Where to Buy Thrift Clothes? 17 Places Online & Offline

It crossed my mind recently that if you’re new to sustainable living you might not know where to buy thrift clothes. Therefore I decided to put together some tips to help you out if you’re trying to quit fast fashion and you want to know where to thrift your clothes.

I buy second-hand clothes online quite a bit, mostly because it’s the most convenient option for me. There’s quite a few places where you can buy used clothes online and also in person.

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Where To Buy Thrift Clothes Online?

There are so many great places to buy used clothes online and depending on where you are in the world you should have some of these available to you.

There are others that I haven’t listed that are associated with fast fashion brands but if that doesn’t bother you, then feel free to check out Asos Marketplace or Urban Renewal.

If you’d like to learn more about how I quit fast fashion brands you can read my blog post.

Ebay

Ebay is quite a well known app but if you’ve never used it then I’ll just explain why this is one of my favourite places to buy used clothes online.

With ebay you can explore sections from the home page or you can use the search bar to find specific clothes or shoes. If you want to just see everything then you can search ladies 10 for example and you will see everything that is listed. I then refine the search to Used condition only and location UK to narrow it down to what I want. If you don’t narrow the search down to Used you’ll get all of the sellers that sell new clothing in bulk so be careful with that.

On ebay some listings are Auction listings so you put your maximum bid and pay attention to when the listing ends to ensure that you are still the highest bidder when it ends.

Most clothing that I’ve bought in the past is relatively cheap and an Auction listing, however some sellers do sell clothes at a Buy It Now price only. I think you can end up paying a bit more with Buy It Now but it’s handy if you see something you really like and you want to secure it straight away.

Benefits of using this app

• You can usually get the most affordable clothes
• Buyer protection if there’s a problem
• Easy to use

Etsy

Etsy is known for it’s beautiful vintage and unique items from small businesses and sellers. However, Etsy is also another great place to buy secondhand clothes online. What I love about using Etsy in particular is that they offset the carbon for every purchase made as well.

Make sure you filter your search each time to vintage if you’re specifically looking for used clothing otherwise you will get all of the new clothing in your search as well. Etsy sells at a set price, I find it a great app to use if you’re looking for something in particular and you want vintage and good quality clothing.

Benefits of using this app

• They offset the carbon for each order
• Most sellers will send plastic free

Depop

I believe I mentioned Depop in my blog post about eco friendly apps, however I discovered Depop a few years ago and I love it for buying secondhand clothes online.

Depop again is a place to buy and sell used clothing at a set price. For sellers Depop does take a percentage from your sale, which I discovered when I sold something last year.

What I love about Depop is that you can easily find specific brands that people are selling secondhand. For example, I know that I love Rocket Dog shoes because they’re generally colourful and comfy so I search for Rocket Dog shoes size 8 and it gives me all the sellers that are selling Rocket Dog shoes. The sellers then packages up and sends to you by post.

Benefits of using this app

• They have fixed prices
• It’s aesthetically pleasing
• Easy to use

Facebook

On Facebook you can look for any groups in your area that are selling preloved clothes or you can use my personal favourite which is by using Facebook Marketplace to look for people selling clothes.

In my experience people do forget that you can use Facebook Marketplace to buy used items, it’s not just a social media platform and I actually prefer it for thrifting clothes online. However, people don’t normally post items through Facebook marketplace so generally you will need to message them directly and arrange to collect from them or sometimes sellers are happy to deliver items to you for petrol costs.

It’s another one of the best online thrift stores for clothing and more.

Benefits of using this app

• You don’t need to have anything sent by post
• It’s local sellers so you won’t need to travel far

Oxfam

If you’re in the UK you can also buy secondhand clothes online from the Oxfam shop, you can narrow down your search to particularly items of clothing quite easily and then narrow down further to a price range as well. Standard UK delivery is £3.95 per item and sometimes they’re delivered from different stores around the Country so if you order multiple items they’ll likely be sent separately.

All the information on the listing is very clear. It normally states the condition of the clothing, the material and wash instructions as well which is really useful.

Benefits of using this website

• Clear images and descriptions
• You’re supporting the Oxfam charity

Poshmark

Poshmark is a marketplace for users in the US, Canada and Australia. I first heard about this website from a few YouTube creators that I follow and it sounds like one of the best online thrift stores if you live in any of these Countries.

It looks really simple to list something for sell straight from your closet. If you’re a seller it seems a fairly easy process as Poshmark send you an addressed prepaid label which you can then just put straight onto the box. You can drop it off at your closest USPS Mailbox or even have it collected from you.

You can even attend a Posh Party which is a virtual shopping party. As an introvert I love the sound of a virtual party where I can stay inside in my comfort and not have to see people in person!

Shop Goodwill

Similar the the Oxfam shop that we have in the UK is Shop Goodwill where you can buy used items online. This is only available in the US as far as I’m aware, however I can’t confirm because I couldn’t access the website myself.

If you live in the US this is another great place to buy secondhand clothes online.

TheRealReal

For anyone who is a big fan of designer clothing then TheRealReal looks like a great option. They check the clothing to ensure it is authentic and they list all of the measurements and the condition of the clothing on their website too. They have various stores around the US so do check their website if you’re in the US.

Thredup

Thredup is one of the best online thrift stores to get used clothing, if you’re in the US. On their website they state that they created Thredup specifically to tackle the fashion waste crisis and they include the scary statistics about clothing ie 1 in every 2 people throw their old clothes in the trash!

I believe they have an app that you can use, as well which is available on Google Play or the Apple App store.

As I’m in the UK I have asked for some information from one of my US friends – They’ve said that Thredup is really easy to use and return clothes, they send things without plastic or any unnecessary plastic and they also sell used fashion brands like lululemon.

Benefits of using this app

• Plastic free packaging
• Easy to use

Thrift+

I hadn’t heard of this online store until very recently but I love that they created their website to make fashion more circular. They were born in 2017 with the main aim to bring charity shops online.

They have a system Re-sell where you can return your quality used clothing to them, you earn credits which you can spend online and you can raise funds for your favourite charity.

Benefits of using this app

• You’re supporting a charity
• Clear images and descriptions

Tradesy

Tradesey is another US website that specialises in selling women’s fashion, in particular they only list designer brands on Tradesey. This makes it a great option for buying or selling secondhand designer clothes online.

Vinted

Selling on Vinted is completely free, I consider this a fairly new app because I only really heard about it last year but it might have just grown in popularity in recent times.

I haven’t personally bought anything from this app because I’ve been doing a No Buy year, however I have downloaded it because I will definitely be having a proper look when I next need an item of clothing.

It looks like a really simple app to use to buy secondhand clothes online, it’s a set price again and it states if you have to pay shipping on top of that. I do love using apps like this so that you find something specific quite easily and usually for an affordable price.

If you’re wondering the best practices for selling on Vinted, check out this blog post how to sell on Vinted ultimate guide.

Benefits of using this app

• Easy to use
• Affordable clothing
• They have fixed prices

Vestiaire Collective

This app was recommended to me and it looks like another amazing place to find specific brands of clothing secondhand. I was actually surprised to see quite a lot of items listed for sale in the UK, mostly because I hadn’t heard of this app before.

From a quick look around this app and doing a couple of searches I would state that in general the clothing on this app is much more vintage and not quite as affordable as some of the other apps that I’ve used.

That-being-said if you are new to sustainable living and you normally buy certain brands clothing new, this will be an amazing option for you to find quality clothing brands which are still used.

Benefits of using this app

• Vintage designer clothing
• Easy to use
• Fixed pricing

Where To Buy Thrift Clothes In Person?

I know for some people when they want to thrift clothes they want to do it in person so that they can feel the fabric or even try it on before you buy. In that case then I will talk through some different ways that you can thrift clothes.

Thrift Stores

The classic place to buy used clothing is of course a thrift store or charity shop as we call them in the UK. I have always loved using thrift stores to find new-to-me items of clothing. They normally have dressing rooms so that you can try things on.

I’m quite tall at 5ft 9 so I find that sometimes jeans or trousers either don’t fit my hips or don’t fit me in length. Buying them online means that I’m unable to check if they’ll fit and usually have to ask the seller for some measurements. Having a look in thrift stores means that I can avoid this hassle and directly see if they will fit.

In the last few years with the pandemic it’s been a bit more difficult for most of us to spend time in thrift stores, however they are a great place to find used clothes. In the UK some of the best quality clothing is normally found in charity shops in Cities and upmarket locations, however I don’t live in a City but I’ve still found some great clothing near to me.

Vintage Stores

Similar to thrift stores, another great place to buy unique clothing is from vintage stores. My sister can spend hours in a vintage store, believe me I’ve been there! I’m very much a jeans and a top type of girl, however I can definitely see the appeal of finding beautiful and vintage clothes. Throughout the last 70 years there has been some great styles, the 60’s and 70’s would probably be my personal favourite. Anyway, I digress…

Vintage stores are such a great place to have a rummage and find some really unique styles of clothing. Occasionally they will be a bit more expensive so it really depends on your budget, but an amazing place to shop nonetheless.

Car Boot Sales

Car boot sales are really popular in the UK but if you’re from elsewhere in the world you might not know what I’m talking about. Car boot sales are basically where people drive to a field and sell their used household products. It used to be done directly out of the car boot. However these days people normally have sheets that they lay down or tables to put the items on and less car boot sales are arranged in the Winter.

This is another great way that you can find used clothes in person so that you can check the fabric and quality. Trying the clothes on isn’t normally an option at car boot sales but you can easily haggle prices if you need to.

Garage or Yard Sales

I understand that in the US Garage sales and Yard sales are normally a great place to hunt for clothes and other household objects. Just like Car boot sales, Garage sales / Yard sales are another informal event where private individuals sell their items.

Clothes Swap Parties

If you don’t have any of the other options to buy in person in your area you can always host your own clothes swap party with friends and family. This is a great way to swap clothes and the bonus is that you don’t need to spend any money.

All you do is you bring a selection of clothes that you no longer have a use for and ask your friends and family to do the same. You then have a look through and see if there’s anything that you fancy and if there is you take it home.

I hope this post has helped you to learn where to buy thrift clothes, whether that’s online or offline. There’s a lot of great place to thrift clothes.

I know that sometimes people are put off the idea of buying used clothing because they associate it with being poor. However, in the sustainable community it is generally known that the best thing you can do for the environment is to buy secondhand clothing because of the environmental impact of fast fashion and the fashion industry in general.

If you’d like to learn more you can read secondhand clothes for sustainability or if you prefer new clothing you can read about affordable ethical clothing brands.

I’ve recently reviewed Boody bamboo clothing, if you’re looking for new sustainable clothing.

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