9 Amazing Apps to Give your Clothes a Second Life

CLOTHES GATHERING DUST IN YOUR WARDROBE? FRET NO MORE! WHY NOT SELL THEM ONLINE, THERE ARE MANY APPS THAT ARE GREAT FOR SELLING (AND BUYING) PRELOVED CLOTHING. WHEN YOU’RE IN NEED OF DECLUTTERING YOUR WARDROBE FROM THOSE JEANS THAT NO LONGER FIT OR THE DRESS YOU BOUGHT ON AN IMPULSE, NOT ONLY ARE YOU MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE PLANET YOU ALSO EARN SOME EXTRA CASH TOO! WE’VE COMPOSED A LIST OF DIFFERENT APPS WITH A VARIETY OF PRICES AND BRANDS.

words by HOLLY KELSEY
photographs by ANDREW DAY
creative direction by SARAH MARIE FRANKEN

We’ve spoken about resale before with our articles on buying vintage online or brands using resale. Another aspect about sustainable fashion is what to do with clothes when they no longer fit or you no longer want them. If your drawers are heaving, clothing racks are filled to the brim and you can’t close your wardrobe doors, it’s probably time for a closet clear-out and give your clothes a second life. Whether you’re doing a spring cleaning and or even starting a side business, it’s a great way of bringing in more income. Selling your preloved garments promotes a circular economy and reduces waste with preventing clothes ending up in a landfill or being burnt. Selling your clothes gives them a chance to be loved by someone else and continue their story.

Apps for selling every type of brand

DEPOP

Founded in Italy in 2011

Founder: Simon Beckerman

Where do they sell: UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and Italy

Long story short: Depop was actually started as a social network, where you could buy items from the creatives featured in the magazine PIG. That you can also follow your friends and start liking, buying and selling items.

The scoop: Depop sells brands such as Ralph Lauren, Zara, Laura Ashley, Barbour and Djerf Avenue. If you want to find staples or absolute bargains, Depop is definitely a good place to start. There’s millions of users so there’s many promising buyers for your clothes. It’s very simple to use; you just upload some photos of your item and add a description, and choose the price. Depop charges 10% for seller fees.

Take a look here

VINTED

Founded in Lithuania in 2008

Founders: Milda Mitkute and Justas Janauskas

Where do they sell: Spain, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, the UK, Italy, Portugal, the USA, and Canada

Long story short: Mitkute was moving house and needed to get rid of some clothes so Janauskas created a website to sell them on.

The scoop: Vinted is quite similar to Depop however, with Vinted there’s no fee for the sellers. Usually garments are valued a lot less than any other app. Vinted is more focused on casual sellers rather than someones side business selling online.

Take a look here

POSHMARK

Founded in Texas in 2011

Founder: Manish Chandra, Tracy Sun, Gautam Golwala, and Chetan Pungaliya

Where do they sell: US, Canada, Australia and India

Long story short: Poshmark was created with the idea that anyone can transform their wardrobe into a store just with their phone. The founders focus a lot on the experience for the sellers and buyers.

The scoop: At Poshmark you can sell anything from Women’s, mens or kids clothing as well as homeware. Poshmark also offers free authentication on luxury items so your buyers know that what they’re getting is authentic.

Take a look here

THRIFT+

Founded in London in 2017

Founder: Joe Metcalfe

Where do they sell: UK

Long story short: Metcalfe wanted to help charities that didn’t have a second-hand shop on the high street and decided to create an online presence for them. It has developed from an online charity shop to something that promotes a circular fashion economy in reducing waste and a carbon footprint all whilst raising money for important causes.

The scoop: They have brands such as Ganni, Toast, Boden, Levis and many more. Thrift+ has made it easier to be a seller, they manage everything. All you have to do is send the clothes you want to sell to their warehouse and they will resell it for you, which takes away the hassle. With Thrift+ you can also earn credit for donating to the charity of your choice.

Take a look here

EBAY

Founded in California in 1995

Founder: Pierre Omidyar

Where do they sell: Worldwide

Long story short: Ebay was started as a hobby for Omidyar, it was originally named AuctionWeb, a site that was aimed to bring together buyers and sellers in an honest and open marketplace.

The scoop: Ebay was somewhat of an OG in selling secondhand online. They sell everything from clothing to homewares to electronics. With Ebay if you want to purchase something you can buy it immediately or make an offer or even in an auction.

Take a look here

THREADUP

Founded in Massachusetts 2009

Founders: James Reinhart, Chris Homer and Oliver Lubin

Where do they sell: US and Canada

Long story short: ThredUp started from Reinhart having too many clothes in his wardrobe he didn’t use. So he decided to sell them but when he went into a local thrift shop, they told him he didn't have brands that it would carry and that it didn't take men's clothes. He saw an opportunity for a more effective way for people to discard their clothes and make money.

The scoop: They sell a mix of unisex high street to premium to luxury garments, so whether you’re items are from Gap, Gucci, Zimmerman or Max Mara they’ll have the options for your wardrobe.

Take a look here

Apps that sell luxury brands

THE REALREAL

Founded in San Francisco in 2011

Founder: Julie Wainwright

Where do they sell: mainly US, international shipping varies

Long story short: Wainwright was shopping with a friend in a consignment store and had a lightbulb moment when her friend (who has never purchased a resale item) bought a few items because she trusted the owner and there were some great deals on luxury pieces. Wainwright wanted to remove barriers of consignment stores with ensuring authenticity and creating a wonderful shopping experience to buyers.

The scoop: The RealReal not only sells men’s, women’s and kid’s clothing but you can also sell home items and art. When you give your items to the RealReal they will then be authenticated, photographed, priced and included in your profile under My Sales. When you sell anything you can even have the items picked up from your home for free as well as curbside drop-off, direct shipping or taking it to one of their retail locations. Over the last couple of years they have also opened a few physical stores across the US, their most popular one is in Soho, New York City. For the commission fee it depends on what the item is and the sold price, if you want more information about commission fees click here.

Take a look here

VESTIAIRE COLLECTIVE

Founded in Paris in 2009

Founders: Fanny Moizant and Sophie Hersan

Where do they sell: mainly EU, international shipping varies 


Long story short: Moizant realised that her and her friends wardrobes were filled with designer clothes that weren’t being used, so she started Vestiaire Collective with 3000 pieces from her friends closets. We wrote a separate article on the Paris based company here.

The scoop: Vestiaire Collective have an array of brands from Hermès, Prada, Jacquemus, Maje, Burberry - you can find anything from a Birkin to a Rolex or a Chiquito. You can definitely get your value for money on Vestiaire Collective, there are some items that are collectors pieces that will obviously go up in value. You will also know they have authenticators so anything you buy you know its the real deal. However, Vestiaire have a commission fee so they will take 15-25% according to the price of the item.

Take a look here

REBELLE

Founded in Hamburg in 2013

Founders: Cécile Wickmann and Max Schönemann

Where do they sell: mainly EU, international shipping varies

Long story short: Wickmann had the idea after storing her clothes in her father’s basement for years and didn’t have the time to sell. So wanted to create a trusted and comfortable way of selling luxury fashion.

The scoop: You can either sell yourself or sell via a concierge who will do everything for you. You can also have one of their team help you clean out your wardrobe to sell (this is only available in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich & Amsterdam). The commission fee depends on the price of your item.

Take a look here

Selling online is a growing space and we are all for it! Whether you want to make a bit of money from your old items or you want to revamp your wardrobe to create a capsule collection we hope these apps will come in use! Selling is really a forward thinking direction in slow fashion rather than just throwing garments in the rubbish, it gives them a much more positive outcome.

Further Reading