update your summer work wardrobe without blowing your bank account  

by Alison Green on May 20, 2019

And now a word from a sponsor… 

If you want to refresh your work wardrobe for summer without blowing your bank account, thredUPis a great place to do it.

thredUP is the largest online consignment and thrift store where you can shop high-quality items at up to 90% off estimated retail. You can shop on-trend, like-new fashion from top name brands and designers for up to 90% off.
90% off is such an enormous discount that this isn’t just about being able to buy one more shirt than usual; you could assemble a whole new wardrobe for pennies on the dollar if you wanted to.

They carry over 35,000 brands like Anthropologie, J. Crew, Ann Taylor, DKNY, Theory, Eileen Fisher, and more, and add thousands of new items added everyday. They let you filter by size, color, price, and style to easily find what you’re looking for. You can save your sizes and then search by your favorite brands, and you can “favorite” an item by hearting it so you can come back to everything you like later. I love being able to shop from the comfort of my couch, but still get access to the insane deals of thrifting.

When I first started shopping with thredUP, I was a little skeptical about consignment shopping where I couldn’t see the quality in person, but the quality of items I’ve gotten there has been surprisingly and consistently good. thredUP triple-inspects each item by hand to ensure all clothes are like new, and sometimes you even find items so new that the tags are still on them. But if you’re ever unhappy with an item, they also offer easy returns.

To give you a sense of how big these discounts are, in my most recent order I spent a total of $188.91 and got a huge number of things: three dresses — from Cynthia Rowley, Splendid, and Parker – Rag & Bones cords, Vince khakis, two BCBG tops, an Express top, and a J. Crew necklace. I saved a total of $893.09 off estimated retail prices.

If you’re ready to do some serious summer shopping, thredUPis offering Ask A Manager readers a special discount: You can get an extra 30% off your first order at thredUP with my promo code: MANAGER30 (This applies to new U.S. and Canadian customers only and items under $150.) That’s on top of their already discounted prices, so hurry and take advantage before it expires on May 30!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by thredUP. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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{ 48 comments }

{ 48 comments… read them below }

    1. rmw1982*

      99% of my wardrobe comes from ThredUp. The other 1% comes from Ebay. I can’t even remember the last time I bought clothes 1) at a brick-and-mortar store and 2) for full price.

    2. Sally*

      I love ThredUp, too! I just got a new dress, 2 new tops, and some work pants. I also like to shop at Goodwill and our local thrift store that benefits AIDS research because I usually need to try things on. At the same time, I have had good luck with sizes at ThredUp, especially when they list the measurements in inches. Just showing the size isn’t always that helpful. Also, for the handbags, they need more photos from more angles and more detail. I can’t buy a bag that might not have the type/number of inside pockets that I need. The other day I went online to see what was new since I last looked, and I think there were hundreds (or at least a LOT) of new dresses in my size!

  3. Arielle*

    Can confirm they have a good amount of maternity stuff, and the nice thing is you can send it all back for a (small) cash or credit refund when you’re no longer pregnant.

  4. softcastle mccormick*

    ThreadUP is sooooooo great. I’ve built up such a nice little wardrobe (far from capsule…lol) from ThreadUP and Poshmark. I will go window shopping online or at the mall, save the names of all the items I want, and then religiously search those sites daily and I almost always find them at a serious markdown. I recently snagged a sold-out Anthropologie blouse from Fall 2018 collection that was originally $170 for $65. Seriously, I am really passionate about these sites and my coworkers always tease me about it…until I find them a suede jacket they had their eye on at half price and perfectly in their size *shrug emoji*

  5. Tullymonster*

    Pretty much everything I own is now from ThredUp. I don’t shop at stores at all anymore!

  6. CristalBall*

    Just chiming in that ThredUp is great. I lost a bunch of weight last year due to illness, so I wasn’t sure if it was “permanent” or not and didn’t want to blow a lot of money on new work pants for a temporary size. So for about $100 I got 15 new pairs of pants – some for $2-5 (last chance sales). All of them mid-range brands (Gap, BCBG, Ann Taylor), all of them were in excellent shape and I could not be happier!

  7. Quinalla*

    It was more miss for me than hit the one time I tried it. I did a send in a bunch of clothes and got ~$30 for a full bag of clothes of mine I outgrew (or never fit that were gifts) so half were new or like-new, half gently used and then a few random baby items. So was kind of meh on the amount I got. Then I used that credit and a AAM discount on the rest (thanks!) to get 6 items. 2 items had small holes in them when received, 1 fell apart after one washing (yes followed instructions), 1 item just didn’t work for me (which is fair and happens with online ordering) and 1 has already worn to where it is only weekend use (after a handful of wears) and 1 I am wearing right now. So 1.5 items out of 6 was not great for me, I am mostly sad about the 3 that were unusable because of holes or excessive wear I assume on the one that fell apart. I will say I wear plus size (I’m generally 18/20 or 1x/2x depending on the brand/fit) so that may be the difference in my experience. I’m back to buying things on sale at Torrid/Lane Bryant/etc.

  8. Rezia*

    I love ThredUp for all the reasons Alison does, and some of my most loved clothes in my wardrobe are from ThredUp. But I caution that their customer service is pretty appalling. About a year ago, a package got lost in the mail system and they didn’t not respond to me by email, online form or chat. Fortunately it ended up getting to my door 2 weeks later, but if not, I have no idea how I’d recoup my costs.

    1. Sally*

      I had a package go missing, and it turned out that FedEx lost it. In case this is helpful: I IM’d ThredUp on their Facebook site, and I got a response by the next day. They refunded my credit card.

  9. ZSD*

    Am I right that they won’t let you look at the merchandise on their site until you give them your email?

    1. abcdegd*

      That’s what I’m experiencing too. Which is frustrating, so I’m passing on the site. I hate websites that make you sign up to even see if you’re interested in what they’re offering.

  10. sofar*

    I love love LOVE Thredup, and I’m actually wearing a dress right now (that originally retailed at Bloomingdale’s for $100+) that I got on there for $30! The site can be a bit of a treasure hunt, but I love that I can get the pricey clothes that would absolutely destroy my budget for much less. I got my entire interview wardrobe from there a few years back, too. Plus, you get to feel good about reducing clothing waste.

  11. I have a question!*

    Are items of clothing from ThredUp laundered by the seller, or by ThredUp itself?

    The only thing I ever bought from online thrifting was a gorgeous jacket from TheRealReal, which arrived REEKING of some other lady and her perfume. I had to return it, it was awful. How do we know that ThredUp’s items are in clean and sell-able order?

    Sorry, I’m a bit of a germaphobe and a MAJOR bedbug-phobe.

    1. sofar*

      I’m not sure. But I’ve probably received 50+ clothing items from them over the years, and all have arrived clean (many of them are new with tags). I’ve sold clothing to them, as well, and they make clear in the guidelines that they will reject your clothing if it’s not freshly laundered.

      I am an avid thrifter-shopper and buy from my local thrift stores, too. I also use PoshMark. And ThredUp stuff is always WAY cleaner than stuff I find in the physical shops and have gotten on PoshMark.

    2. jDC*

      No they are not. I mean obviously some could have been by change by whoever sent it to them but no they do not laundering or repairs.

    5. Beth*

      Unfortunately, my experience is that you can never expect secondhand clothing to have been washed before leacing the hands of the previous owner. I love buying secondhand, but the first thing I do with every single item is wash it myself (or have it cleaned if it’s not washable).

  12. Slanted & Enchanted*

    I’ve made four purchases from ThredUp, and I’ve gotten burned on two where the garment was a woman’s size (e.g., 14W not 14) and that information wasn’t noted in the item description. Their customer service is great and has refunded my purchase price, but it’s becoming a disappointing pattern. And it’s not like I’ve missed a detail–the customer service agent has told me that information isn’t noted in the file for the article of clothing, and they don’t always post pictures where you can see the garment’s tag. It’s such a disappointment to be excited about your new purchase and then it doesn’t fit at all.

    1. zora*

      I do like ThredUp and have been buying from them often, but I agree my biggest frustration is inaccurate info. Sometimes they just don’t get entered correctly. And I wish they had better pictures, and a pic of the tag for every item would be a huge help. Sometimes I know I’m different sizes in different brands, and I would be more confident ordering if I knew the actual size on the tag.

    2. MagicUnicorn*

      Same. I purchased several items that were listed as their regular/straight size 14, only to find out upon arrival that the tag clearly shows they were a 14P. And petite I am not. And one pair of jeans turned out to be a child’s size 14. Several shirts that were listed as like new condition arrived with obvious wear (deodorant stains, pilling on the fabric, moth holes, etc.) ThredUP did eventually issue me a refund but the prices were not low enough to make me want to shop there again. I prefer Poshmark or local in-person thrift and consignment shops.

  13. Spreadsheets and Books*

    ThredUp is awesome. I actually got the top I’m wearing now from there!

  14. Aliza*

    Nothing but good things to say about ThredUp! I get compliments on my wardrobe all the time and love bragging about how inexpensive it was (yes, I am that person).

  15. TootsNYC*

    consignment?

    Now I’m wondering if some of the work clothes I just dropped off at the charity shop could have gone there.

    Not because I want the money, but because I don’t really trust that places like the Goodwill shop or the Salvation Army store will actually get those clothes into the hands of someone who will use them.

    Though, maybe my stuff wouldn’t have been high-end enough. I’ll have to look into it (though my decluttering was so thorough, and I’ve gotten so cheap in terms of buying clothes, that I don’t think there will be a next time for at least a decade, if ever)

    1. Ophelia*

      From what I’ve seen, they’ll take mid-range, non-designer brands (Gap, Ann Taylor, etc.) in good condition, not just the higher-end stuff, but it’s kind of a question re: how much you’d get back for it to make it worth being (admittedly slightly) more effort than just dropping it off at Goodwill.

      1. Legal Beagle*

        Yep. I just sent them a huge box of clothes and opted for the payout, which was about $13. I think if I’d done consigment it was up to $30 or so? The payouts are very low (unless you have designer brands) but it was SO EASY! I just dumped everything in and shipped it for free; ThredUp sorts, decides what they can sell, and donates or recycles the rest.

        1. anon moose, anon mouse*

          Even designer brands have a low payout. I sent in a dress that retails for $500 and they gave me $15. It’s a good site for buyers, but it’s a rip off for sellers.

          1. Ask a Manager* Post author

            Huh, I think it must really vary. I got $91 for my last clean-out bag, including $43 for one pair of pants. It seems to be based on what they think they can sell it for (which makes sense).

    3. Seven hobbits are highly effective, people*

      Thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army aren’t really in the business of trying to find people who are directly in need of the items you donate, they’re in the business of selling those items on to others (who may or may not need them but decide to buy them anyway) and using that money to serve their causes.

      So, like, a thrift shop that raises money for the homeless will not try to take a donated feather boa and give it away to a homeless person in dire need of one, they’ll put in in their store and sell it on to someone looking for a costume piece (or cat toy, or whatever) and use the money they make to get something that is actually useful for a homeless person and in line with their mission. (I didn’t understand this at all as a kid and always tried to go through my toys and pick out the ones I thought would be most “useful” for homeless kids when mom asked me to weed my things for the charity collection rather than strictly going by which ones I enjoyed the least. I would have made different choices if I’d known, particularly getting rid more of the “electronic junk” and “collect all of the bits from randomized packs” categories instead of stuffed animals!)

  16. Frequent reader infrequent commenter*

    I also love ThredUp. I’ve lost a bunch of weight and I’ve gone down several sizes. Once I figured out what size I word in my favorite brand, I was able to save a ton rebuilding my wardrobe!

  17. anika1618*

    I used ThredUP to get maternity clothes, it was great since I already love consignment store shopping but none of the consignment stores near me sell maternity clothes. Luckily maternity clothes are stretchy anyway so I didn’t have to worry as much about not being able to try clothes on before purchasing.

  18. SweetTooth*

    ThredUp is great! It seems like the prices have gone up somewhat/the deals are less frequent, but there are still some good ones. I have been using it a lot lately to buy maternity clothes, which are something I definitely don’t want to spend a ton extra on since they will only be used for about 6 months!

  19. Chewy Mints*

    I wanted to love them, but the quality of clothes went downhill. I was lucky and got great pieces on my first purchase (two years ago, pieces are still in good shape). Second time, the clothes were strecthed and clearly looked second-handed. Third time, clothes came with holes and pulled threats. I gave up.

    1. WakeRed*

      That’s a bummer! I will say that when I buy stuff for work, I pay close attention to (what little) notes there are and sometimes err on the side of “like new” or “with tags” just to make sure something is going to be nice enough.

  20. Garland not Andrews*

    They have nice Plus sized clothing too. I’ve gotten several really nice pieces from them.
    Also the handbags and other accessories (wraps) are very nice and reasonably priced.

  21. Cattiebee*

    I love ThredUP, as a buyer anyway. I think we’ve covered the travails of being a seller to them in other posts, and I imagine it’s only gotten worse as everyone is Konmari-ing their closets. (I’ll find out soon – I’m about to ship a bag to them.)

    Some general notes:
    -I love clothes and shopping so I generally follow sales and have a general idea of the sale prices of the brands I wear. My work wardrobe has a lot of Ann Taylor, Loft, and the more fast-fashion brands you find at Macy’s: INC, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, the cheaper side of Anne Klein, etc. I’ll get some pretty Vera by Vera Wang pieces at Kohls. I also get a lot of basics at Old Navy. When these stores have sales, their sale prices on their new clothes often beat the prices on ThredUP, and sometimes by a lot. Especially when Ann Taylor’s and Loft’s 60% off sale prices roll around (and I think that happens like every 4-6 weeks at Loft?). If you want to pay more for the environmental benefits of used clothes (no tone here – I admire you) or if you just want to shop and be done, ThredUP is fine. If you’re price conscious and the clothes you like to wear aren’t normally in the three digits, however, you may want to shop around.

    -If you’re into designer clothes: Find a size conversion chart for EU and Italian clothes to U.S. sizes and do a separate search for those, because the international sizes ThredUP insists on putting in my search results under my standard size are two sizes too small.

    -The “estimated retail price” on some of their clothes is… imaginative. For example, I’ve seen a lot of old versions (old necklines) of Old Navy first layer camis (like from before they were called First Layer) with estimated retail prices of $25. Huh? You can get them brand spankin’ new at full price for $9.99 (and I’ve never paid full price for them). And I see that not infrequently for brands I know really well. So if you think the garment is worth the price they’re asking for, go for it. But I wouldn’t shop based on perceived discount alone.

    -Speaking of which, if you’re looking for camis, you have to search for tank tops. Which means you have to weed through a lot of actual tank tops in the process.

    Finally, if anyone from ThredUp is reading this: My kingdom for a way to a way to swipe left on an item and never see it again. Even when I try sorting by “newest first,” when someone releases something from their shopping cart it shows up at the top of the list? I get tired of seeing the same clothes I don’t want over and over again while I know there are clothes in the middle of the 15,000 search results that I never get to see.

  22. DaisyC*

    I used to like ThreadUp but ever since I discovered Poshmark I like it MUCH better. For buying and selling. ThreadUp’s policies have changed greatly in the last year or so and it’s not as good as it used to be. Sellers get a lot less for their stuff, and buyers have to pay a return fee to get a store credit now if something doesn’t fit. On Poshmark, sales are final unless something wasn’t as advertised, but I’ve never run into a problem there. You just have to know the brands, your size and how they will fit you. I really love Poshmark!

  23. Polar Bear Don't Care*

    I was just checking out ThredUp and was excited to use the coupon code but the sizing is super weird. I found a size 20 dress (by their size chart, should have a 46-48″ bust) with a listed chest measurement of 32″. I used their customer service chat to ask, and she said yes, that’s correct, and you should order by the size listed. That dress could never fit a size 20! Why don’t they give the size using their chart? I’m not risking buying a bunch of things that’ll end up way off size-wise, so I won’t be trying them.

    Maybe it’s better in the “straight” sizes? But the plus sizes look way off.

    1. Cattiebee*

      I honestly don’t bother with their size chart or measurements. I look up the brand’s size chart on the internet and make my decision based on that.

      However: They can make a mistake with the labeling, which makes the brand’s size chart (and their own!) useless. One mistake I see A LOT is for brands that run straight sizes and plus sizes with overlapping numbers, for example Old Navy’s 16 and 16w, 18 and 18w, etc.: They’re pretty carefree in using that “w” in both directions. Something labeled 16w may actually be a 16 and vice versa. So for brands with those overlapping size numbers, checking their measurements can provide some clarity. Otherwise I would just recommend relying on individual brand’s size information rather than ThredUP’s.

  24. Anonymous Penguin*

    If you’re picking out individual items you can find some nice things. But it can be really difficult to tell things like thickness or texture from the photos (which is how I ended up with tropical weight wool pants instead of something winter-appropriate) and returning things can be a pain.

    However, I can’t recommend their personal shopper box. I tried it twice, and despite putting in notes for what I wanted (work clothes in bright colors, nothing sleeveless, primarily pants and tops) the items I received seemed to just be a hodgepodge of whatever wasn’t selling well: sleeveless tops with cutouts, lots of spaghetti strap dresses in dark colors, miniskirts, purses). And if you don’t like any of the items in your box you’re still out the initial fee for putting it together and mailing it.

  26. Alex*

    I hope you get a commission because I just placed a HUGE order using your discount code.

    (I don’t plan on keeping everything though.)

  27. Beth*

    Another happy ThredUpper here! Yes, the sizing isn’t great — it never is with secondhand clothing. I have the benefit of being able to do any alteration I need on any item of clothing I want, so I was able to use all the items I bought. I sent in a bag, but donated the proceeds to charity, so I have no idea how well they did on valuing those items.

    I have also fallen madly in love with Eshakti (eshakti.com), which does made-to-measure clothing. The prices are reasonable, and the quality is REALLY good.

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