Fashion Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Life of an Earth Muffin

Hey earth muffins! I absolutely love thrifting. If you have been following this blog for awhile, you will know that thrift stores are my favorite way to shop secondhand. Mister Corona has prevented me from going thrifting for the past few months… While many of the stores in my area are open, I just don’t see the point in exposing myself to possible germs for no reason. Good thing there are great thrift stores online! 🙂 I personally haven’t been shopping much just because I don’t need anything right now; but, I definitely recommend checking out these sites if you need to spice up your closet. Here are the best online thrift stores to shop at today!

~ThredUP

I know, I know. It seems like every YouTuber who thrifts is advertising for ThredUP… But it is for good reason! They have some great finds on their site, including some nice sales too. Usually, if I am at a store, I always check out all of the sections (this is a tried and true tip for any new thrifter!). However, because you are searching a HUGE amount of clothes on ThredUP, I recommend knowing what you are looking for. Even just knowing the brand you want is helpful! Because the site is so popular, you will need to shop relatively quickly. You wouldn’t want something in your cart ordered by someone else! I also love that you can set your sizes as you search the site. This will filter out any clothes that you wouldn’t purchase anyway. 😊 Lastly, they mark “Rare Find” pieces which can also help you find some awesome deals!

~Depop

Depop is another great option for online thrifting. While they do have a website, the app is much better in terms of filtering out your searches. I love that people can open their own Depop shop for you to browse – it is a great way to support your favorite sustainable influencers when they do a closet cleanout or shop the style of your favorite reseller on Instagram. This app can be a bit pricier than ThredUP just because each shop owner can set the prices… But you might be able to find some extremely unique pieces if you look hard enough! 😍

~eBay

I always forget about eBay when I am shopping online, but it actually has some amazing thrift finds! You can filter your clothing searches using the “Pre-Owned” option, which ensures that you are still shopping secondhand. I personally love that eBay has auctions, because you can score some great pieces for extremely love prices. On top of that, use Typo Hound to find any listings that have spelling errors in the title. This will allow you to get even better deals! 🤑 eBay definitely deserves a spot on this best online thrift stores list.

~Poshmark

Poshmark, like Depop, is another great way to thrift on your phone. Their app is easy to use, including great ways to filter your searches. It seems like I can find “trendier” pieces on Poshmark from brands that are currently popular. However, I definitely believe that anything thrifted can be trendy and with the times… You just have to style it the right way! Plus, buying more classic pieces is better for the environment, as you will be able to wear them for years to come. 😊

~Swap.com

Swap.com is another great thrift store to shop online. While it might not have as many options as ThredUP, there are still good pieces to find! Plus, because it isn’t as well known as ThredUP there will be less people trying to find those hidden gems. 👍 I love that this site also has a huge selection of maternity and baby clothes. It is so expensive to buy maternity clothes new because you won’t be able to wear them for a long time; offering secondhand maternity clothes is a great way to give those garments a new life!

~Other Best Online Thrift Stores

There are a bunch of other online thrift stores to check out as well. Etsy, while it is known for its handmade items, actually has some secondhand clothes. If you are looking to buy expensive brand name items, check out The RealReal. Vintage items are a whole different ballgame, as there are tons of vintage websites to browse through. It is pretty crazy that there are so many awesome options to thrift online! 😍 Have you found anything cool at any of these sites recently?

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Love,
Jenna ♥

Hey earth muffins! If you are on a journey to live with less waste (like I am!), one of the major areas that needs to be addressed is buying clothes. In my opinion, there are two options:

1) Go thrift shopping! – This is my personal preference 😀

2) Buy sustainable fabrics when buying new

The struggle with the second option is that you will need to avoid fast fashion when choosing fabrics that aren’t so hurtful to the environment. Fast fashion is a terrible thing in general, so this is extremely important. Many “cotton” and “polyester” fabrics have microplastics in them that are released in the washing machine… We definitely do not want that! Buying from the thrift store can lessen this issue, as the microplastics have already been released and you are saving any new microplastics from leaching into the water stream. There are many other problems with unsustainable fabrics as well: huge amounts of water usage, chemicals/pesticides affecting the land and leaching into water, unethical treatment of workers, the list goes on.

A picture of sustainable fabrics including wool, hemp, bamboo, cashmere, and organic cotton, with the words The Ultimate Guide to: Sustainable Fabrics! in the center

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SO, if you decide that you still would like to buy clothes that are brand new, I suggest searching for these fabrics:

~Organic cotton – Normal cotton uses huge amounts of water and pesticides, making the “fabric of our lives” an unsustainable choice. If you really love cotton clothing, I suggest checking out 100% organic cotton fabrics. While there is still a lot of water involved, this at least helps avoid the chemical/pesticide aspect of producing the cotton. If the cotton is 100% organic, it will also be biodegradable!

~Silk – This fabric is extremely sustainable and efficient when it comes to water usage and land use; plus, it is biodegradable at the end of its life! However, the silkworms are only able to produce a small amount of fabric making it a more time intensive process. Some vegans also disapprove of the treatment of the worms.

~Wool – This fabric is renewable as it comes from sheep! 🐑 It is biodegradable as well. Take caution to research where the company sources its wool, to make sure the sheep are treated ethically and are taken care of properly.

~Cashmere – Just like wool, this fabric is renewable because it comes from goats! Fast fashion increased demand for this product, so many farmers started shearing their goats too early… This obviously puts the animal at risk of dying from the cold, so I would personally suggest only buying cashmere secondhand.

~Hemp – Growing hemp takes very little water (and the plants are naturally extremely pest-free, which makes pesticides not necessary). This fabric is also biodegradable, making it an excellent choice!

~Bamboo – Just like hemp, bamboo can be grown basically anywhere with very little water. 🎍 It can be used to make anything from kitchen utensils to fabric, making it an amazing sustainable choice! It is also biodegradable.

~Linen – Another great option, linen is biodegradable if it has been untreated. Flax grows with very little water, and almost all parts of the plant are used in the production process making it extremely low waste.

While there are many “sustainable” fabrics on the market, you must still do your research before making purchases. The rise of the “going green” movement has resulted in many companies stating that certain products are “sustainable”… But that doesn’t mean they actually are! Make sure to look at all the tags and do your research to see the OTHER implications that resulted from a fast fashion brand using a sustainable fabric: water usage, shipping from across the world, the conditions of the workers, where the dyes have been sourced, etc. In my opinion, thrifting is always the best option, as I don’t trust fashion corporations to completely change their practices. That may sound cynical, but I hope that one day fast fashion will stop existing altogether.

What fabrics do you look for when shopping?

Love,
Jenna ♥

Category: Fashion

The Best Online Thrift Stores!