When I was eight, I read American Girl’s “A Smart Girl’s Guide to Style,” which advised that you wait six months before committing to a significant clothing purchase to make sure of two things:

1. That it isn’t something that will quickly go out of trend.
2. That it’s something you want badly enough that you’re still thinking about it after six months.

The profundity of this advice has never been lost on me, and it’s the reason why I waited three years to purchase a red leather jacket. During the pandemic, I was perusing several options for leather jackets — most of them were blazer-style jackets from online outlets like Motel Rocks or Princess Polly and cost around $70 apiece. Though we didn’t know how much longer the lockdown would go on, I had a feeling that bookmarking these jackets to come back to them later was the smartest option.

Fast forward to my second year of college: the blazer silhouette did eventually prove to be more of a 2020 microtrend, but the smart and sexy functionality of a red leather staple still appealed to me. I resumed my search, this time mainly focusing on secondhand sites like Depop and Facebook Marketplace in an effort to shop sustainably.

On a UC Santa Barbara-specific Facebook Marketplace group, I found a brick red, genuine leather jacket in my size for a ripe $35. I made an offer, and soon I was at a graduating senior’s apartment on Del Playa Drive, trying on the jacket in front of her massive living room mirror.

“I bought it at a flea market in Paris,” she shared. “I’m graduating, so I’m trying to get rid of stuff in my closet.”

I wondered why she would want to give it up and quickly decided against saying anything, for fear she realize she’d made a mistake by posting it for sale. The sleeves were a perfect length, the silhouette the perfect balance of slouch and structure and the red bright without being obnoxious. The inner lining was a little ripped and frayed in parts, but I didn’t care.

“It suits you!” she said.

I can’t speak for the universal accuracy of the six-month style rule, but I can tell you that my red leather jacket is now an essential piece in my closet. I’ve paired it with cowboy boots and jeans as a quintessential everyday outfit, layered it over slacks and a button-down for casual Friday at work and worn it with delicate evening dresses on cold nights. Though I’ve owned it for less than a year, I can’t imagine my wardrobe without it.

Often, I think about how the jacket’s previously-owned status doesn’t make it any less mine. If anything, it’s a comfort to know the experiences of others — from sunny Santa Barbara all the way to Paris — quite literally rest upon my shoulders.

Emily Yoon / Daily Nexus

Almost nothing in Emily Yoon’s closet was purchased new, a fact she’s really proud of. In her brand new column, Emily shares the stories behind her best — and occasionally worst — local thrift finds, tips for navigating online platforms like Facebook Marketplace and good old big sister advice on finding your personal style.

This appeared in the Nov. 14 print edition of the Daily Nexus.