winter wardrobe resolutions with thredup.

January 11, 2018

This post is sponsored by thredUP, a secondhand shopping website selling high-quality, like-new clothes for a fraction of the price.

On any given day of January you might find me opening my tiny notebook and scribbling a new resolution or tweaking one I made the day before. I love making lists and resolving to try something new or take a second stab at something I’ve tried before. But January can be hard. Sometimes I feel like my biggest priority at this time of year is to get through winter with a smile on my face. 

In January, and always, one of my perennial resolutions is to maintain a lean wardrobe that’s filled with clothes that I feel good in, and that I can feel good about wearing. Today, I’ve partnered with thredUP, the world’s largest online thrift store, to share a few of my standby winter-wardrobe resolutions and to highlight a few standout finds that I’ve spotted on their site recently. 

It’s no secret that we’re living in a moment when fast fashion means that textile waste is at an all-time high. Add to that the staggering statistic that up to 60% of average American woman’s wardrobe goes unworn altogether, I’m resolving anew to make sure what I do have gets put to work. As I work to build a more sustainable wardrobe myself, I’m especially glad to have secondhand resources like thredUP helping to give a new life to clothes that might otherwise get trashed altogether. thredUP stocks clothes from over thirty-five thousand brands, all available at up to 90% off retail prices. That means that for folks interested in buying investment-style pieces but unable to afford them at full-price, thredUP can offer real solutions. Curious shoppers can sign up to gain access to their complete inventory, but instead of needing to browse through racks of clothes yourself, the entire inventory is searchable from the comfort of your own couch. thredUP allows shoppers to filter choices by size, brand, color, and price so you can home in on the particular item you’re after.

Without further ado, a few simple resolutions that help me embrace the season and stay committed to a simple, sustainable wardrobe all winter long:

Accessorize Thoughtfully: You might be a person who delights in lots of accessory options, but I tend to get overwhelmed by too many choices. A few years ago I did a major accessories purge and it was such a psychic relief for me. I kept only my two very favorite winter scarves and I choose between one or the other each day. If you’re on the hunt for a wintry accessory that’s new to you, consider a search on ThredUP. Last week I found a Wool Gauze Scarf from Club Monaco that’s similar to the grey one that I have. It was originally $95, but secondhand, it was listed at just $15.99. (You can check out the whole scarf inventory right here.)

Dress for the Weather You Have: Nothing makes getting through the winter months more bearable than embracing seasonally appropriate clothes. (Believe me, I shivered through enough New England winters to know it.) For me, staying warm means a wool coat (and a puffer jacket for the coldest days), cozy sweaters, and thick pants. It’s not lost on me that adding a lot of wooly layers can come with a hefty price tag, but shopping secondhand can make those cozy layers more attainable. I searched on thredUP last week and spotted a pair of A.P.C. Wool Pants available for $65, for instance. That’s 79% off their original $325 price tag. A 360 Cashmere Sweater was similarly discounted and on sale for $64.99 instead of $321. An Eileen Fisher 100% Wool Coat? $76.99 instead of $468.00. These particulars have been scooped up already, but never you mind. There’s more where they came from and more being added every day.

Embrace What Already Works: If the pants fit, wear them. There’s nothing wrong with embracing what you already know works for you. In fact, I’ve written before that I often wear the exact same thing over and over again. Of course, all of that wear, can, well, wear things out. thredUP makes it easy to search for favorites that you already own. I have a favorite pair of jeans that I wear a few times a week. If I ever need to replace them, I could likely find an identical pair for a fraction of the original cost. Last week I found this pair of very similar Paige Denim Jeans for $28.99 instead of $190.00. 

Make Space: Winter clothes are bulkier than their summery counterparts. I don’t have the storage to remove my summertime clothes from my closet, but I do shift things around and push the summer clothes to the harder-to-reach side of the closet and bring the wintry stuff to a spot that’s easy to grab day after day. Being able to reach for my coats without struggling to get past summery dresses is a simple way to make getting dressed more pleasant and to make sure I don’t forget about anything in the recesses of the closet. It’s well worth the extra time it takes to rejigger the closet. And of course, some favorites I wear with or without layers all year long. If you’re like me and always eager to adopt a new pair of overalls or a jumpsuit, you can save searches in thredUP and set alerts so that you’ll be the first to know if anything that matches your search terms get added to the site.

What about you? Winter wardrobe resolutions of your own?

If you’re in need of anything new and interested in giving them a try, thredUP is offering the first 100 people an extra 40% off with the code RMTL40! (Applies to new US customers only. Redeemable online only. Excludes items $150 or above). 

This post was sponsored by thredUP. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support this blog.

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20 Comments

  • Reply Аnn January 11, 2018 at 10:07 am

    I store seasonal things in a vacuum bag, this is quite small in volume.

  • Reply Megan January 11, 2018 at 12:09 pm

    Thanks for the reminder about ThredUp. I’ve sent in a clean-out bag to them but haven’t spent my credit yet. I’m curious if you’ve done any returns and how the process works? This is my only hesitation in buying used/online.

    • Reply ERIN BOYLE January 11, 2018 at 12:55 pm

      Haven’t had personal experience with returns myself!

    • Reply Madeleine January 11, 2018 at 2:09 pm

      Their website lists their return policy. You can return and get your money back for the cost of shipping or you can get free shipping if you return for store credit. I almost always opt for store credit because there are always new things.

    • Reply Laura January 11, 2018 at 3:10 pm

      They have a very short return window, FYI. I’m not always great about returning in a timely manner so I had to stop using it.

      • Reply Leslie January 11, 2018 at 4:04 pm

        I tried thredUp a year or so ago and it didn’t work for me, especially the return policy. I hate shopping to begin with since finding things that fit me correctly is challenging and with online shopping you’re at the mercy of how well things are labeled. I ordered about six things and none of them worked. Three of them had been labeled incorrectly, I never would have ordered them if they had been accurately described. To loose money in paying for return shipping was the things that made me never want to try it again. I had temporarily waived my rule that I would on’y do online clothes shopping when I could do free return shipping and regretted it. But, all that being said – if you are looking for accessories or things that aren’t fit dependent, or online shopping sizes typically work for you, you may have a great time, the selection really is great! Just didn’t work for me, disappointing after several friends had raved about it.

      • Reply Amanda January 22, 2018 at 1:34 am

        They do have a short return window, but once when I missed it (by a lot!) I emailed and begged forgiveness and they were accommodating!

  • Reply Anna January 11, 2018 at 3:39 pm

    Be still my heart, does that say “now shipping to Canada”?! A dream come true! Thanks for making me check back in with ThredUP – I had (sadly) given up on it!

  • Reply Kate January 11, 2018 at 8:19 pm

    Do you have any tips for searching? I have a terrible time getting fundings if cheap factory clothing and give up overwhelmed. If only there were a way to pick fibers or ethical brands or similar. Would love to know how you filter for the gems.

    • Reply ERIN BOYLE January 12, 2018 at 7:31 am

      I usually filter by size and color and then also search by specific brand!

  • Reply Beth January 11, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    I just ordered a pair of jeans that I’ve been looking for. Thanks for the discount!

  • Reply Claire January 12, 2018 at 3:13 am

    Thanks for reminding me of ThredUp! I’ve recently discovered TheRealReal (a similar site in its premise to sell second hand clothes) but am often put off by the high prices of some of their items. I’m excited to rediscover ThredUp!

    (Unrelated, one small typo in an early paragraph: home/hone.)

    • Reply ERIN BOYLE January 12, 2018 at 7:30 am

      Thanks for watching out for me! Actually the proper word–it’s a tricky one!

  • Reply Ellen Robertson January 12, 2018 at 9:58 am

    That fair isle sweater is fabulous! Can you share the brand so I can stalk it second hand?

    • Reply ERIN BOYLE January 12, 2018 at 10:17 am

      i bought it at madewell about six years ago!

  • Reply Amy January 12, 2018 at 10:14 am

    I’ve used ThredUp and love browsing through their site. I just posted yesterday about my emotional shopping habits, so this winter, I’m rolling with wear-what-I’ve-got as my motto. I certainly have enough plaid shirts. 🙂 But I love, in general, the idea of repurposing, exchanging and seeing ‘used’ items with new light. Also….I get overwhelmed with choice, too! I read once about a study about offering options of jam at a grocery store. When customers were offered 6 options, they bought 30% more (or something like that) than when they had 10 options. Fascinating.

  • Reply Addie January 12, 2018 at 12:10 pm

    We’re closet cleaning out (perpetually, I suppose) and currently making a pile of favorites that need minor repairs rather than waiting until they need MAJOR repairs.

  • Reply Kelly Libby January 12, 2018 at 1:01 pm

    Yes!! I’m so glad to read posts like this as I’m a nut about wasting and throwing away clothes! Somebody can always use our “leftovers”. Think local thrift stores, homeless shelters and animal rescues (for towels and blankets). Recently, I joined an online group called “Buy Nothing” Cambridge. Perhaps there is a group like that for your readers in their neighborhoods where kids clothes are always a big hit.

    Happy weekend!

  • Reply Gemma January 12, 2018 at 4:20 pm

    Thank you for posting about Threadup again. I took a chance and checked their website again and now they ship to the UK. Looking forward to getting comfy with a cup of tea and enjoy some shopping.

  • Reply Summer March 13, 2018 at 5:52 pm

    Hi! Just wants to say I always come to your blog for help finding sustainable clothing! So far I’ve tried both everlane and thred up and it’s been awesome! I really want to know- where is that camel/mustard colored woven coat from? It’s in the picture on a hanger in this post…

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