#11: Closet Confessional with Tina Boetto of Semi-Sustainable
Behind the closet door with the trend forecaster turned outfit repeater - a former maximalist, current minimalist, and eternal jewelry enthusiast.
There's something immediately compelling about
of that goes beyond her impeccable style. She has a joie de vivre that draws you in.
Perhaps it's the way she seamlessly blends corporate fashion expertise with an academic mindset, or how her eyes light up when discussing sustainable fashion alternatives. Having just graduated with her MBA (literally last weekend—congratulations!), Tina represents a fascinating intersection of fashion industry knowledge, business acumen, and thoughtful consumerism.
Like many fashion devotees, Tina's journey began with formal education—fashion merchandising, to be precise. But unlike the typical career path, hers zigzagged through buying roles across every imaginable category, trend forecasting, and most recently consulting with Future Reference (hire her, we couldn’t recommend her more). Her style evolution mirrors these professional pivots: from the statement necklace-loving J.Crew devotee of the early 2010s to what she affectionately calls her "chaotic maximalist" Pinterest era, before landing in her current chapter of sustainable minimalism with a jewelry obsession.
The Copenhagen-esque style that her friends now recognize in her didn't happen by accident—it was carefully cultivated through years of introspection about consumption habits and sustainability. As she embarks on her next journey in fashion tech, resale, or editorial writing, I couldn't help but wonder: what treasures would I find if I were granted access to her meticulously curated closet? Let's find out…
How would your best friend describe your style?
Two of my friends recently went to Copenhagen on separate trips and both said my style reminded them of what the women were wearing there. This is the best style compliment I could possibly receive and I can die happy now.
Describe your wardrobe evolution, or ‘style chapters’ if you will.
Late 2000s to early 2010s: Even though I had a short-lived fashion blog complete with an Instagram boyfriend, I somehow have no pictures to document this era. I was working in my first fashion buying role and started in the accessories category. This is where I discovered how much I loved wearing alllll of the jewelry. I was especially into J.Crew's statement necklaces, printed skater dresses, colorful tights, and peep toe boots—and thought it was very chic to wear these trends together at once. I cringe every time I think about how I let myself out of the house in these outfits.
High rise skinny jeans had started to take off in the late 2000s and it was my time to shine as someone with a long waist. I wore them everywhere with a Forever 21 or Zara top and always at least 3" heels (I still have no idea how I did this other than I lived in a driving vs. walking city). Virtually every piece of clothing in this chapter has been sold, donated, or passed onto a friend, but I still have most of the jewelry and tights.
Mid to late 2010s: I alternated between high rise skinny jeans, a concert tee, and a bandana for casual moments and using my Rent The Runway Unlimited subscription to rent every statement dress and skirt available. There was this Proenza Schouler tiger print pleated skirt that I was obsessed with, and when it was available I would hang onto it for weeks at a time. I loved wearing this skirt with these faux snake print knee high boots, which should tell you everything you need to know about this style chapter.
2020s: In 2021 I started posting my outfits to Pinterest and, as you can see, I was still all about a print and an OTT outfit. I started slowly transitioning my wardrobe away from fast fashion and leaning more heavily into secondhand via The RealReal.
Since then, I've written about going from a chaotic maximalist to an ultra minimalist wardrobe in the last year as my outlook has shifted into more timeless dressing from a sustainability viewpoint. I've turned into a chronic outfit repeater and love nothing more than a groutfit, statement blazer, loose jeans, and flat shoes (2000s me could never). My outfits are still accessorized with all of the jewelry since I feel discombobulated without my earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces.
How has your approach to shopping / building a wardrobe changed over the years?
My biggest change in the last decade is that I've gone from shopping as entertainment and getting whatever trendy piece caught my eye to buying intentionally.
Today I rarely impulse buy and instead think about what I want in my wardrobe before I click add to cart. I sit on my wishlist for weeks or months to make sure I really want the earrings/blazer/jeans/whatever. Most of the time, I don't want it after a couple of weeks, but if I still feel strongly about something months later, I know it's the one.
I discovered The RealReal in 2014 and it was the impetus to start shifting away from fast fashion and into secondhand, at first only because it meant that I could finally afford to buy designer apparel. In 2018, I went to a sustainable fashion panel hosted by the Mara Hoffman brand and it opened my eyes to fashion's environmental footprint. I later got a job at a trend forecasting agency where I learned about circularity and next-gen fabrics and this gave me the final push to slow down my firsthand shopping. Today about 75% of my fashion purchases are secondhand.
What's your philosophy on wardrobe curation versus collection?
I'd rather have a highly curated wardrobe with pieces that fit all of my wardrobe "needs" (I say this in quotes because my needs are just wants in disguise) than to be in a cycle of collecting things without longevity that I may or may not wear.
Curation over collection 1000%.
When/where/how do you shop these days?
I'm an online-first shopper and am in constant browse mode thanks to years of following trends as a web merchant. I'm lucky to call San Francisco my home, but most of my favorite brands don't have physical stores here, which has pushed me even deeper into online shopping.
I was thrilled when Catbird opened last year and highly recommend visiting if you're in the Fillmore area. Their forever bracelet has been my best jewelry investment. I got my first zap in 2019 and am down to a cost per wear of four cents, plus Catbird offers a 15% discount on your second (or third or fourth) bracelet.
Otherwise, I always check out The RealReal at 7am, noon, and 4pm when they list new items to see if one of my obsessions has a price drop or if my saved searches return something that's been on my wishlist for years. I'm also on ThredUp several times a week since I've gotten some incredible basics on there. I love Net-A-Porter for their inspirational pdp styling and I’m a new convert to Revolve after a phenomenal customer service experience.
What are the last three things you bought?
I splurged on a firsthand pair of Ganni lace-up ballerina flats that I got to commemorate a big life event. I know I'll get a lot of use out of these since I walk everywhere, and even better they're part of Ganni's Fabrics of the Future initiative.
I had a The RealReal credit burning a hole in my pocket and I used this towards a Frankie Shop blazer and Jenny Bird Chunky Doune Hoops. I love the Frankie Shop, I love a double breasted blazer, and I'd been twiddling my thumbs waiting for this one to drop in price.
What's a brand you've discovered lately and how did you find them?
I feel late to the game on this, but Agmes! I saw them on
's roundup of 20 Things I Don't Regret Buying in 2024 and have been gazing longingly at their Short Patrice earrings ever since.
What are you currently looking to add to your wardrobe?
This entire outfit I saw on Div Ravindran—the sheer skirt and Miu Miu penny loafer kitten heels are at the tippy top of my wishlist right now.
What are the last three things you sold? Why did you sell them?
I haven't sold anything since 2022 because I was getting frustrated at the low commissions from managed marketplaces and took a break when my last five designer items netted between $15 and $30 payouts. So far I've only sold on managed platforms because I don't have the patience for P2P. But…I recently listed some items with
and am excited to see how it plays out since it takes the time commitment off of me.Is there an item you regret selling? What made it special?
I have two: a Louis Vuitton Damier Speedy and a Tibi dress.
The Speedy came from a purge of all of my leather bags and shoes when I went down an animal product-free path in 2016 (I've since changed my outlook in the past year). It's a huge regret since it was the perfect size and a true classic that I could have carried for years.
The Tibi dress came out of a post-pandemic closet clear out when my wardrobe was in a more casual place. What a loss! It's the perfect minimalist dress for 2025: brown and midi length with an interesting back detail to zhuzh it up. If I come across this at a good price secondhand, I’ll definitely buy it again.
Has Future Reference changed your relationship with your closet at all?
Yes! It's helped me decide what I really want to keep or sell.
I’m kind of obsessed with the valuation tool that calculates what your closet is worth. It helps me understand the value of items that I'm ready to part with instead of listing things blindly. And the listing tool is so fast! If you list on platforms like Poshmark on your own, you'll be blown away by how much time you save.
Check out our valuation tool to see how much your pieces are worth. No registration required!
How do you feel about the idea of having an AI resale assistant?
I'm into it because I don't have the patience to list things myself. It's a perfect use case for AI so I can free up time to do more creative things.
Lastly, what's one piece of advice you'd give to someone looking to be happier with their closet?
This is harder than it sounds, but wear what you love instead of buying into the trend du jour. If you're happiest in skinny jeans, wear them! If you want to wear mini skirts every day, do it!
Take it from a former hardcore maximalist turned minimalist that your personal style will evolve over the years and it's okay to shift what you like and feel great wearing.
One semi-sustainable callout: if you're not a secondhand shopper, this is the year to dip your toes into the resale market. There are so many items out there looking for a good home, and many are in excellent condition and cost significantly less the second time around.
Quick hits:
Brand that is criminally underrated: Ganni, I don't think we're talking enough about what they’re doing for responsible fashion.
Piece you have been searching for for years: I'm on a years-long search for a pair of secondhand plaid Zara pants that match this 2021 era blazer.
Best secondhand find: So many! But this Isabel Marant belt is giving me the greatest joy right now.
Biggest closet regret: How much time and money I wasted on fast fashion.
Favorite place to shop: Hands down The RealReal.
On the weekend you can find me: At the Ferry Building Farmers market for fresh fruit, latte and Substack writing at Blue Bottle, visiting the library, getting a mocktail in the Mission, window shopping online, and volunteering at my local dog rescue.
We’d love to hear from you - how has your closet evolved or your mindset around shopping changed? Want to be in our next confessional? Let us know in the comments.
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Thank you so much for the feature Claire and Future Ref team! This was so much fun - I'm always happiest when I'm talking about fashion and resale (and ofc Future Reference!). I can't wait to see who's next in this series. Hilliary's Closet Confessional was too good. https://substack.com/@futurereference/note/c-117120927
Loved all of this! You’re right. Tina has the best style but more importantly, this love for life that just comes through. Her outfits always make me smile. Thank you for sharing! ❤️