City Boy with Percia Verlin
NYC based content creator, podcast producer and city boy enthusiast.
"I don't ever remember making a specific decision to buy second-hand clothing. I started buying my own clothing around the eighth grade, which I think is when a lot of young people start taking an interest in dressing themselves.
But where I grew up, in Philadelphia, and in my own family, buying second-hand clothing was not taboo at all."
Meet Percia Verlin, a content creator and podcast producer based in New York City. If you haven’t come across her work before, it comes highly recommended.
I’ve always enjoyed Percia’s content. I first came across her work via Instagram Reels, where she was speaking about City Boy style, and I immediately thought, 'Finally!'
As you know if you’re already a subscriber to the blog, I’ve recently enjoyed delving deeper into City Boy, especially in terms of its progression from Ivy.
I wish more people were talking about it, so when I discovered Percia had a YouTube channel with essay-style videos covering the exact topic I wanted to hear more about, I was really happy.
The great thing about City Boy is that you don’t have to break the bank filling your wardrobe, a sentiment Percia conveys extremely well to her viewers
PV: My mum has always had an interest in vintage stores and second-hand clothing. I went to a public school in Philadelphia from 5th grade to 12th grade, and it was just a very common activity. It wasn't weird or shameful in any way. I remember we would often shop at Urban Outfitters or Buffalo Exchange for school dance outfits. That's how I started buying my own clothes.
As I've gotten older, I have made a more intentional effort to buy all my clothes second-hand. This is mostly because, as someone deeply interested in fashion, the number of clothes I want to buy wouldn't make me feel comfortable purchasing first-hand for environmental reasons.
Moreover, most of the time, especially if you're buying vintage, you can find better quality clothing for a much lower price if you buy second-hand. Even though buying second-hand clothing is very popular and common nowadays, I have always had a bit of an aversion to owning what everyone else has.
PV: Often if you go to a clothing store with new seasonal collections, everyone is buying the same thing at the same time. I just never really liked doing that. Well, I did like it to a certain degree. In high school, I did want Vans and that American Apparel hoodie that everyone else had, and I still can be influenced by trends to a certain extent to this day. I just prefer thrifting them now if I do indulge.
TH: How does shopping secondhand influence your fashion choices, given that you never know what you'll find?
PV: I shop in two ways. I have a list of specific things I'm looking for, and though I don't do this as much as I used to, I often just go and browse to see what's there. With second-hand shopping, you don't have everything in stock. For instance, if you went to Old Navy and wanted to get a grey sweater, you could most likely find a grey sweater and walk out with it. But when you're going second-hand shopping, if you have a grey sweater on your list, it can take a long time to find one you like. I've literally been looking for a grey sweater for a year now and have had trouble finding “the one.”
I go to store after store and can’t find a grey sweater that I like. But I think that process fosters innovation because you can't always get what you want. You have to be open to what the thrift store has to offer. This can lead you to try things you wouldn't normally try because you see them, they're at a low price, and you think, "Oh, I'd love to see if I can make this work, see if I can incorporate it into my wardrobe." I actually find a lot of personalised inspiration that way. Instead of thinking I already know what clothing I want because I saw it on Pinterest or TikTok, I find the clothing I want to wear because I see it in person, touch it, try it on and think, "This is fun, this is cool, it looks amazing." I think that is a great exploratory way to have fun with your wardrobe.
TH: I’ve always been fascinated by New York City. I’ve only been once and, when I was there, I dreaded having to leave. What is it like to live there, and what tips would you give to someone visiting who may be doing a spot of clothes shopping along the way?
PV: I grew up in Philadelphia, which is a big city—the sixth largest city in the United States—but it's nothing compared to NYC. We're so close to New York that I had been visiting since I was a kid and never thought much of it. New York has a lot of notoriety, but like a lot of Philadelphians, I kind of had a chip on my shoulder about it. Even in college, people were like, "Oh, after I graduate I'm going to live in New York City for two years; everyone has to live in New York City at some point, especially in their 20s," and I just never had that feeling.
Anyway, I decided I wanted to try podcasting as a job, so I applied for an internship with my favourite podcast at the time, Radiolab, which operates out of WNYC in Soho. I got that internship and had to move to NYC after all. That internship did not pay, so I was a nanny for a couple of years when I first moved to the city, which I think a lot of young people do to make their way here. I love New York City; now that I'm here (I live in Brooklyn), I'm kind of like, "Where else would I live?" The only thing I would say about New York is it's just so hard to go anywhere.
In Philly, anywhere you want to go is just about 20 minutes away. In New York, oftentimes when you're visiting a friend, going to a show, or going to Central Park, it’s about an hour away or more. Because of that, I don't leave my house and come back and leave again. If I have to go somewhere, I make sure I have everything I need for the whole day. I try to stack events or errands because once you're out, you're out, and you're living rough until you get back home. Then once you're back home, you don't want to go back out again.
In terms of clothes shopping, that's a tough question. I really like Beacon’s Closet personally because I sell my clothes there, so I get credit. The prices are pretty good, and they have a great curated selection. In general, thrifting in New York City is not good. It's really hard to thrift in New York City—it's expensive or really picked over. I don't know if I would call it a great shopping city unless you have a lot of money to spend because there are some really amazing curated second-hand stores that have cool items you might not be able to find in other towns, but you have to cough up some money for them.
TH: Have you visited any other cities, either in the US or abroad, that you think are top locations for stocking up on good quality clothing?
PV: Short answer/boring answer is Paris and Tokyo, obviously. I just don't think I have a much better answer than that. My godmother lives in Paris, so I've been visiting Paris consistently for many years since I was a kid. My mum, who I usually go with, is a prolific shopper but she’s very much a sales girl; she doesn’t like to pay full price for anything. In Paris, and in France in general, I believe, everything goes on sale at the same time a couple of times a year, and you can go and shop at all the stores at the same time. My mum would always try to do that, particularly in the winter, during the sale season. She has a couple of stores that she likes, and she would take me to get a new pair of shoes or something.
And then Tokyo. I love the shopping in Tokyo. The mix between second-hand and boutiques is amazing, plus you have access to stores that you don't have in the US. Actually, the thrifting in Tokyo is not great; a lot of the second-hand stores in Tokyo sell American clothing because Japanese resellers come to the US to buy American vintage clothing and then sell it in Japan. But there's no point in going to Japan to buy American vintage clothing that we can get here. I think it makes more sense to shop for Japanese-specific brands like United Arrows or Beams or Japanese boutiques. Though if you go to fancier second-hand stores, they do carry a lot more Japanese designer brands than you can find in the States.
TH: I've shared your videos with many friends because of your in-depth deep dive into many different areas of style, particularly City Boy. What led you to your love of City Boy?
PV: My interest and love for City Boy came from my trips to Japan. I've been twice; on the more recent trip, I went in September 2023, and it was brutally hot. I struggle to dress in a way I feel comfortable with in hot weather since I don’t like wearing short or revealing clothing, so I paid very specific attention to what people were wearing to deal with the heat. I really honed in on what the men were wearing there; I didn't particularly identify with the fashion that women were wearing in Japan, which is par for the course for me.
When I got back from that trip, the weather had cooled down significantly in the US, so I wasn't thinking about the fashion I saw in Japan because it was so summer-specific. Then spring 2024 rolled around, and I decided to think about what I really liked from Japan and try to incorporate that into my wardrobe and styling for this summer. I didn't even know what City Boy was at that point. I just knew that I saw something I liked and wanted to try to recreate it. So I made a TikTok about my intentions and described the look as Japanese Menswear. That video got a couple of comments saying, "I think what you're talking about is the City Boy style or Amekaji/ Ametora." And that's, for me, the reason why I like doing social media.
There's so much that I have learned over the years because of other people that I am in community with online. The more I researched the style, the more I thought it fit my vibe. I like sort of loose, oversized, baggy clothing, but I also like stuff that has a lot of form and shape to it, and I think City Boy really fulfils all those criteria.
TH: How has your understanding of fashion evolved since you started creating content about your personal style?
PV: My knowledge about the fashion world and understanding of my personal style has expanded so much because I learn best by being active. If I just read something or watch something about fashion history, for example, I don't necessarily learn or remember things very well.
But when I have to do my own research, then organise the information and figure out how to communicate it in a video, the information sticks in my brain a million times better. Because I also make content about what I'm buying and what I'm wearing, it's helped me solidify my understanding of what I like to wear most often and the things I like to buy that I wind up actually using. This cycle of buying things, putting together outfits, and making videos about them has helped me know myself so much better because I'm keeping track of what I like to wear and how I like to wear it.
TH: What are some of the most memorable or unexpected pieces you've found while shopping secondhand?
PV: I was at Beacon's Closet a couple of years ago and found this Derek Lam denim top. It's technically a button-down, but the buttons are covered. It wasn’t something I had ever thought about owning or was looking for, but once I got the top, I had the idea to try to find bottoms so that I could create a full denim outfit.
Then I found bottoms on The RealReal that I thought would work from Studio Nicholson and bought them. Now I have this denim set that people love and are always shocked to hear is made up of two second-hand pieces bought separately. I think that is just a really lovely way to put outfits together.
TH: Do you have any tips for finding high-quality items when shopping secondhand?
PV: No, I mean it’s tough. I really do think you have to train your eye and hand in some ways because when you’re going through a rack of clothing, you become accustomed to seeing or touching a fabric and being able to recognise if it’s something special and not just a fast fashion item that’s been donated and then resold.
I guess my biggest tip is that it takes a long time. This stuff really does take a long time. If you’re shopping online second-hand, it’s actually much easier because you can usually search by fabric or textile. You can look up things that are 100% wool or 100% cashmere and get a much better idea of whether items are high quality just by knowing what they’re made of.
TH: Have you faced any challenges or surprises in maintaining a secondhand-only wardrobe?
PV: I don't think so, because I've been doing this for so long that I've built up a pretty good collection of basics from shopping second-hand for many years. The only thing I sometimes worry about is that I have some t-shirts or button-downs that I think are perfect, but if I lose them or rip them, there’s no replacing them. I've had this problem before; I had this beautiful mesh t-shirt that I got from my mum, so it’s second-hand through her, and it got caught in the zipper of my jacket one night. When I tried to pull the zipper to get it unstuck, it ripped the shirt.
The crazy thing is, I actually found another shirt in the same exact style online on Etsy. I was so excited, I ordered it, but it got lost in the mail, and then I was doubly upset. So what I wound up doing is having the original shirt stitched back together. It's in a very fragile state, and I don't wear it that often anymore, but the shirt is special to me, and I'm hanging onto it. I don’t mind wearing it with the big stitch running through the middle; I think it even gives it some extra interest.
TH: What are some of your favourite items in your wardrobe at the moment?
PV: I have a pair of jeans from GU, which is UNIQLO’s sister store. They’re a slight barrel jean with a drawstring waist on the inside. I wear them a lot. I just think they add a little oomph to most outfits where a more average straight-leg pair of jeans might not. I also have a pair of black capris that almost look like gi or martial arts pants. I got them second-hand in New York City, and I really like them for summer because I wear black trousers a lot.
I have a bunch of different wool pairs, but for the summer, obviously, you can’t really wear them as much. So instead, I’ve been wearing these gi pants. I think I’ve been able to dress them up too by pairing them with some of my nicer short-sleeve button-downs and nice shoes. Short-sleeve button-downs are a real go-to for me in the summer. I have two Jil Sander ones (one of my favourite brands) and another I’ve been wearing a lot that I got from a random boutique in Japan. I also want to highlight that I've been really trying to get into accessories.
Accessories have been something I’ve struggled with off and on because I have such a practical approach to my clothing. I find it hard to put on a lot of jewellery or extra items because I feel like it weighs me down or doesn’t make sense. So I’ve been trying to get into more practical accessories—I have a watch from Projects Watches, and I’ve also been wearing bandanas, a couple of which I got from Block Shop Textiles and one from Billy Reid.
TH: Is there anything that you’re on the hunt for at the minute?
PV: I'm actually on a no-buy at the moment, and for a while, bandanas were on my list, but I just got gifted some. I'm still looking for that perfect grey sweater, which feels dumb, but I really don’t have one that I love and I have a hard time finding one. I've also had a really hard time with leather jackets and denim jackets.
I always have one in my wardrobe, but very rarely am I really happy with the ones I have. At the moment, I do have a leather jacket that I like, so I'm currently looking for a dark denim jacket—something preferably wide and boxy, maybe almost a little rounded. I haven't put that much effort into it so far, but it’s something I'm keeping an eye out for.
TH: What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey into secondhand fashion?
PV: I would say be patient. You have to accept that there will be a lot of trial and error. Shopping in person second-hand is also different from shopping online second-hand, so you need two different strategies. For online second-hand shopping, you have to know your measurements and the measurements of clothing you already have and like. Always ask for measurements from sellers and read all the information they provide. You can also take a chance on items that don’t have much information if it looks like a good deal.
In person, you just have to go all the time. You need to visit a lot of different stores and go very often. Have a list of what you're looking for, but also be open to what the store might have to offer you.
TH: Finally, can you share a story from a particular second-hand find that significantly influenced your style or fashion perspective?
PV: I was on eBay, as usual—I do a lot of my second-hand shopping there—and I found a suit. It was a pair of pants and a blazer, dark grey pinstripe, 100% wool, Ralph Lauren, size 6, a women’s suit. I ordered it because it was a good price, $50. When I got the suit, I just fell in love with the way it felt on me. I hadn't really worn a suit before. Actually, I think my mum has it right now because I grew out of it; I’m normally a size 8 and was just barely squeezing into the pants. But it really set me on the path of opening my mind more to menswear and specifically tailored menswear. I always knew I had a boyish style, a more masculine style. But a lot of that had been focused on more streetwear styles—especially growing up in the 2000s, with big graphic t-shirts over big baggy jeans.
That suit was the first thing that really made me think, "Gosh, I like tailored menswear. I like traditional menswear." Since then, I’ve bought another suit that fits me a bit better—an Yves Saint Laurent men's suit. I've just become way more into men's tailoring because of that suit and the way it made me feel when I wore it.
I’ve loved watching Percia document her deep dive into the world of City Boy, exploring its influences and how the look has evolved through various interpretations.
Percia isn’t afraid to chart her own course and make the style work for her, which I fully support. Being inspired by a style doesn’t mean you have to emulate it exactly; adding your own flair is how true styles are born and how they remain relevant.
A massive thank you to Percia for chatting with me. Please check out the videos I’ve shared above and remember to subscribe to her on YouTube and follow her on Instagram @percish.
Thank you for reading!
All the best,
Tom