I’ve recently discovered three new sources for clothing.  All three sell pretty good brands, so they’re not yard-sale prices.  But if you’re looking for “champagne on a beer budget,” they’re some great options.  I wear a size that’s not super-easy to find, so some of the traditional “discount” options aren’t always very useful for me.  Sites like a couple of the ones I’m about to share are a great tool because of the way they “aggregate” a variety of options.

ThredUP

ThredUP is an online consignment store.  I’m pretty sure they used to only sell children’s clothes, but now they sell women’s clothing, too.  (They also do shoes.)  If you want to sell your clothes, you sign up at the site and order a shipping bag.  When it arrives, return the bag containing your clothes and the provided envelope (it has your number on it).  They’ll determine what they can sell and make you an offer.  They’re a little slow about getting to the bags, though.  I have one in, but they haven’t had a chance to go through it yet, so I can’t tell you how “fair” the prices are at this end.

I do know that it’s pretty easy to sort out what brands they’re looking for, and to get an estimate of what your pieces might be worth, because they have a handy drop-down that will tell you.  (Look for it at the bottom of the “What We Accept” page under “Sell or Donate.”)

If you want to buy clothing…well, that’s probably pretty self-explanatory.  I do wish they would specify the color of each garment in the text, just because lighting makes it a little hard to tell sometimes.  And measurements would sometimes be helpful.  But you can send back anything that doesn’t fit or isn’t right once it arrives, so it’s okay to “gamble” on an item if you think it will work but you’re not quite sure.  Ariel and I needed sweaters for winter, so we ordered a whole boxful.

Here’s our box:

There are some really great quality sweaters in here, including blends with silk, mohair, wool, and cashmere, and I didn’t pay any more for most of them than I would have at the thrift store.  (Note: If you sign up for ThredUP through my link, we will each get a $10 credit.  Then go Google a coupon code.  I found a few for 30% off.  Then, once you have everything in your cart, go to ShopAtHome, find ThredUP, and go back to the site that way.  You’ll get cash back.)

Twice

Twice works the same basic way ThredUP does.  It’s an online consignment site, and you can both buy and sell.  They only sell women’s clothing, though, and they are very particular about which brands they take. For example, they sell GAP, but not Old Navy.  (This is unfortunate in some respects.  Old Navy, for instance, sells clothing down to much smaller sizes than GAP.  I can’t wear a lot of what Twice sells.)

When you sell clothes, they get to it much more quickly.  I didn’t get a huge payout, though.  I sent in 7 items, after checking each one against their little drop-down dealie to be sure it was an acceptable brand.  They accepted 5, for a total of $11.50.  Because I opted to take it as a store credit I got an extra 25%, but that’s still not earth-shattering.  Still, the clothes were not making any money hanging in my closet, and they weren’t right for me, so they weren’t being worn.

Black Friday deal: Through November 29, use coupon code MEGASALE for 40% off!

Modnique

I haven’t had a chance to actually order anything from this site yet, it’s so new to me.  I guess you could say that Modnique is similar to an online version of TJMaxx, Ross, or Marshall’s.  They sell designer brands at steeply-discounted prices.  Now, some of the brands they sell are so high-end to begin with that they’re still pretty pricey.  So don’t go into sticker shock and think I’ve lost my mind if the first few items you see when you head over there are some of the more expensive ones.  Just do some browsing, because there is an extremely broad price range.  (At the moment, they have jeans for $15 and jeans for $99.  And a Louis Vuitton handbag that’s $1,045.)

They have some pretty good Black Friday deals, too.

What Does it Look Like in Action?

So here’s what it looks like to shop at these sites, and some other discount options.  Here is that outfit (from the top of the post) again.  Except this time, I’ve indicated where everything came from.

Sweater: ThredUP – ModaInternational, 100% cotton, so warm that it is actually snowing on me in this picture and I am not cold ($8.04)
Skirt: Twice, MANGO ($11.48)
Tank Top: thrift store
Tights: Target, on sale + coupon + Cartwheel
Boots: thrift store
Necklace & Teal Bracelet: Paparazzi Jewelry (All of their items are regularly $5.)
Earrings & Two Remaining Bracelets: 2 Dollars Jewelry

Do you have any favorite sources or tips for getting great clothes on a budget?

This post is being shared at Teach-Me Tuesday.