prettygirlfindz Valentine’s Day Drop taken by Daisy Perez and Emily Perez
Shopping second hand today has moved beyond just taking your regular old trip to the thrift store. It has moved to online platforms and trendy thrift markets. The “secondhand market is projected to double in the next 5 years, reaching $77B”, according to a 2021 resale report by ThredUP.
Resale is becoming increasingly popular and shopping second hand is becoming a first choice for buying clothes. The second hand fashion industry is a community driven by vintage clothing curators and crafty artisans.
Rocio Perez and Daisy Perez are members of this community. In May 2021, the two sisters started their own second hand clothing and handmade jewelry business called prettygirlfindz.
I interviewed the Perezs’ to get the inside scoop on starting a sustainable fashion business and what it takes to sell at vintage markets.
Daisy Perez and Rocio Perez selling at Pop-Up San Jose taken by Izel Gabriela
The Beginning
The sisters were inspired by their mutual friend Orlando who runs Outer Space Vintage. Rocio first stepped into the world of vintage fashion when she accompanied Orlando at the Worlds Worst Expo, a vintage market based in Sacramento.
After visiting the market, Rocio brought the idea of starting a business to her sister Daisy.
At first, Rocio and Daisy focused on curating and selling thrifted and vintage clothing. In the beginning stages of the business, Rocio encouraged Daisy to sell her hand-made jewelry.
They officially started their business in May of last year. The first vintage market they signed up for and were admitted into was called Monarch Market, a Bay Area-based market for local vendors.
Similar to owners of other small businesses, The Perez Sisters ran into bumps here and there along the way.
“We struggled a lot with the name because it’s something that you want to be memorable and reflect what our business is all about. After that were the materials. We had to borrow a tent from a friend, the canopy, and then the Ikea racks we had to buy kept falling at our first market”, said Rocio, reflecting on the hardest part of starting their business.
Daisy Perez and Rocio Perez showing off their jewelry display and curated racks at Angel Aura Vintage taken by Rocio Perez and Emily Perez
The prettygirlfindz Aesthetic
Behind every article of clothing and piece of jewelry, there is a story or inspiration. For the Perez sisters, it was the style of the early 2000s.
The sisters describe their business’ aesthetic as a mix of their two styles. Daisy’s style is very Y2K but gives it more edge. Rocio’s wears her Y2K aesthetic with more pink.
Curating outfits is more than just picking cute clothes, it is a whole process.
Rocio is in charge of the clothing side of the business while Daisy crafts the jewelry.
Rocio gives the play-by-play on the thrifting game: “We do a lot of sourcing at the thrift stores. That takes up a lot of time. Then there are the bins. That’s my least favorite part. It’s pretty intimidating the first time you go because you see a lot of resellers and they’re typically men. It’s kind of competitive”.
On the jewelry side of the business, Daisy curates and designs all of their pieces. “ I don’t plan it out before. I always start off with a color combination”, said Daisy.
Daisy creates their jewelry pieces with a design board. It typically takes her four to eight hours on a day-to-day basis to complete their pieces. “Sometimes I do spend all day on it, at my own pace. I’m not rushing or anything. It’s kind of just like what comes to me”, said Daisy.
The Gender Gap In The Reselling Market
Vintage markets are dominated by male sellers. Most of the time these markets are run by men, meaning they have more control over who and what vendors get to sell.
“Women sellers received about 97 cents for every dollar men received. But with new items, where the authors say direct comparison is easier, women received about 80 cents on average for every dollar men sellers received”, according to a February 2016 New York Times article about sellers on eBay.
When the Perez sisters first started, they were struck by the gender imbalance in the market scene. The sisters share their experience as female-identifying vendors in a dominantly masculine space: “I find it super intimidating when they’re all men. They’re kind of like, ‘Oh, I know better than you. They’re not super inviting’, said Daisy.
Sisterly Business Advice
The logistics and costs of a reselling and handmade goods business can be difficult to navigate, especially if you’re a femme vendor.
Before the interview came to an end, Rocio and Daisy shared advice for women looking to start their own business: “I usually tell female sellers to invest in racks. Also, be original. Focus on your style and have a theme. Also, make sure you know who you are and put that into your booth and your brand because I think it’s something that makes you look genuine”, said Rocio.
A key tip that stuck out to me in the interview was Rocio’s advice about standing your ground when it comes to competitive sellers and customers who try to take advantage of you: “My last advice is to be stubborn. You have to be firm and you have to go there [acting] like you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t”.
This advice is especially important when you are a femme vendor in a space occupied by mostly men. “It’s a lot of men. You have to be firm. You are there and you paid for your spot. We’ve had a lot of issues with male vendors not respecting our space”, said Rocio.
You can purchase their thrifted finds and handmade jewelry pieces on their site. prettygirlfindz can also be purchased in store at Angel Aura Vintage in Santa Cruz, California. Follow them on Instagram to keep up with their latest drops and future pop ups.
If you purchase any of prettygirlfindz items, tag us @HerCampusSJSU