Secondhand Sisters: Sophie Finds Faux Fur with Gem

Secondhand Sisters helps you navigate the dos and don’ts of thrifting and upcycling. We’re two sisters — Char and Sophie — who share a love of fashion and the planet. Check out more here!

Platform: Gem
Item purchased: Talula Leopard Faux Fur Coat
Original Price: CAD $250
Gem price (Linked to Poshmark): CAD $70, plus shipping fees

The upside

• Displays a wide variety of secondhand listings from casual, vintage, streetwear, designer, and independent brands
• No app download required
• User friendly

Things to keep in mind

• Not a direct marketplace
• Minimal customer support – users will need to use the customer support on the original resale site

Score: 5/5 🛍️

One of my closest friends has an impeccable sense of style — effortless, bold, and always paired with the confidence to match. She can pull off just about anything, but one piece in particular has always stood out to me: a striking faux fur jacket. 

Whether she pairs it with jeans, skirts, or dresses, she wears it with an aura that feels both polished and effortless. For months, I had been eyeing a faux fur jacket of my own, and as winter faded into the rearview, I decided it was time to retire my ankle-length parka and opt for something a little more refined. A faux fur jacket is stylish enough for the shifting seasons, yet cozy enough for lingering chills.

There are several compelling reasons to choose faux fur over real fur. Ethically, faux fur eliminates the need for animal cruelty, preventing the suffering caused by fur farming and wildlife trapping. Environmentally, while faux fur is made from petroleum-based synthetic fibers, it avoids the far greater impact of real fur production. 

Fur farms generate significant amounts of methane and nitrous oxide, two potent greenhouse gases released as animal waste decomposes. Additionally, processing real fur requires toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and chromium to prevent decay, which can contaminate water supplies and pose serious health risks to workers. Faux fur bypasses this process entirely, while also avoiding the deforestation and overfarming linked to the fur industry.

The bottom line? Faux fur is the more ethical choice, sidestepping the animal cruelty and environmental damage tied to fur farming. For a more sustainable approach, opt for high-quality, recycled, or secondhand faux fur to reduce textile and plastic waste. 

Naturally, I set my sights on secondhand options.

This month, I decided to try Gem.app, a secondhand fashion search engine similar to Beni. Gem showcases listings from designer, vintage, streetwear, and general secondhand resale platforms like Tradesy, Depop, Grailed, eBay, The RealReal. Instead of being a marketplace itself, Gem helps you find the best deals by comparing similar items across multiple platforms. 

While Gem and Beni are similar, they function differently. Gem acts more like a search engine, requiring users to actively look for secondhand items. Think Google for thrifted fashion. It's ideal for shoppers who regularly buy secondhand and want to compare listings across multiple resale platforms. Beni, on the other hand, works passively as a Chrome extension, suggesting secondhand alternatives while users browse retail sites. It’s best suited for shoppers who typically buy new but are open to pre-owned options when conveniently presented. 

Typing “faux fur jacket“ into Gem yielded over 30,000 results, far too many to sift through. Refining my search to “faux fur knee-length jacket” and filtering for size and color narrowed the options down to just 18 results. And then, I saw it — a Talula leopard-print faux fur jacket, originally priced at CAD $250, now listed for just CAD $70. 

The listing was on Poshmark, where I could view all the details, including its excellent condition. It didn’t take long before I made my decision. Within minutes, the jacket was mine. It arrived within a week, and I’m absolutely in love with both its look and feel. I can already see it becoming a staple for evening outings before the warmer weather takes hold. 

Gem offers shipping within both the U.S. and Canada (unlike Beni), which eliminates the added cost of duties and cross-border complications. Combined with the platform’s user-friendly interface, this made for an easy shopping experience. 

I’ll certainly be turning to Gem again for future secondhand purchases. For anyone looking to shop more sustainably, Gem is a clear standout, and I definitely recommend giving it a try!