I have really been hitting the snooze button on writing blog posts. My mind has just been everywhere. I’m pretty excited to FINALLY be back in a space that feels conducive to writing.
I was trying to balance 3 jobs for a while
One of which I was constantly having issues being paid in a timely manner- if at all, so, hey – I quit. Who hoo! I’ve had about a million jobs and over time I’ve learned sometimes it really just isn’t a fit. It took about 15 emails AND it arrived 3 weeks late, but I did receive my final check. I am paid out!
Also, the boy’s company recently underwent a “reorganization.” In which we did not know if he would have a job for the past 10 months (yes almost a year of not knowing!!).
I am thankful and blessed
We are breathing a big sigh of relief that all is well. Even if it hadn’t been, I know God is with us and because of that, we would have been ok. But we are ever so grateful to keep our feet planted here in Louisiana for now.
So all that aside, lets talk dressing with ethics
Or dresshics, which has become my recent topic of interest since watching the documentary The True Cost on Netflix (side note, watch it). I began struggling with this issue last May when, after watching the documentary, I realized how very horrible the clothing manufacturing world is. In a lot of problems like this you can just boycott, buy a different brand or find a fairly easy solution. But, hello, I can’t boycott clothes and almost every large company is a part of this! So I have been exploring my fair trade options and making an effort to buy less clothes in an attempt to live out a few solutions to this horrible problem.
I’m thrilled to report another great company that can bolster a solution – ThredUp.
I found ThredUp where all good things on the internet reside, Pinterest. It is basically an internet version of a used clothing store. They only take brand name, gently worn clothing and re-sell them. One of there main goals is to keep from becoming a “throw away society”. (Is that beautiful or what?) On top of being a place you can shop, its also a place you can contribute your own clothes and get a little money for doing so.
The ThredUP review:
ThredUp Pros:
- I guess we have to begin with the most obvious, which is the significant lower cost of the clothing. And we are really talking brand name stuff here: Banana Republic, The Loft, Black House White Market, I even found some Anthropologie! Who doesn’t want an Antrho outfit at 1/5th the original price?!?
- Free returns! I can’t shop internet without free returns. I mean, hello, you have to see it on right? So I really love that I can take back the stuff I buy at this website without an issue. And trust me, I’ve already made some purchases as well as returns. They were totally hassle free.
- You can contribute too! If you request it, they will send you a bag which you can put your clothes in and send back. This is all free for you, by the way. Once they receive your bag, they will give you a payout, which you can then use as in store credit or just collect the money. So its a great way to get rid of some of the old things lurking in your closet. I did this and the only thing I will caution is not to expect a HUGE pay out, but hey, its good pocket change.
- Ethics. In a world where people are forced to make clothing in such horrible conditions, this up cycles clothing so that the demand for new clothes is less. The hope is that with less demand for all new all the time, we can promote healthier working conditions for our brothers and sisters across the globe who make our clothes.
ThredUp Cons:
- Again, lets begin with the obvious: its internet shopping and there is no way around this. Not being able to try things on is especially difficult as its hard to know how things will really fit or feel until you get them on. I get that this is just part of being an internet clothing store, but still, its a drawback.
- Ok. So there is some free shipping, but it is kinda slow. I had to wait a few weeks for my clothes to arrive and I also had to wait weeks when I sent the bag of my own clothes in for them to be processed. And since we live in such an instant gratification world, I am always a little thrown off by a wait.
- Shopping can be a bit overwhelming. They have SO much on the site, which is truly great, but if you are easily distracted of thrown off course, shopping there can feel a bit exhaustive. They have some pretty great filters you can put on to help. I highly recommend using the brand and size filters when you visit.
Summary:
As a whole, I love this site. And to be quite honest, I love the few clothing items I have bought from them. I am not paid for anything on this blog in anyway, so this review is truly my thoughts. Its simple, they have a good mission and great branding. I am really excited to have another means to promote ethical dress.