Thrifting is a fun and cheap way to get some new clothes. It's my go-to option for when Halloween comes around and I'm trying to come up with a costume. However, there's no guarantee that I'll find what I'm looking for or that I'll be able to find something that's actually cute.

While listening to a podcast that I love (Schnitt Talk, article to come on this!), I heard an ad for an online thrift shop called thredUp. The idea of an online thrift shop sounded intriguing. Thrifting is a unique experience because you never know what you'll find and I was intrigued to see how this would translate into the online world.

My first thredUp arrival — a cute pair of shorts. They look cute and springy with a variety of different looks.

Kate Tayler

As soon as I logged on, I was amazed at the choices, the prices, and the search features. When you create an account, you put in your sizes for all different types of clothing and you can sort the items for sale based on your sizes. In addition to this, you can look for the exact clothing item you want. If you're in the market for plaid halter tops for juniors, this is the place you can specifically look. I can't guarantee that you'll find that, but they have the filters for you to try. So far, I've gone out in search of swimsuits, denim shorts, springy/summery clothes, and a spring dress for a formal. I was more than able to find a variety of options for all of these searches.

My outfit here (on the left) was entirely provided by thredUp. Both the shorts and the shirt have been my favorite finds so far! The shirt was only $3.

Kate Tayler

They had everything I'm looking for and then some cool extras. They have a quiz you can take to find out what your style is and then they'll send you a customized box filled with clothes customized to your style and your size. I haven't tried out this program yet, but I know I'm going to have to at some point. I've taken the quiz a couple of different times, but I always wimp out before going through with it.

this dress (left) on thredUp for my theatre formal. The theme was Spring A Life Useful and I was very happy with the selection of cute spring dresses.

As well as having plenty of cute things to purchase, you can sell your old clothes to them for them to sell on their website. With some purchases, they will offer free shipping labels to send in your clothes in a box or a free bag with a label to send things in. Not only can you get cute clothes, but you can make room for your cute new clothes by getting the old ones out of the way.

thredUp also makes moves to be eco-friendly. Thrifting, by definition, is eco-friendly. However, they let you opt into using reused boxes and bags for shipping or opt into other eco-friendly options such as shipping in one shipment. With climate change and all, it's nice to see a company making active efforts to reduce their environmental impact.

Every time I go thrifting in a real thrift shop, I end up frustrated because I can't find what I'm looking for. With thredUp, I don't have to worry about that. They have great prices for quality clothes and I never have to worry anymore. There will always be something special about going into a thrift shop to look and see what interesting things you can find, but thredUp is major competition.