making even the simplest button down - we’re talking fabric, buttons, interfacing, thread, labels, ordering all of it, timing it for production and managing the process from cutting, to sewing to finishing - it’s a lot, and it’s expensive. The fact that I could get a fully made one [in better fabric than you can find today], for 25 cents was mind-blowing to me. I knew I could use this as a resource for something.
For look 1, I paired our Reworked Shirt 001 over a cotton striped Zara men’s tee [also thrifted from the Goodwill bins] and Roucha Cotton Cords, a vintage gold clock locket, gold earrings + Inez Slingbacks in Red Suede and a Marni Market Bag. For a more casual spin, I changed out the cords for Mate The Label Yoga Pants and some Birks.
Look 2
Back when I was co-founding Argent, I had an intern that was so talented. His name was Austin - from Austin, TX. He was the son of one of our best customers. She reached out about an internship and when I saw his portfolio, I understood just how talented he was [and is].
He was selling some of his vintage denim one day on IG, and I snatched up this car coat. It was a great, classic shape, and it unexpected in denim. I’m a denim girl, full stop. It must stem from my DNA - the iteration of The Big Favorite under my great grandfather was a denim brand.
For look 2, I paired the denim car coat with our Undyed Turtleneck layered over a vintage cotton striped St. James tee (see below), with a pair of cotton barrel leg jeans from Gap, some Row dupes by Sam Edelman, and a Clare V. striped bag with a charm from my favorite secondhand jeweler, Kind History.
Look 3
If you know my work at Argent, you know I love a blazer. Specifically an unexpected pinstripe, a la early Acne Studios. I peruse The RealReal every now and then to see what’s available. This pinstripe Ganni blazer was a nice structured shape with unexpected details in navy with a green pinstripe - one of my favorite combos (to be seen later this season).
I paired it over the same vintage St. James tee above with the same gap jeans with my black leather belt purchased at some tiny town in the north of Lake Como, Italy, my favorite Gray Matters flats, Oblik Atelier earrings, and my Marni bucket bag, a surprise engagement gift from my husband (I’m a very lucky lady!).
At The Big Favorite, we talk a lot about the power of simplicity, choosing well, and focusing on what really matters. Secondhand September feels like another layer of that practice: a way to celebrate what’s already here, and to get really intentional about what you need while making it your own.
So here’s to favorite things — whether they’re brand new or just new to you.
Shop The Big Favorite Basics here.