A few stats for you: The World Economic Forum estimates that clothing production has roughly doubled in the last 20 years and that people bought 60% more garments in 2014 than in 2000 but kept them for only half as long. According to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, “the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second.”
Wow! That’s a really good reason to venture into the world of recommerce, which is defined as “the selling of previously owned items through online marketplaces to buyers who reuse, recycle or resell them.” Another really good reason is that you can refresh your closet with some fabulous items at even better prices.
Some of us have been “thrift” shoppers for a long time and are familiar with the store-front second-hand shops in our cities. But one of the gifts of the pandemic lock-down has been the expansion of online fashion recommerce sites. I won’t kid you, this is not for everyone, but if you’re willing to invest some browsing time, they are worth a look.
While E-bay and Mercari can be great sources if you know the item and brand you’re looking for, they are hard to navigate if you just want to browse. The best-known fashion recommerce sites are TheRealReal (luxury, designer), The Vestiaire Collective (new and second-hand designer), Poshmark (mid-range brands), and ThredUp (mid-range brands). (Full disclosure: if you use this ThredUp link, you’ll get $10 off and so will I.)
The number of items on these sites can be overwhelming, so here are a few tips to help you focus your efforts if you decide to jump in:
- Use the filters provided to narrow your search as much as you possibly can, e.g., sizes, colors, styles, clothing features.
- Where possible, filter for Item Condition. In ThredUp, you can choose to see only items that are New With Tags or in Excellent Condition. I am AMAZED at the number of things that are unworn with tags still on them!
- Be sure you clearly understand the return policy. Poshmark doesn’t allow any returns so you must be committed. ThredUp allows returns on everything except handbags and things marked Final Sale.
- Also it helps to be generally familiar with the retail price of items; sometimes on Poshmark you see things marked New With Tags and they’re actually selling it for more than it retails.
As much as I love the designer things found on TheRealReal and Vertiaire, I’ve spent more time on ThredUp and Poshmark because they better suit my budget and I love the thrill of finding a good deal! The photos above are some of my latest ThredUp purchases, most New with Tags and an average of 70% off of retail.
Woohoo! Makes me feel both economically and ecologically smart. Show me your finds!
