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Sustainyourstyle.org defines fast fashion as the mass production of cheap, disposable clothing (often intended to be replaced within a year). Countless new collections per year and social media influence make us feel like we’re falling behind on trends and encourage us to buy more.
Today everything around us is mass-produced and cycled out as quickly as it comes in. According to ThredUp, we could prevent 5.7B pounds of CO2 emissions if everyone in the US bought just one used item instead of new in 2022.
So if you’re interested in saving money, ditching fast fashion, and helping the environment, thrifting is definitely a fashion savior.
The best thrift apps
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of the thrift hunt! Especially when you find a great deal on something you’ve been searching for days. The problem is, we can’t always line up our free time and energy with the store’s hours and item availability. That’s where these amazing thrift apps come in. With a few taps on your phone, you can access incredible deals on secondhand treasures – from the comfort of home! To help get you started, or broaden your thrifting horizons, check out this list of Carrot’s five favorite thrift apps.
1. ThredUp
ThredUp sells 35,000 fashion brands (& growing) that are only posted after passing a 12-point inspection – so if you’re looking for a well-vetted steal of a deal, you’ll find it here. With more than a million downloads and more than 4 out of 5 stars, ThredUp has one of the best thrift apps we’ve seen. The only downside is that they’re limited to only dealing in women’s and children’s clothes. But if those are your targets, they’re ready for you! Plus, ThredUp offers a “Buy & Bundle” shipping option to combine items from multiple orders into a single package, so everything ships together.
2. Depop
Transforming fashion and secondhand shopping on a global level, Depop’s app is wildly popular with more than 30 million users! Depop feels like a mix of ThredUp and Instagram, but with a touch of rebel. ‘Feeds’ are populated with suggested items based on recent activity. Edgier and trendier, you’ll probably find the majority of users to be younger people seeking unique or vintage items. While they do have an extensive list of prohibited items, the downside for secondhand searchers is that brand new items are allowed. This means there’s a risk of feeding fast fashion – so browse responsibly!
3. Vinted
With a community of 50 million secondhand shoppers, Vinted is one of the best thrift stores for clothes – but they don’t stop there! Categories include- women’s, men’s, kids, home, and entertainment. The variety here is really endless for both buyers and sellers. Vinted also has a unique feature allowing users to ‘swap’ items with others who have enabled the ‘swap’ option.
4. Vestiaire Collective
If you’re looking for the best thrift apps for luxury preowned pieces, head over to Vestiaire Collective. They have more than 300,000 listings on their marketplace and add about 3,000 items daily. Vestiaire Collective isn’t just for those of us who don’t want to pay full retail for a designer item! Maybe you’re still thinking about that Louis Vuitton bag you didn’t buy, and now it’s no longer in production. Hunt it down on Vestiaire Collective, and bid goodbye to all your regrets! Users have options like price offers, memberships, and customized alerts.
5. eBay
Maybe not be the first place you think of when you start thinking of the best thrift stores for clothes, but eBay knows what they’re doing when it comes to secondhand shopping! With about 159 million active users, there’s something for everyone on eBay. You might find yourself on the struggle bus if you don’t love browsing because there are a lot of listings to look through before you find the one! But you can always set up notifications and get alerts for items you’re into.
Thrift & Shop Mindfully with Carrot
Carrot is the Chrome extension ready and waiting to streamline your shopping experience! Carrot collects items from all your shopping carts and displays them in one place for you to organize, save for later & create collections!
Imagine if you could see all of your favorite items together before checking out, reduce the risk of buyer’s remorse, plan entire wardrobes, organize your items into collections, create shareable wish lists, and get notified if prices drop – with Carrot, you can do all that and more.
