The New Exclusive Shopping Method Is Off the Grid and By Invitation Only.

      Stylist Lizzie Wheeler's Instagram Close Friends story diverges from the typical emotional oversharing or lengthy rants often found on other millennials' accounts. Instead, it features vintage Prada skirts, sample-sale Pucci tops, and pink Hermès Constance bags—all available for quick purchase. One moment's glance at a blurry picture of '90s kitten heels with the caption "DM to claim" could lead to a missed opportunity, as quicker, more savvy shoppers snatch them up in no time. This isn't merely shopping; it's an exclusive backstage glimpse into someone else's closet. In 2025, the landscape of secondhand luxury has transformed. Stylists, editors, and influencers are bypassing third-party apps to sell directly to their followers. Amid the plethora of ShopMy links, this move towards secondhand, personal selling reflects society's desires for trust, curation, and exclusivity, especially after the saturation of content creators.

      In recent years, personalized peer-to-peer shopping platforms have disrupted the traditional norms of secondhand shopping. Welcome to the internet's golden age, where a single click on someone's social media bio grants you access to their closet. For content creators, the benefits are clear. Pickle, a clothing marketplace, has emerged as the go-to app for influencers wanting to sell off their wardrobes. Since its inception in 2021, Pickle has seen its user base triple annually, driven by a rising fascination with creator-driven commerce. Central to this transition are Pickle's creator closets, curated by influencers whose personal styles and online personas are both aspirational and relatable. They're often spotted at various events in outfits you'll see on their ShopMy or later discussed on r/NYCInfluencerSnark. Their followers are attentive, and more importantly, renting the viral outfits from social media weeks later. "Creators effectively highlight how they style pieces through their social posts, generating excitement among our customers," explained Pickle cofounder Julia O'Mara. She references several prominent creators with closets on the platform who have openly acknowledged their connection to their audience and their buying habits. "They engage in continuous interaction, receiving DMs like, 'I adore this outfit. Can you list it in your Pickle closet?'" Renting and selling clothing to devoted followers also provides a lucrative side income, O'Mara notes. According to Pickle, top lenders can earn over $3000 each month by renting items from their wardrobes on the app. This is parasocial shopping in practice: a mix of fan culture, fashion, and perceived closeness that blurs the lines between influence and transaction. It's not merely about liking someone’s outfit; it’s about feeling connected to them. Renting even a single vintage Fendi baguette bag for a college friend's wedding might bring you closer to their lifestyle.

      Recently, celebrity and influencer closet sales have become a regular event in New York, each offering a chance to discover a range of archival treasures and rare runway pieces that appeal to the trendiest It girls in Manhattan. Notable participants include Chloë Sevigny, Jenna Lyons, and Paloma Elsesser. "When creators announce closet sales—whether in person or virtually—they often have much fairer pricing than resale platforms and consignment shops," confessed an anonymous fashion writer who supplements her income through closet sales on Instagram. "The appeal lies not only in purchasing a piece from someone you admire, but also in having direct conversations with them," she elaborated. This writer, who contributes to a major women’s fashion magazine, maintains her side hustle discreetly—low-profile and mostly unnoticed. If you're not following her on Instagram, you might miss out on that runway Prada skirt from '97 sold for a fraction of its Depop value, which she humorously refers to as "cooked" due to rampant price gouging by full-time resellers. "With my following, if I want to go out to dinner this week, I can simply post something from my closet at a reasonable price and have $300 in my pocket within hours," she mentions. One time, while casually walking from her Lower East Side apartment to Fanelli Cafe, she managed to sell multiple items in just 20 minutes—enough to cover a round of drinks at the SoHo bar.

      Finding designer pieces in less obvious corners of the internet can be challenging, and when exclusive platforms are introduced, peer-to-peer secondhand shopping feels even more elite. Enter Lizzie Wheeler, the stylist and resale enthusiast behind the Instagram account @shit.u.should.buy. For over three years, Wheeler has been dedicated to uncovering the best vintage and secondhand designer finds from consignment sites like The RealReal, showcasing them on her Instagram Stories as daily fashion updates. Wheeler refers to this as "strategic shopping," a term that resonates with her thrifty, label-savvy audience who relish the excitement of snatching a deal before it's gone. However, the prime insights are hidden behind a $7-a-month paywall.