Second Hand Clothing Forever!

Jeans: Madewell via ThredUp

I am a long-time fan of second hand clothing stores.  When I was in college, and I didn't have much money to go shopping (things haven't changed that much since then), I would occasionally frequent a small second hand store that was pretty close to campus, and I found a few gems there.

I found some enjoyment in the hunt, and it was always intensely satisfying to find something amazing after some digging.  But, I never liked old, musty smell that clings to everything in many second hand stores, and it was always a little overwhelming looking at the endless racks of clothes. I did sort through them occasionally, but often left before finding anything good because there were just too many clothes to sift through.

In the last year or so, I have become determined to shop in second hand stores as we have tried to live a more eco-friendly life, and getting clothing second hand means there was one less clothing item that needed to be produced.

I am also working on getting higher quality items that will last longer, and are less likely to go out of style.  Unfortunately those types of pieces are typically more expensive so, for someone on a tight budget that usually means clothing swaps or second hand stores.

 shirt: Everlane via ThredUp

Then, a few months ago, Janssen posted about how much she loves Thred Up, an online second hand store that sells lots of higher quality items (they also resale Forever 21 and Old Navy, but have a lot of designer stuff, too). I generally don't like shopping for clothing online, because I worry about how things will fit so much, and don't like going to the post office if I have to make returns.

However, they were doing a deal where you got $20 off your first order (they have since changed it to $10, which you can claim through this link), so I started hunting around on their website.  I found it far more satisfying than rummaging through piles of stinky clothes.  Plus, I was able to filter down to colors and brands to find specific products, so there was not so much mindless looking. After some searching, I found a few things I really liked, and ordered them about two weeks ago.

They came last week, and I must say, I really like all of them.  I found a pair of Madewell Jeans (I had tried on a few sizes in the store so I would know what size to buy), and two shirts.  One shirt from Everlane (I just ordered another shirt directly from them a few days ago and will let you know what I think when it comes) that I absolutely love and another from Cynthia Rowley.

I am putting together a capsule wardrobe (more to come on this soon), so I have been looking for some high quality pieces that will last a while, and will be very versatile.  Each of the pieces I ordered is in surprisingly perfect shape, and fit pretty well.  I did do a slight alteration to the Cynthia Rowley shirt, but nothing major, and it looked great when it came, I just adjusted the side seams a little.

The Madewell jeans are so incredible that I don't think I will ever be able to go back to cheap jeans again.  They just fit so well, and are so soft.  Plus, they look like they are brand new.

I was also thrilled that nothing smelled like a thrift store, which I worried a bit about before they arrived.

Now I am having a hard time staying off their website, because I keep popping in to see if something on my list for my spring capsule wardrobe comes up.

Have any of you tried ThredUp out yet?  What did you think?  

shirt: Cynthia Rowley via ThredUp

*This is not a sponsored post, but the links from ThredUp and Everlane are both the kind that if you decide to buy something through clicking on my link, I will get credit to their store.  Feel free to search for the companies on your own, if you are not cool with that.  However, if you do click through my link and buy something, just know I will be thrilled :) The Madewell link is an affiliate link and I get a few cents if you click through.