My First Thred Up

Back a couple of weeks ago while Hurricane Harvey was barely beginning and seemed merely like a reason to hunker down and snack, I found some secondhand stress relief by thrift shopping on-line using Thred Up for the very first time, if you can believe it.  Up until recently, Thred Up was not available in Canada and so I could only watch with envy as my Southern thrifty neighbours posted their great scores!  The good news for my Canadian friends is that Thred Up is available in Canada now, so you don’t have to move to Texas like me for online thrifting (though I would certainly welcome a visit!).  In fact, Thred Up ships to many countries, putting secondhand sustainable shopping on the global scene!  Way to go Thred Up!  When I received an offer to use a $30 credit and post about my experience, I jumped at the chance, ‘natch.

There are two ways to shop Thred Up – either on their site or by downloading the mobile app, and there are some pros and cons to each.  I found it easier to search and scroll on my laptop though it’s harder to pretend to be sleeping while actually shopping with a laptop, so use the app when shopping in bed.  ;P  The general search feature on the app is at the very top of the home screen however as soon as you select a main category, it disappears and you are left to contend with filters.  Both the site and app have various filters so you can narrow pieces down to your size, colour and brand, and there are some style filters but it took some fiddling to find what I was looking for.  Without filters, the options are overwhelming so use them liberally.  You can save your search parameters and Thred Up will notify you when new items are listed that match your search which is enabling handy!

Thred Up has two options for sellers.  You can do traditional consignment or take a payout once pieces are processed.  For those of us who are not eBay sellers, this would be a good option for thinning out your closet and getting a little cashola from it.  Thred Up is essentially on-line consignment, so pieces are generally pricier than straight-up thrift BUT it is an excellent option for people who like online shopping and/or find thrift stores daunting, and as I’ve said time and again, the bottom line is not the most important factor (for me at least).  Buying secondhand to avoid perpetrating the fast fashion cycle is more important than getting the lowest price IMHO.  That being said, I wasn’t about to use my Thred Up funds on something I’m likely to find in the thrift store at a cheaper price.  Instead, I searched for specific brands – J Brand, Eileen Fisher, Anthropologie, Frye, Theory, etc. – and for specific pieces that have proven hard to find at the thrift store.  While browsing, you can “heart” pieces to save them as favourites and then return to them when making your final decision.  If someone else has the nerve of putting one of your favourites in their cart, and then takes it out again, you’ll get an email notice which I thought was a nice feature.  I’m still waiting to see if the person who has MY Cartonnier shorts actually buys them because if not, they’re coming to live with me!

I ended up selecting some green NWT J Brand shorts, a black J Crew sleeveless top and a black Alice & Olivia NWT maxi dress.  It’s a bit of a gamble since you can’t try things on, so going with familiar brands is a good idea.  I let some items sit in my cart while waiting for MY shorts and in the interim received an email with a discount code and free shipping. I don’t know how that happened but I snatched up the code and checked out quickly – it was an on-line thrifty “START THE CAR” moment!  Maybe waiting a bit before checking out is a good idea??  There was a bit of a glitch when I entered my payment info and I had to do it a few times before it worked, no idea why but I’m guessing it was hurricane internet interference.  I ended up paying just under $40 for the three items which is a great deal considering they would retail for at least $300.

I am pleased to report that all three pieces arrived exactly as described on the Thred Up site.  I have no doubt all three will get tons of wear time since it apparently gets “chilly” in Texas for about one week around Christmas time.  And now I know where I can find specific pieces secondhand or just enjoy browsing the hundreds of options for me and my family.  The best part: on-line means any time.  I can thrift shop right now at midnight!  AWE-SOME.

If you like the looks of these, you can find J Crew pieces here, J Brand pieces here, Alice & Olivia pieces here and new-with-tags pieces here!  Furthermore, Thred Up is offering a fab discount of 50% off your entire order (up to $50) with the promo code WOMENS50.  As if that wasn’t enough, when I shared that my shipment was delayed due to the Houston flooding, Thred Up offered two $50 credits for me to give away to those affected by the floods.  If that’s you, leave me a comment here, on Instagram or Facebook and I will draw two names on Friday September 15th at 9pm Houston time.  If you are looking for ways to support those affected by Hurricane Harvey and the Houston floods, Thred Up is also holding a clothing drive – click here for more info.

Thank you Thred Up for the good vibes, community support and great secondhand shopping experience!  Can’t wait to browse again! (just as soon as I climb into bed!)