How Revaleur Sources and Verifies Its Clothing (The Honest Version)

People ask me this more than almost anything else. And I get it. When you're buying secondhand online, you're trusting someone you've never met to tell you the truth about a piece of clothing. That's not nothing. So I want to be completely transparent about how this actually works at Revaleur, not in a vague marketing way, but in real, practical terms. What I look for, what I reject, and why some things that look fine at first glance never make it into the shop.

Where the Clothing Actually Comes From

Let me start at the beginning. Revaleur is not a dropshipping operation. I don't list items I haven't personally handled. Every piece in the shop has been in my hands, under my eyes, and through a proper check before it goes online.

Most of my stock comes from a few different places. Private sellers are a big one. People clearing out wardrobes, downsizing, or simply moving on from brands they used to love. A lot of the best Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Lacoste pieces I've found have come this way, often bought in small batches from someone who genuinely cared about their clothes and kept them well.

I also source from thrift stores and charity shops, both locally and when I travel. You have to be willing to go through a lot of mediocre to find something worth listing. I'd say for every ten pieces I pull off a rail, maybe two or three actually make it through my full inspection. The rest go back or get passed on.

Flea markets and vintage fairs are another avenue, particularly for older pieces. Some of the most interesting stock I've found came from a box at the back of a stall that the seller hadn't even properly gone through. That part of it, the hunting, is honestly one of my favourite things about running this shop.

And yes, I also use platforms like Vinted and Depop to source pieces, particularly when I'm looking for something specific. If you're curious how those platforms compare for buying designer clothing yourself, I wrote an honest breakdown in this guide on Vinted vs Depop for designer clothing. But when I buy through those platforms to resell, every item still goes through the same checks as anything else.

The Inspection Process

This is the part that actually matters. Sourcing is just finding things. Verification is deciding whether they're good enough to sell.

Condition First

The first thing I do with any piece is look at the overall condition honestly. Not optimistically. Honestly. I'm checking for fading, pilling, staining, repairs, wear at the cuffs or collar, and anything else that would affect how the item looks or feels when you wear it. I list condition clearly in every product description. If something has a small mark that didn't come out in washing, I say so and photograph it. If the collar shows wear, I say so.

I don't list anything I wouldn't wear myself or give to someone I care about. That's a simple rule but it works.

Authenticity Checks

For the brands I focus on, I've spent years building up knowledge about what genuine pieces look like, how they're constructed, what the labels should say, how the stitching should sit. For vintage Ralph Lauren especially, there are dozens of details that tell you whether something is real and roughly when it was made. Label fonts, country of manufacture, the feel of the fabric, the quality of the embroidery. I wrote a dedicated article on how to spot fake vintage Ralph Lauren if you want to go deep on that.

For brands like Stone Island, Lacoste or anything where fakes are more common, the checks are more involved. Badge placement, thread count on logos, zip pulls, internal tags. I won't list a piece I have any doubt about. If something feels off and I can't resolve the doubt, it doesn't go in the shop. Full stop.

Fabric and Construction

Beyond authenticity, I care about what the piece is actually made of. One of the reasons I focus on the brands I do is that they have a track record of using decent materials. A vintage Ralph Lauren knit from the 1980s in lambswool is a different object from a fast fashion knockoff. But even within quality brands, not every piece is equal. I check fabric composition where possible, look at how seams are finished, and get a feel for whether the garment has held up well or is starting to give way.

A €30 piece in genuinely great condition is a better buy than a €120 piece that's starting to lose its shape. I try to price accordingly.

Washing and Preparation

Before anything goes into the shop, it gets washed or dry cleaned appropriately. I'm not sending anyone a piece that's come straight off a thrift store rail or out of someone's attic. Photographs are taken after cleaning, in good light, so what you see is genuinely what arrives with you. If you want to know how to look after vintage pieces once they're yours, I have a full care guide on how to wash and care for vintage clothing that covers the main things to know.

What Doesn't Make the Cut

Honestly, quite a lot. Here's what I turn away regularly:

• Pieces with staining that didn't fully wash out, even small ones, unless the price reflects it clearly and I'd still consider it wearable
• Anything with significant pilling on visible areas
• Items where the fabric has thinned noticeably, particularly at elbows or seat areas
• Anything where the authenticity isn't completely clear to me
• Pieces that are technically wearable but have lost what made them special, a polo that's faded unevenly, a jacket where the lining is starting to go
• Items that smell of anything I can't get out with a wash

I know that last one sounds obvious but you'd be surprised. Some things come in smelling heavily of cigarette smoke or damp storage, and no amount of washing fully solves it. Those don't go anywhere near the shop.

Pricing: How I Think About It

I try to price fairly. That means looking at what comparable pieces actually sell for, accounting for the condition honestly, and not inflating prices just because I can. Vintage and secondhand pricing isn't always intuitive. Some older pieces are worth more than their retail price was at the time. Some aren't. I factor in rarity, condition, current demand and the work that went into sourcing and preparing the item.

What I don't do is price things at €15 and hope nobody notices the flaws I've glossed over in the description. I'd rather price something at €45, describe it accurately, and have a customer who's genuinely happy with it than make a quick sale and deal with a disappointed person on the other end.

Why This Matters to Me Personally

I started Revaleur because I genuinely believe in buying less and buying better. The brands I focus on, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste and their peers from that era, were made to last. A lot of them did last. Decades later they're still wearable, still look great, and they carry a kind of character that new clothing rarely has.

Selling secondhand is only worth doing if the trust is real. If you buy something from Revaleur and it arrives and you think "this isn't what I expected," then I've failed at the one thing that matters. That's not a theoretical concern for me. It keeps me careful.

Every piece in the shop was chosen because I thought it was genuinely worth buying. Not because it was easy to find, not because the margin was good, but because someone out there will put it on and like what they see.

If you'd like to see what's currently available, you're welcome to have a look at the Revaleur collection. No pressure, just good clothing.