Just because Grailed is touted as the premier marketplace for menswear does not mean it is solely for men. With multiple sites specifically for women's clothing, Grailed prides itself on its sense of community amongst buyers and sellers. Now more than ever, gendered dressing is becoming less definitive. Between Jaden Smith being named the face of Louis Vuitton women’s campaign last year and one of Vetements’ earliest, most popular pieces, being their women’s raincoat, a lot of pieces can be considered genderless. Grailed is ultimately a place for likeminded enthusiasts to shop menswear more than anything else.

Women are already shopping on Grailed, and they are there for two things: the products themselves and the experience. Fatima Mohammed, a 24 year old living between London and New York City, working and studying fashion says, “I look for streetwear. Streetwear is predominantly menswear.” LA-based copywriter Chelsea Douglas says, “I tend to search by brand rather than by category.” She adds, “I've only purchased a few items, all in 2016: a Palace T-shirt and crewneck and a Supreme camp cap, all of which had been released several years earlier (Palace was from 2014ish, Supreme cap was from FW 2009).” Most women are buying outerwear, T-shirts, sweatshirts and, occasionally, sneakers. Mohammed mentioned the same, while cautiously talking about shopping for pants. 23-year-old style advisor Emily Ferguson says it’s a no-go on underwear and socks laughing, “That can’t be safe.”

“The Grailed website is curated in a sleek way, so it’s a much more visually pleasing shopping experience than shopping than on eBay. That probably helps the female shopping experience. Women are known to enjoy the 'experience' of shopping more than men,” Mohammed shares. She also points out that men tend to be more “destination” shoppers saying, “If they want sneakers, they want to get straight to that category and won’t spend much time on any other categories.” With the marketplace being specifically curated and UI offering a modern look, all shoppers can utilize it to their needs without the excess of eBay or Depop.

The number one thing women should be conscious of is sizing. Obviously, with men’s clothing and footwear running differently than women’s, it’s important to keep in mind not only differences between in how men’s and women’s clothes differ, but how brands do as well. With Grailed’s simple messaging, it is helpful to be aware of how some of the brands fit you personally, however, you can always ask what brands the seller would compare their items to. Lauryn Fleming, who became aware of Grailed through her boyfriend, recommends asking sellers specific questions, “If you buy Supreme tees in mediums and then cop a Palace tee in a medium, be aware it's gonna look huge on you in comparison. Ask the seller if an item is true to size, or what brand the sizing compares to.”

So, while Grailed, like any online ecommerce site, may not be the place female users should make their first foray into menswear, a little additional communication that is not available from retailers can go a long way after testing out some of your favorite brands in-store.

Upon finding your desired grail, in addition to sizing, you should do research on authenticity and retail price. Ferguson recommends, “Ask for tagged pictures to prove that they have the item in their possession and to make sure it’s in the condition they said it was.” Do not pay for any items off the platform via Venmo or any other cash exchange app. And, if all else fails, it’s simple to repost your ill-fitting or unwanted piece with one click.

With these tips and sizing in mind, here is what we recommend shopping and what you should consider:

Lead image via Hypebae.

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Tags: women