The RealReal hosted a "Take One, Leave One" event in downtown New York to celebrate its new book Real Style: Dressing With Intention & Expressing Yourself Through Style. Guests entered to find curated racks of vintage and secondhand fashion but faced a condition: they had to leave one item of clothing they were currently wearing in exchange for anything they chose.
The brand described the experience as "no purchases, no transactions, just the ancient ritual of exchange, reimagined as a social experiment challenging the psychology of consumerism." Guests were not alerted beforehand.
The vintage selections included pieces from Prada, Jil Sander, Dries Van Noten, Comme des Garçons, and Romeo Gigli. One attendee traded a white button-down shirt for a Colleen Allen fleece jacket from the designer's Fall 2024 collection. Another guest exchanged earrings for a Celine cuff bracelet, while a third traded fancy socks for Dries heels.
The event drew fashion designers, models, editors, stylists, and other creatives. As items were selected, the racks emptied quickly, with some guests waiting in line for fitting rooms to try pieces on over their existing clothes.
The brand's approach tested how attendees valued items based on personal attachment rather than resale price. One attendee noted the difference between trading a frequently worn white shirt versus a vintage skirt that would be difficult to replace.