It’s no secret that we’re big fans of second hand clothing –whether vintage or upscale or something in between. But we know the hunt to find the perfect item when there aren’t hundreds of the same thing can be challenging at times. Which is why we were intrigued when we learned about ThredUP’s Goody Box subscription service. On their site they explain that you take a style quiz and pay a $10 “styling fee” –that will be applied to items you keep– and you’ll receive 10 like-new items handpicked to fit your size, style and budget. Sound too good to be true? We asked *three thrift-loving style bloggers to try the service and tell us what they think. Click through to the full reviews or scroll down to our summary at the bottom.
thredUP review by Audrey:
Affectionately Audrey in her own clothes from local secondhand stores
I was initially very excited to do a review of this service. I have never used services that shop for you and send merchandise each month, so the thought of trying one that is also sustainable was immediately intriguing to me. Once I actually got onto the site to order, I felt my spirits dampen slightly because most of the clothing, although cute, seemed rather boring for someone who enjoys the wilder side of fashion. I proceeded with my order on Sep. 27th and chose to have a stylist pick out clothing for me based on a series of questions and a comment box. I also took advantage of the option to “love” things on the site that would aid the stylist in selecting items for my goody box. Since I know my style is a little more complicated than most, I “loved” a decent amount of items to give the stylist a better idea of my style and even made a comment about it in one of the style questions. Read more
thredUP review by Kina of Her Personal Style:
Personal Stylist & Style Blogger Kina of @herpersonalstyle
I am a lover of secondhand finds and sustainable fashion. The thrill of the hunt to find amazing one of a kind pieces fuels my fire to create the best outfits on a budget. thredUP ads have been everywhere. Since thredUP is a secondhand phenomenon- my curiosity was sparked. When the opportunity presented itself- I couldn’t wait to partake in the experience.
our summary
While we initially loved the idea of a subscription based service for second-hand clothes, after reading our blogger’s reviews we think the idea is ultimately flawed. How can anyone “get” your personal style and find the right pieces in the proper size and decent shape? Also if we care about over-consumption the idea of being sent a box of clothes you don’t necessarily need seems like a step in the WRONG direction and antithetical to discovering a special piece on your own. Even if it does appeal to you thredUP’s customer service would need to be seriously improved before we could recommend this service.
We all were surprised and disappointed by this outcome but hope it will save some of you the trouble. If you have tried this service and had a different or more positive experience we’d love to hear from you!
*initially we had a third blogger on board to review the service but her items arrived so late that she didn’t feel she had the time to properly photograph and style everything before the box was due to be sent back. If it was late it was nonrefundable.
