A friend of mine recently mentioned that she doesn’t love most of her clothes and wants to rebuild her wardrobe. But also doesn’t want to spend any money. I completely resonated with this, especially the not wanting to spend money part.
(I’ve gotten rid of the 80% of my clothes I like the least, so most of what I have left I like pretty well. Read here for my advice about creating a new wardrobe just buy eliminating the clothes you like the least, if that’s where you are; that post was written about getting rid of fall clothes, because that’s the season it was at the time, but it could just as easily be applied to your spring wardrobe, if it happens to be spring where you live. It’s still definitely winter here, so we’ll just move right along and I won’t be one tiny bit jealous that you’re wearing linen and flip flops and basking in the sun!)
Anyway. I’ve been thinking a lot lately, well the past few years, about building a new wardrobe when you don’t have much (or any) money to spend on it. Simply because we live in such a spall apartment I haven’t had room to keep a ton of clothes, so I’ve become a minimalist out of necessity. And through the process I’ve realized that it is so, so, so freeing to own fewer clothes.
And also through this process I’ve realized that the things I love the most are generally pieces that I spent just a little more money on. Not always, but usually. For example. When I was a freshman in college I spent $50 or $60 on a black cowl neck sweater from J. Crew. (It was one of maybe 4 or 5 clothing purchases I made in college that wasn’t from the thrift store or Target.) BUT that sweater has lasted for 17 years (yes, I am old) and it’s still my favorite sweater. If I could go back in time I would have bought 2 in every color they had.
As another example– 2 summers ago I found a linen dress (with pockets) at Garnet Hill that I adored, and I bought it when it went on sale. (I spent $70 on it, I think). But I have worn it every day (when it’s not in the wash) during the summer, for hikes with the children, splashing in creeks, and to church. (The $70 still felt extremely spendy though, so last summer I didn’t buy any clothes, other than a couple of t-shirts. And I may very well buy nothing this summer, because of this guy, but that’s a whole ‘nother story. Well, and because of her. Somewhere she says, about clothes, that she already has “more than plenty.” Yes and Amen.)
BUT I think the mentality of wanting to buy quality clothes can lead down a path of simply spending too much. Over the past few years as I’ve tried to be more conscious of buying better quality clothes I’ve ended up, more often than not, just not buying anything at all.
Because what if you really can’t afford the price tag of nicer clothes?
Enter the world of online consignment stores. Here’s the thing: once you buy almost anything brand new in a store and take it home, its value drops by about half. Possibly a bit less than half if you never wear it and it has the tags, but the point is– you can find nearly new clothes in pristine condition for half or less than what they cost if you buy them brand new. (If you’re not as worried about the actual cost of clothes, there is also the environmental/ethical side of the clothing industry, which makes purchasing secondhand simply the best way to buy clothes, in my humble opinion.)
So probably everyone is familiar with Thred Up. But here are a few other stores to try. It can be really overwhelming to sift through so many listings, but if you can figure out some brands that you LOVE but can’t afford new, just keep a list of those and start searching. (I’ve learned about a lot of super pretentious brands from this blog that I could never afford, but which I look for secondhand online, see for example, her post about blue jeans.) (Or, in any of the below stores, just search by quality materials– linen pants, linen dress, silk camisole, etc., and see what comes up.)
I haven’t bought any clothes in the past few months, used or otherwise, but I’m hoping to buy a pair of really good quality jeans from one of these stores below soon. (My current (one) pair of jeans are at least 3 years old, I think actually 4, from the Gap. They are so stretched out and faded it’s getting quite pathetic.) (UPDATE: I actually JUST bought a pair of J Brand jeans from The Real Real, see below. They were $55. Guys. I have been wanting a nice pair of jeans for literally years. Now we’ll just have to see if they fit!)
Anyway, enough of all of that. Here are some places to try if you’re looking for lovely, secondhand clothes (or shoes, bags, coats, etc.):
7 Lovely Online Consignment Stores (Other Than ThredUp)
- Tradesy Everything from the Gap to Louis Vuitton. Super easy to search by brand, color, price range, size, etc. You can search for “linen pants” or “silk dress” etc. and then refine your search by size, price, etc. (Referral link: you get $20 off a $50 purchase, and I get a $10 credit!)
- The Real Real. Basically the same as Tradesy. Some really insanely expensive stuff, but also more reasonable items. [I JUST bought a pair of J Brand jeans from here. It’s my first purchase from this place, so I’ll let you guys know how everything works out once the jeans come!] (Use referral code for $25 off your first purchase).
- Slowre. This is a smaller website that specializes in selling secondhand clothes that were produced ethically. Eileen Fisher, Elizabeth Suzann, etc. I haven’t bought anything from here (everything’s still quite pricey, but worth a look!).
- Poshmark. Less fancy than the above, this store features clothes sold by their owners through the Postmark website, sort of like an eBay just for clothes. Again, as with the others, it’s really easy to search by brand, price, etc. And since you’re buying directly from an individual you can contact the seller and haggle a bit on the price. (They also sell kids’ clothes)
- Vinted.com. Similar to Tradesy and The Real Real.
- WornWear for used Patagonia clothes. I’ve never bought anything here, because it’s all really expensive, but I browse every once in awhile because there’s a coat I love of theirs I’d like to find used. (And here’s a similar website for used REI clothes & stuff.)
- Ebay. Just wanted to throw this one in there. A good place to look if you’re searching for a specific brand. You might not find what you’re looking for, but it’s worth a look.
A few more notes: all of these stores are also places where you can send in your unwanted items for store credit or cash. The only place I’ve actually done this is ThredUp, and it’s super simple. (They mail you a bag for free, you fill it and mail it back. They deduct some from what you earn to pay for the shipping.) Just check the various websites for instructions. Just be prepared to get a lot less money back than you think you deserve. (Remember: clothes lose an insane amount of value as soon as you wear them once.)
The other thing is that I don’t know how easy/hard returns are for these stores. Just check before you buy. ThredUp has free and easy returns. Make sure you take that into account.
Read here for advice on buying secondhand clothes for kids.
(Also, if you can’t find something secondhand that you love, try Everlane for ethically produced basics. Their new underwear line looks amazing. And hell yes to their underwear models. Amen.)
Tending the Garden 
Awesome!!