Dressing for the office in a pandemic with a pandemic body was one of the larger fashion challenges I’ve ever encountered. I spent more time thinking about my work attire this Session than I did about my wedding dress. But like my wedding dress, most of my work clothes were purchased on resale and consignment sites.
Why pay retail when you don’t have to? Especially when it was uncertain whether I would need these clothes again once the session ended, and equally uncertain where my weight is headed as I am both getting back into my pre-COVID fitness routine and trying to have a baby. Yeah, lot of moving parts there.
Aside from Poshmark, most of my work clothes came from MM LaFleur’s Second Act Resale Shop, which I found via Instagram. So let’s talk about it.
As you know, I was an early MM LaFleur convert. Their Emily dress was my secret weapon this session for minimizing the belly pooch that I lovingly grew during COVID while I was eating my feelings. So when I found the resale shop, I was pretty excited.
MM LaFleur Second Act allows you to consign pre-loved MM items. You can list items by providing photos and descriptions of the condition, and MM will add the item to the site. Once it sells, they generate a pre-printed shipping label for you, and credit your account the consigned value when the buyer accepts the purchase.
Second Act pays you either in cash or in MM credit. A pair of pants valued at $195 retail would be listed for $98 consignment. If you take the cash option, you net $67. Take the credit option, and you net the full $98. So if you want to switch out some older pieces for newer MM offerings, it’s a good deal.
The Second Act site allowed me to do two things: 1) Swap out pieces that are too small for me now for the same item in my current size, and 2) purchase styles I wanted to try but was wary of buying at full price.
I replace my beloved Akiko dress in a larger size, and snapped up a few more options. I also gave the Foster pants a try, and was pleasantly surprised by how flattering and comfortable they were.
Ordering from the site was easy. The items arrived quickly in the described condition, and were all like new. I was very happy with the experience.
If you get an item and it is not as described, you have three days to request a return. Otherwise, all sales are final. However, if you just don’t like something you bought, you can quickly and easily relist the item. I ordered a St. Ambrose Jardigan in a color that was super unflattering and I just turned around and sold it. The whole relisting process took 10-minutes.
My only wish-list item is that it would be nice if you could get alerts when a piece your looking for comes into stock in your size. There are two discontinued styles that I’m looking for, and checking back all the time is a hassle. An alert would be wonderful for my closet and dangerous for my wallet.
Bottom Line. If you love MM, give the Second Act site a try as either a seller or buyer. I’m planning to list some of the MM pieces I have that haven’t sold on Poshmark. But overall, I was very happy with the experience.
While I did work with MM LaFleur several years ago in exchange for gifted product, I have no sponsor-like relationship with them now. I bought the clothes from the Second Act site with my own money, and gifts or compensation was not solicited or accepted. I also wasn’t paid to write this post. I just found this site on my Instagram, gave it a try, and liked it.
Also an early MM adopter and have now bought and sold on Second Act. Happy with both experiences.
As a seller I appreciate that the main listing has MM picture – the buyer can evaluate whether they like the idea of the item and I don’t have to take a perfect picture. The picture I snapped verifies condition (and/or shows the tag for a new with tag listing). Printing the mailing label to ship off the item was easy.
I also rebought an item in a bigger size – had given it away and needed it again.
I love this! Thank you for sharing-sustainability and lower prices are a twofer in my book.
Thank you for sharing this! Post baby and COVID pounds haven’t been friendly to my beloved MM Lafleur items, so the idea of getting same item in a bigger size while selling the too-small version is really enticing!
I’ve been loving the resale site! I scored a new with tags dress that I’d been looking at for months full price but hadn’t pulled the trigger on. So far, everything I’ve bought has been exactly as advertised.
What a great find! I’ve been trying to buy mostly secondhand for environmental reasons, but new M.M. Lafleur is also out of my budget. I love this!
Thank you so much for sharing, I didn’t realize there was a resale site! I’ll have to check it out!
Sustainable, affordable, and excellent quality all in one. This post knocks it out of the park! I found a pair of work pants that should fit around my pandemic pooch.
I was browsing this yesterday! MMLF sizing has been kind of all over for me which has made me not super confident about buying from Poshmark. The easy relist would have me way more confident of buying through this, though.
What a great find!! I’m starting up work travel in about a month, and I’m dreading going thorough my business wardrobe to figure out what works and where to update quickly.
wow, didn’t even know this site existed – thank you for sharing!
I wanted to love MMLF, and spend a bunch trying, but it’s been a huge letdown. I don’t think of my size as being all that unusual (pear-shaped, slightly short waisted, 5’4 Sm/4/6/6p top, M/8 bottom but post-kids, with the realignment that can entail), but I might as well be an alien for their fits, which seemed very much geared towards the tall, straight up and down Tahari/JCrew model. All I wanted was the Etsuko, but didn’t find it to be especially “hips friendly” as claimed, and “petite friendly” items just seems to mean “this is short” rather than accounting for proportion differences. also the size variability seems all over the place, I was swimming in the Deneuve top and then Fey was way too tight (in the same size), so how does anyone know what to actually order? Has anyone else had this experience? Sant Ambroeus is good, Walker is fine, and Annabel works, but all I want is an interesting dress like an Etsuko or Narie, to no avail.
That’s been my experience too. The dresses I’ve tried don’t fit my hips if they fit elsewhere. But I applaud them for doing this resale market! It sounds like a great model and I hope other businesses will something similar. Many thanks to Abra for making me aware of it. (And now I’m sort of regretting the pieces I donated to Goodwill and my mother-in-law….)