I was so excited to spot this iconic Comme Des Garcon heart while going through a tight rack at Goodwill for $6.50!  It was my first time thrifting a Comme Des Garcons Play piece (the line with the hearts - I've thrifted other Comme Des Garcons pieces before) and I had no idea what to look for in terms of authenticating it. There are a lot of fakes out there! Unfortunately this item had all the interior tags cut out so it is really difficult to authenticate, but it got me searching for what to look for with these pieces for the next time I find one (hopefully!) Keep scrolling to see the best info I found on authenticating Comme Des Garcons Play.

(here are photos of the item I found - let me know if you think it is authentic or not!)

Like most higher end items, consistent and even stitching is a dead giveaway of a fake vs authentic item. For a Comme Des Garcons heart, two key places to look for stitching will be both on the inside and outside of the clothing item. For the exterior, you will want to look around the edges of the heart. There should be really even stitching around the edges with no loose threading or chunky sections. On the inside of the item, the stitching attaching the heart to the item should be thin but even around the border of the heart. If it is very bright and thick, it is not authentic.

The first thing to look for when inspecting the heart eyes is to make sure the eyes are of an identical size and shape. When looking at the pupils, you want to make sure they are not perfectly round. The top of the pupil should be touching the top of the eye and the bottom of the pupil should have additional stitching that comes down out of the pupil into the whites. 

When looking at the top of the heart where the two points come together in the middle, you. want to see that the connection is shallow and does not come in too much at a sharp point. Both sides of the heart should be symmetrical . 

The brand tag will be matte and rectangular, not shiny. The "P" in Play should be over the "O" in "Comme" and the "Y" in Play should be over the "O" in Garcon. 

The interior tag along the inside seam will be shinier and of a different material than the brand tag. The item should be made in Japan, and should include a code that designates the season and year the item was made. Some fakes can have this so make sure to check the item you have was made during the season/year designated on the interior tag.

Do you have any other tips for authenticating Comme Des Garcon? Let me know down below!

I'd been on the hunt for the past month to find a pair of white Golden Goose sneakers, since I loved my silver Superstars so much. Golden Goose sneakers are in demand and have high resell value, so I was excited to find this pair of gently used GG Starter sneakers for $200 on Poshmark. I love them! They are on the heavier side and well made, but also comfy to walk in. Plus I like that the Starter sneaker isn't distressed and is a little more versatile. I did a little digging and found a number of similar secondhand Starter sneakers, some even cheaper than what I paid! Check them out below!

I also found a couple white perforated sneaker dupes from Nasty Gal that are on sale below!

I was so excited to find this Chanel top at the thrift store last month. My first time thrifting Chanel! I've refrained from listing it yet because making sure you sell authenticate items is super important as a reseller. Being accused of selling fake items is not something I take likely, plus can kill your reputation and maybe even get your account suspended. I've shared some of the most helpful tips I've come across to help you authenticate your own Chanel clothing below:

As far as I have seen and read, Chanel only makes their products in France, Italy, and Spain. It will be easy to spot a fake if an item has a country origin that is not one of these, and especially if it's China. In my experience, Chanel clothing is made in France or Italy while some of their shoes are made in Spain. This top was made in France.

Most Chanel brand tags have either a white tag with black lettering, or a black tag with white lettering. Depending on the age of the garment the tag could look different. There will be a hang tag from the brand tag that will tell you the season of the item. Unfortunately on this item it has been washed out, but on other Chanel item you will find the season, size, and style of the item. This is quite a large tag and could be uncomfortable to wear, so don't be concerned right away if it is not attached. Another giveaway of a counterfeit item is the writing on tags being crooked or words being misspelled. All writing should be consistently straight and placed within the edges of the item. 

Another thing to note is that while a lot of designers have something like an interior hologram  to show authenticity, Chanel items do not. 

Chanel clothing is made of very high quality, natural materials, like silk, linen, and cotton. If an item feels flimsy and cheaply made it's not Chanel. This top is 100% cotton.

Uneven and inconsistent stitching will not pass Chanel quality control. I like to especially look at stitching ends and edges to check to make sure the stitching does not go back over it self, which is a clear sign of sloppy stitching. 

Counterfeit designer clothing items often have sticky residue or glue on the hems.  The fabric was glued together before being sewn to be easier and save time. 

Chanel clothing starts in the hundreds of dollars. If the item feels cheap and you can't imagine someone paying that price for the quality, it's probably fake. Have any other tips for authenticating Chanel clothing? Let me know down below!

One of the things I enjoy most in this world is finding great deals. The secondhand fashion industry is growing like crazy, and there are so many awesome designer deals out there if you spend the time and know where to look! I have alerts set on a number of selling sites, like Mercari, which is where I purchased these adorable Prada espadrille sandals. These alerts will send me a notification when someone lists an item I have been looking for in a specific price range. I was so excited to get an alert about these because they were a classic piece that would go with so many things, my size, and priced SO LOW!

These espadrille sandals were originally over $700 new. (!!) The seller on Mercari described these as "worn once" and looked practically brand new. I sent an offer that the buyer accepted, and ended up getting these sandals for...
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$53.09!!

Most the of the used sandals in this style are going for $200-$250 on Poshmark and eBay, so I am still a little bit in shock that I got these so low. Those alerts can be your best friend!

NWT Zara midi dress new with tags, thrifted $6 / Prada espadrille sandals secondhand, Mercari $53 / Longchamp tote bag new, gift / Burberry nova check scarf secondhand, eBay $30

I found a number of similar secondhand Prada sandals from Vestiaire all under $100 that you can click and shop below!

I bought this Burberry nova check scarf a couple years ago from eBay for only $30. The print is so classic and the scarf is so versatile. I wear it around my neck, on my bag, and in my hair!

Back in the beginning of 2020 (simpler, happier times...) I got a killer deal on a pair of canvas Chanel espadrilles. They were super popular a couple years ago, but the look is really timeless and classic so I've been keeping an eye out for a pair. I was super excited to find a pair on Poshmark that needed a little TLC but were still in really great condition. With shipping and taxes, I only paid $63 for them. Similar pairs in that condition usually range from $200-$250! Especially in my size which is super common and in demand. 

For the most part they were in really good condition. The only major issue was that the sole was starting to separate from the top part of the shoe, which you can see in the before pictures below:

I was SO EXCITED to get these shoes in the mail! As soon as I saw they had been delivered to my PO Box, I immediately drove to the post office. I got them from my box and rushed back to the car to try them on. I was SO DISAPPOINTED TO FIND THEY WERE JUST A TAD TOO SMALL. :( I could barely slip the back on my foot and I was worried the shoe would split even more due to my big fat feet (lol if you are ever buying Chanel shoes online know they run small and to size a whole size up at least!)

I have seen espadrilles as slip on slides so I decided to do a little DIY project and try to convert them into another kind of shoe I could wear. Did I commit a designer sin by putting scissors to a pair of Chanel shoes? Maybe, keep scrolling to see the result!

It was actually super easy and all in all took about 20 minutes to do! I used some sharp scissors to cut along the fray hem where the top of the espadrilles met the sides. Around the sole I made sure to cut just above the stitching so as not to unravel it. As far as the breaking sole I used super glue to hold it back together. Without the pressure of the sides holding on to the back of the foot it hasn't broken apart again. 

Overall I am super happy with the way my DIY project turned out! I now have some really cute casual *fancy * slip ons. Plus it barely cost me anything besides the cost of the super glue.

I did a little research and found a handful of secondhand Chanel espadrilles similar to the ones I found at some really discounted prices below:

I also found a whole bunch of Chanel espadrille dupes on sale that look so similar to the designer ones! The Sam Edelman ones are half off! Just click on the picture to check them out.