Cached for Later #2: Round & Round
Is the world flat or round? IDK, but fashion is circular.
It’s the circle of life fashion, and it truly moves us all.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about circularity not just in terms of resale and secondhand, but in how trends themselves cycle through time. Some pieces come and go, some come back stronger, and some never really left.
We all know history repeats itself. The same goes for fashion. Those daisy dukes we wore in 2006? Yeah, they’re back. Chanel rimless sunglasses with diamanté? Dig them out (or prepare to drop $600 on eBay). That power blazer your mom wore to the office in the ’80s? You better hope she didn’t send that sh*t to Goodwill.
The amazing thing about fashion? Everything old is new again—literally and figuratively. We talk about cycles in so many parts of life: the economy, fundraising, even the female body. But what’s the term for the denim trend cycle where skinny jeans return like clockwork, only to be replaced by flares, then swapped out for high-waisted straight legs, before looping back again?
For some of us, the inevitability of these returns makes it hard to let go. I’ll admit it—I still have one pair of skinny jeans I refuse to resell because I know I’ll just end up buying them again in three years.
Secondhand shopping has always existed—thrift stores, consignment, charity shops—but now, it’s never been easier or more accessible. Today, you don’t have to hold onto pieces you’re not wearing. When skinny jeans come back (and they will), there’ll be plenty to choose from across millions of listings on Depop, eBay, Poshmark, and beyond.
In fact, I probably should just let mine go. The odds I’ll still fit into them in three years are, well... slim (ha, get it).
As a case study in fashion’s cyclical nature, I give you four items that embody the thesis and inspired this reflection.
#1: The Balenciaga City Bag
I recently took a stroll down memory lane via an old photo album filled with outfit shots from my mid-2000s blogging days, back when I went by Arbitrarily Voguish (shoutout to Blogspot, the original Substack). Amid the questionable footwear and deeply regrettable jewelry choices, one thing stood out: my black Balenciaga City bag. A timeless classic, yes, but also a permanent “loan” from my mom circa 2008. She hasn’t seen it since.
Tried and true, she’s been by my side through every phase—high school fashion blogger, NYU intern, corporate lawyer, and now founder. Somewhere along the way (during university), I used my own money to buy a second one in a chic greyish-taupe (“Stone,” if you will). But as much as I loved the idea of her, I rarely reached for her like I did the original black. So in 2023, I finally made the call: it was time to let her go.
Sure enough, by 2024, the City bag was officially back in the mainstream. Did I regret letting one go just a year earlier? For a minute, sure. But then it hit me—if I wanted another, I could just turn to resale. A quick search for “Balenciaga City Bag” on Beni (cc:
) or Vestiaire Collective pulls up hundreds of options, many priced even lower than what I sold mine for.
Moral of the story? I held onto the black one—the bag I actually wore (and still do)—and with the $900 I made reselling the Stone, I put that money toward things I was more excited about at the time. Think: a flight to New York or an Alexander Wang fanny pack I still own to this day.
#2: The Tunic
Last night, I was trying to throw together an outfit using clothes left at my parents’ place. I opened my old closet and rediscovered an IRO dress that hadn’t seen daylight in years. But the moment I put it on, I remembered why. What was once a flirty mini dress now flashed my entire booty if I so much as raised my arms.
So, I got creative. I borrowed a pair of my sister’s wide-leg silk pants and layered the dress on top. Who says a dress can’t be a top? (I’m sure someone does, but I’m not one of them.) I’m genuinely excited to give this piece a second life. Back in rotation, this time as a chic tunic with a past.
#3: Carpenter Denim
Over the past five years, I’ve bought—and resold—two pairs of vintage carpenter jeans. I loved the idea of them, but could never quite figure out how to style them on me. So, off they went. Meanwhile, carpenter denim is everywhere. Hit a flea market, scroll Depop, stop into your local vintage shop, and it’s overflowing.
While those pieces didn’t earn a long-term spot in my closet portfolio, the trend is clearly having its moment. My boyfriend recently added two pairs to his rotation, and my grandfather—yes, my grandfather—showed up to dinner last week in Wrangler carpenter shorts.
Some investments just take a different shape (or decade) to pay off.
#4: The Sailor Collar
A recent post from
highlighted a fresh lineup of summer tops that go beyond the usual tanks and tees. One standout? The sailor collar.
12-year-old Devyn shrieked. For context: from 2006 to 2013, I attended a private girls’ school where every day meant suiting up in a pleated skirt, knee socks, a tie, and, of course, a sailor-collared blouse. That blouse was—and still is—the quintessential piece of our uniform, an iconic and unmistakable style amid a sea (ha, get it) of the usual polos.
When I graduated high school, my collection of blouses—four in total—shrunk down to just one. I carefully tucked it away in a box labeled “Devyn’s Memories,” destined to be reopened someday to “show my kids” or “pass down to my daughter.”
Well, guess what? I’m prying that puppy open, pulling out my sailor collar blouse, and planning to rock it with denim shorts this summer. Either that, or you’ll find her for sale on Etsy. Stay tuned.
The circle of fashion moves us all—whether we’re reselling, buying, holding, or simply reminiscing. We all have that one item we regret letting go, the piece we can’t quite believe we once wore, and those favorites we keep close, whether because they still get plenty of wear or because we just can’t part with them.
But here’s the key: every item holds value—whether in memories, resale potential, or everyday utility. That’s the true beauty of circularity—and what Cache is all about. By treating your wardrobe as a dynamic, living portfolio, you can unlock that value, making fashion sustainable, flexible, and deeply personal.
So whatever phase you’re in, remember: your closet isn’t just storage. It’s your most versatile asset.
Similar to the balenciaga I feel like we’re on the precipice of the YSL arty ring come back - thoughts?