Blog: Crossroads Style

We pay attention when you tag your #crossroadsfinds on Instagram, and it’s how we first noticed Barbara of @barbara.goes.wear and her SoCal style.

We were so lucky to connect with her recently for a little Q&A. Keep reading to learn more about her and her IG accounts.

Thanks for joining us for a little Q&A! Tell us a little about yourself and your IG account @barbara.goes.wear.

My name is Barbara, and I’m a Mexican content creator living in a small town in California. In addition to sharing my love of coffee shops and overpriced lattes on Instagram (damn those iced oat milk lattes for being so good!), I also enjoy using my small space on the internet to share fragments of my life that make me happy and connect with incredibly cool people whom I’d never have the guts to befriend in real life (shy introverted extrovert life problems). I used to put so much pressure on myself with my IG account to make sure everything was “aesthetically pleasing.” However, I’ve slowly learned to let go of the idea of made-up perfection. Instead, I now use it as a way to have fun, show up as authentically as I possibly can, and as a tool to support others!

We noticed you’re a Crossroads shopper! How did you hear about Crossroads? What has been your favorite #crossroadsfinds?

There’s actually a Crossroads location in the downtown area of where I live, so one day I wandered in with my sisters and we immediately fell in love with the concept of the store. Throughout the years I’ve found so many amazing pieces (which make this question hard to answer), but I think my favorite has to be a pair of Levi jeans some time ago, which I wore until they could no longer be worn!

In general, how do you describe your style?

I’ve come to accept the fact that I don’t really have a particular style. I love going with the flow and changing it up depending on my mood, what shows I’m watching, and whatever is going on in my life. Sometimes I feel like putting together looks that are inspired by French street style, other times I wear outfits that look like they could be worn by a toddler, but there are also days when I just throw on a good old monochromatic look. I think it’s really fun to try out different styles and combinations until you find ones that make you feel the most YOU that day. 

Your YouTube video about a road trip to Solvang just weeks before the pandemic started is crazy to watch because it really shows how innocent we all were to what was about to happen. Did the pandemic change any big plans you had for 2020-2021? Any pandemic lessons learned along the way?

Yeah, rewatching those videos is crazy to me now because it really feels like it happened a completely different life ago! The pandemic definitely changed my life and some of the plans I had. Not only did I lose one of my main jobs, but like other students, I wasn’t able to have a traditional graduation ceremony after completing my B.A. and celebrate that with my family. One of the biggest “pandemic lessons” I learned though was to see the value of life in the present moment, not to mention it really made me aware of all the ways that I wasn’t showing up for myself or the people in my life. 

Tell us what you’re up to over at @ahappymush! 

A Happy Mush is my fun project turned into my fun small business. I started making beaded rings as a way to distract me from the stress that school and the pandemic were creating in my life, but it turned into something more than just a distraction. It makes me so happy to use my creativity to make fun accessories like jewelry and even hair accessories that not only I enjoy, but others as well!

Thank you so much, Barbara, for telling us more about yourself and sharing your great style on Instagram! We’ll continue to follow along at @barbara.goes.wear.

For years you asked: can I sell my clothes online by mail? And yes, Crossroads offers a Sell by Mail program for the continental U.S.!

It’s really easy to use the service. You order a bag right here on our website (it’s free!), fill it with the gently used clothing you’d like to sell, and send it off. The bag even includes a pre-paid shipping label.

Crossroads receives your bag in about 5 days, the bag is processed by our buying team in about 4 weeks, and you then get paid that Thursday by Zelle e-payment.

The handy graphic below shows you the complete process.

When you order the bag, you can select if you want your unpurchased items donated or returned to you for a flat fee.

If you’ve never sold clothing in one of our store locations before, we highly recommend using our selling guide to learn about the types of items Crossroads is most likely to buy.

And if you’re new to Sell by Mail, we have a number of online guides to help you too.

Our 4 Best Tips for Sell by Mail

Sell by Mail: A Step by Step Guide

Ready to give it a try? Order your free bag here.

It’s 2022. It still looks weird every time I write it, but here we are making some 2022 fashion trend predictions!

I’ll start by saying the year may already feel as unpredictable as the last, but we are seeing some trends begin to stand out. Below are 5 that we currently have our eye on.

1. Ski-Inspired

Maybe it’s because outdoor activities are the best activities right now. Maybe it’s because we’re all dreaming of a snowy winter afternoon followed by warm drinks in the ski lodge. All we know is that we’re currently into sleek ski jackets, fine-knit sweaters, and shearling-lined booties.

2. Relaxed Fit Pants

We’re seeing lots of pants in looser fits, some high-waisted and some in a lower rise. They’re relaxed, just like we’re trying to be in 2022.

3. Cropped Tops & Jackets

The cropped trend was big in 2021 and remains on our radar. We started with cropped tees but have since added cropped jackets and even cropped suits.

4. ’80s/’90s Influence

We’re all still having so much fun finding and mixing ’80s and ’90s pieces, whether vintage or inspired. Add in the thrill of thrifting, and we don’t see this trend subsiding any time soon.

5. Body Suits

A bodysuit introduces so much ease to morning dressing! It’s becoming a basic layering piece in our wardrobes and we’re taking this trend from 2022 onward.

Outside of these 5 fashion trend predictions for 2022, we have lots more to share on our winter selling guide.  Or visit any of our store locations to see what our fashion buyers are currently buying into the stores. They’re some of our favorite trendsetters!

Workers with a love of fashion are now turning to eco-friendly companies to blend their personal interests with their values. This has resulted in an exciting rise in sustainable fashion careers.

Most of these fashion jobs have emerged from fashion companies’ increased commitments to reducing waste and pollution in their production methods.

Also included in this movement are fashion companies that keep unwanted clothing out of landfills by giving them a new life on the secondhand market. 

For example, at Crossroads we’ve put the buy-sell-trade fashion model in front of our business for over 30 years. We’re proud to be a part of the sustainable secondhand fashion movement, and we’re always on the lookout for talent across the country.

Our employees learn the entire secondhand retail process, from buying pre-loved clothing from the public to merchandising it for shoppers.

They learn which fashion labels have excellent resale value and discover which sustainable brands are popular with customers.

With knowledge of how sustainable fashion works, they have an excellent base for future roles. Many have gone on to become fashion designers, corporate buyers, and marketers.

Sustainable fashion careers are currently available at Crossroads in locations across the country. Learn more about them here.

In our final countdown to the end of 2021, we’ve been thinking a lot about the fashion trends we loved this year. The list was long, but we’ve narrowed it down to some of our favorites. You can see part 1 of this series here.

Jumpsuits

If you discovered jumpsuits this year, welcome to the club! It’s the best fashion secret ever: a one-piece outfit that’s a blank slate. Add a scarf, booties, a belt, a necklace, or nothing else. There’s no wrong answer. The jumpsuit’s got your back.

Monochromatic

There’s absolutely no need to stand confused in front of your closet for 10 minutes each morning when your only goal is wear just one color. Oh, monochromatic dressing, where have you been all our life? Who knew that all black, all white, and all gray were all chic?

Lace

For one brief shimmering moment there, summer felt almost normal again, and pretty lace was there to meet our mood. We looked for it in classic eyelet and leapt at twin set pieces. Without a doubt, one of the fashion trends we loved.

Hot Pink

Some days in 2021 were super low-key, while others were blazing with energy. On those days, we could turn to hot pink, either in full force head-to-toe or in pops of color like this adorable furry bag.

Waist Bags

We figuratively had our hands full this year, so when we *literally* had them full too, we counted on waist bags to get us from the coffee shop to work to those afternoon errands.

That’s our wrap-up of the fashion trends we loved in 2021. We know we can’t wait to see what trends emerge in 2022. How about you? You can get some first hints of what’s to come in our winter selling guide. Until then, enjoy your NYE celebrations and HAPPY NEW YEAR from all of us at Crossroads! xoxo