If you’re anything like me, you’ve been here before. Doing your homework or studying, flipping through Quizlet flashcards when you see it. The ad in the side bar. There is a sale at your favorite online shop, for me, the culprit is always Urban Outfitters. Then it begins an online shopping spree, in an hour I suddenly have 12 tops, 5 bottoms and 2 dresses in my cart. And wait look at those sunglasses. So many things that I now want, but honestly don’t need and can’t justify spending the money on. Thus, nine out of ten times the shopping cart is deleted. But, on the tenth time, the time when I just can let something go, I find myself giving in and purchasing the sweater, the dress, the whatever.
After the purchase is made though, I’ll think to myself: “the ‘whatever’ that I just bought is made out of synthetic fibers which result in production waste that fills the ocean, and was probably made by severely underplayed people, maybe even children.” However, even with these thoughts of remorse, I find myself repeating the cycle. So, I began searching for a way to scratch my online shopping itch in a way that was better for the planet. First, I found sites filled with beautiful, beautiful eco-friendly options that were way beyond my budget (I’m talking about you, Reformation). Then, I found the world of online thrifting or consignment. It’s recycling. It’s inexpensive. It’s even an opportunity for you to make some money too. Sign me up. Here are my impressions of three major online thrifting stores that you can try out for yourself.
1. Depop
The Vibe: All things vintage and retro can be found here. Depop is definitely made for guys and girls that love a bold, quirky, even artistic look. If you love mom jeans, one of a kind slip dresses, and bright knitwear for sure check out Depop.
Shopping Synopsis: Depop comes as a smartphone app or a regular website. To shop on Depop you do have to create an account, but it is totally free to do so. The way the app works is quite like Instagram, but with an added aspect of commerce. You make your profile and you follow other people’s profiles who are posting used and vintage clothing they wish to sell. When you purchase something through Depop you are purchasing from an individual seller not a big company, so expect shipping times to vary as well as shipping prices.
2. Poshmark
The Vibe: Poshmark is full of designer and popular brands like Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Lulu Lemon, Victoria’s Secret… you get the picture. This is a great place to buy if you have a style that leans to the preppy side, but that’s not to say other styles can’t find something that suits them here as well.
Shopping Synopsis: I’d compare Poshmark’s website style to that of a typical shopping website, but with gently used clothing from every major brand on the market. From the homepage, you can choose to browse by category, “women’s clothes”, “shoes”, “brands”, etc. Like Depop, Poshmark works through individual sellers, however, shipping is handled by the company so there is less variability.
3. ThredUp
The Vibe: I’d say ThredUp is like your local thrift shop mixed with Plato’s Closet. It is relatively curated so much of the styles are recent, however, to find a real gem you do have to dig, or more accurately scroll, through layers of clothes to find what you are excited to take home. The overall look of the clothes is pretty similar to what you find at the Columbia Mall.
Shopping Synopsis: As soon as you enter the site, you must sign up to even begin looking at clothes. But once you have created an account, it is pretty straightforward. ThredUp has a pretty extensive system of categorizing their clothing by brand, style, and who it is made for. For this site, I recommend shopping by brands you know you like, this makes the weed-out process quicker. The shop does have a rather bizarre feature that allows you to add items to your cart, but after a certain amount of time passes the items are removed from your cart. Your cart can also be viewed by other shoppers with countdown timers on each of the items showing how long is left until the item is back up for grabs. To me, this seems rather Black Friday-esque but is definitely not a large enough problem for me to make the site a waste