dresses

An Easy Way to Shop More Sustainably

This year, I’ve been making little changes to my everyday life to make more sustainable choices. I’m not perfect and I have a long way to go, but I’ve found that even making one small change can snowball into another. I’m excited to partner with thredUP on this post because it’s another way I’m choosing sustainability. Shopping at thredUP is a way for you to refresh your closet guilt free and the bonus is that your wallet also benefits.

ThredUp Review

thredUP is the world’s largest online thrift store with your favorite brands (like J. Crew, Tory Burch, Lilly Pulitzer, and Kate Spade) up to 90% off estimated retail (check the bottom of this post for an extra discount on your first order!). I love the idea of popping into a thrift store and walking out with hidden gems, but it’s usually such an overwhelming process to sort through all the racks to get to the brands you love and in your size. With thredUP, it couldn’t be simpler to sort through everything by brand and by size, so everything that populates on the page is something that could work for you. It’s so easy and it actually makes the “hunt” for the perfect item fun because they’ve removed the overwhelming part.

I love that the items are like-new but you get to give them a second chance of life– keeping them out of landfills and buying one less new item in the process too. 26 billion pounds of clothing are sent to landfills each year and 95% of them could have been reused or recycled. And buying a used garment extends its life on average by 2.2 years, which reduces carbon, waste, and water footprints by 73%. See? Win/win for everyone, including the environment.

thredup

Unlike traditional thrift stores, everything comes to you pristine as if you had ordered it from a traditional retailer. Trust me, there’s nothing more exciting than finding that polka dot box at your front door.

ThredUp Packaging

Sustainable Shopping

Carly the Prepster

A couple of weeks ago, I put in an order for a new outfit. Here’s how much I saved:

Kate Spade Cocktail Dress: Estimated retail is $698, purchased for $106.99

J. Crew x Liberty London Scarf: Estimated retail is $60, purchased for $23.99

Kate Spade Handbag: Estimated retail is $228, purchased for $78.99

J. Crew Flats: Estimated retail is $158, purchased for $46.99

I paid $256.96 on thredUP, but the estimated retail total would have been $1144. So my savings was $887.04!!!

I have two tips for shopping on thredUP. The first is to make sure you have all your sizes entered into your account. That way when you’re searching for something specific, only things in “My Sizes” will show up on the screen. I usually add two sizes for each category, because I can usually make one or two work depending on the brand– I want to make sure I have all the options available to me! The other tip is to sort by brand. For example, if you’re hunting for a dress, select your favorite brands on the left-hand side so you see all J. Crew, Kate Spade, and Tory Burch dresses. This helps narrow down the selection to brands you already know and love.

ThredUp Accessories

thredUP is offering an extra 30% off your first purchase by using the code “CARLY30” at checkout. That’s an extra 30% off their already discounted prices, so don’t miss out! (Expires 3/31/19. Applies to new US and Canadian customers and redeemable online only. Items under $150. See site for full terms.)

Thank you thredUP for sponsoring this post

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17 Comments

Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's

I went HAM the first time I discovered thredUP! I have pretty good self-control in stores, but sales are my weakness, and thredUP has such amazing deals. I totally agree that thrift shopping in person can be overwhelming. thredUP is so organised and the quality control is amazing!! Love your flats 🙂 -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s

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Shayla

To be honest clothes and fast fashion have such a huge impact on the environment and carbon dioxide emissions, but even worse is the meat and dairy industry. Switching to plant based diet is by far the biggest impact you can have for sustainibility.

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Michelle

100% agree. even if you cant 100% remove animal products from your diet, start with meatless mondays or eating plant based for breakfast/lunch. even small changes to your diet can help the environment and lead to bigger changes down the line.

I personally eat no meat and switched to oat milk, but still eat small amounts of cheese, butter, and eggs.

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Megan

I’ve looked into thredUP, but I find that I end up clicking through pages of outdated and ill-fitting (at least on the mannequin) clothes. Any suggestions?

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carly

I think they pin clothes onto the mannequin so they don’t look like how they would on a traditional retailer. But if you know the brands you already love, you can re-imagine what they’d look like

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Lauren

I love ThredUp! I’ve purchased so many great items on there at amazing prices.

One other tip I would add: I’ve seen a lot of items on ThredUp that are miscategorized (e.g. a pair of sandals listed as boots), so it’s worth searching the site thoroughly if you have the time – you may find some great pieces that way that you wouldn’t have come across otherwise.

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carly

Great tip! I try to stick to broader categories (shoes instead of flats, for example) so I don’t miss out on anything!

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Laura

Just hoping you can comment on your thoughts in this post versus buying a new designer ski jacket when you already have a full patagonia ski set? I understand splurging for a special occasion, but this seems to be the opposite of a “practice what you preach” moment.

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carly

1) I shop. And buy new things. (I feel like I could just stop there– I don’t pretend that I don’t.)

But I’m making small changes in my life to be better– not perfect. Currently, it’s unrealistic for a full lifestyle change for me. Buying used clothing on occasion and donating old clothes to thredUP is a great place to start– for anyone, myself included.

2) I still have and wear the Patagonia ski coat. It’s a VERY warm coat and it is my go-to for trips with heavy snow, wet conditions, and sub-zero temperatures (which happens often for a winter sport). A fun ski coat for bluebird days? I couldn’t resist.

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Beth Ferguson

So glad to see you do this type of post. I have always loved to shop for great finds at a consignment shop and now the sites such as thredUP has really made it even easier to repurpose other’s belongings.

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