The RealReal, a luxury secondhand retailer, has released a new book aiming to help readers navigate the complexities of personal style amid the overwhelming influence of social media and fashion marketing. Titled "Real Style: Dressing With Intention & Expressing Yourself Through Style," the collection of essays and reflective prompts encourages individuals to explore their own aesthetic preferences rather than follow prevailing trends.
The book, published this week, includes contributions from established style icons and designers. It offers readers questions designed to foster self-reflection, such as “Who do you want to totally copy?” and “What causes a visceral reaction?” The initiative seeks to counteract the endless barrage of brands and influencers shaping consumer tastes and fueling overconsumption.
Krisstin Naiman, chief brand officer at The RealReal, explained that the project aims to deepen individuals’ relationship with style and help them connect their clothing choices to their identities and values. She noted that the book’s opening advice is deliberately provocative: to avoid buying new items for several months in order to better understand one’s authentic voice. “It’s going to sound weird coming from us, but don’t buy anything,” Naiman said, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful consumption in a marketplace saturated with options.
This perspective may seem paradoxical coming from a company that, as of August 5, has facilitated the sale of 50 million authenticated luxury items since its founding 15 years ago. The RealReal’s platform offers a vast range of designers, blending diverse fashion styles from prep to punk to quiet luxury in a single search.
Designer Isaac Mizrahi, featured recently on The RealReal’s podcast, underscored the importance of curation in developing personal style. He described curation as an innate skill everyone possesses but one that requires experience to refine. “You really don’t love that many things,” Mizrahi said, reflecting on the wastefulness of accumulating items that ultimately lack lasting appeal. He suggested that discerning consumers often realize too late the value of selective purchasing.
Actress and writer Lena Dunham, who has previously acknowledged struggling with excessive consumption, said she is now more intentional in her choices. Dunham is focusing on vintage pieces by designers like Jill Sander and Diotima, which resonate with her cultural interests. She described her approach as creating a “dialogue” with clothing that connects to art, film, literature, and cultural moments important to her.
The book’s themes echo a longstanding idea that personal style is shaped by an individual’s experiences and interests, evolving over time. Although fashion today is heavily influenced by digital algorithms and online trends, the authors and contributors suggest that personal style remains fundamentally individual, shaped by the cumulative influences of one’s life rather than mass marketing.