Shopping for clothes is the worst. You know what I’m talking about. There are thousands of different clothing outlets online, not to mention the boutiques and department stores at your local mall.
Your first problem is cherry-picking the stores that sell the exact items you’re looking for. Then, from those options, you have to decide which one sells those items at a price that fits your budget. And if you want to commit to environmentally friendly shopping practices, well, there’s problem number three.
But here’s a secret: it doesn’t have to be that hard. There are a few sites you can go to that make clothes shopping ten times easier. Not all of them tick every single criterion, but that’s why we listed more than one.
Here are the best clothing deal websites:
- thredUP
- 6PM
- Poshmark
- Amazon
- Clearance section at designer sites
Using the five options below, success in finding the perfect item for the best price (and sometimes even the best quality) is almost guaranteed.
thredUP
Buying used clothes has a bad rap. Most people view the ability to purchase brand new, name brand clothing as a symbol of coolness, whereas if you buy your clothes used, you’re out of style.
Trust me, it’s all a lie. Not only are used clothes less expensive than fresh out of the factory, but they are also more environmentally friendly. You save resources like fabric, thread and labor when you recycle your clothes instead of just throwing them away. Not only that, but if you shop through a site like thredUP, you’ll get paid for your old clothes and give others an opportunity to score an awesome deal.
Using thredUP is easy. Just search for the item or brand you’re looking for and watch thousands of results appear. You can filter your search for whatever size or color suits you best. When thredUP takes in customers’ old clothes, they assess their condition and take professional photos which you can view on the individual item’s description page. This way, you can see for yourself what condition the item is in.
It will also tell you how much money you’re saving on the item’s expected retail price. For example, this women’s striped shirt by Tommy Hilfiger is currently selling used in excellent condition for $20.99. Its original estimated price is $49. That’s over 50% off!
6PM
You can find great deals on name brand clothes without buying them used, though. 6PM is a discount retail website that sells designer labels, in many cases up to 70% off MSRP. When you go to this site, the deals just keep coming. For example, right now you can get free shipping for 2 items or more OR if the items in your cart add up to $50.
6PM also provides coupons (yes, you read that right: more discounts). Just subscribe to their email list, and in addition to their daily deals they will send out coupons on special occasions, like holidays.
There is only one disclaimer for this site, and that is that they often run out of their stock quickly. On their About page, they encourage you not to wait around if you find an item you like. It may sound like an infomercial, but in this case it’s true: Snag that deal before it’s too late!
Poshmark
Poshmark is designed with the same spirit in mind as thredUP, with one major difference: customers sell their clothes themselves and use Poshmark as their go-between. They can upload their own photos of the item they’re selling or official photos from the original brand website. Then, when someone else buys a piece of clothing, the individual seller ships it directly to the buyer.
Poshmark is sort of like Craigslist for clothes. Just like thredUP, you can find name brands and more expensive items for cheap. The catch 22 is that you can never be 100% sure you’re getting the product you purchased. You can’t always tell by the photos that sellers upload if there is a problem with the piece, like a stain or a hole, because they could always just not show it. So, there is a certain risk involved. My recommendation is that if you use Poshmark, buy from sellers with a return policy listed on their item’s description page.
But the rewards outweigh the risk. With so many brands available as well as an opportunity to contribute to clothes recycling, Poshmark is another excellent, budget-friendly resource to find that perfect piece for your closet.
Amazon
Yes, Amazon. The place you desperately ordered toilet paper from back in March 2020 because your local grocery store shelves were empty.
Amazon expanded their clothing department in the past couple of years, and their efforts have paid dividends. There are now lots of top-rated clothes to choose from in a range of prices from affordable to high end.
The great thing about Amazon is they are always offering discounts. Sometimes it’s worth it to watch an item you’re interested in for a while to see if the price drops. But even if it doesn’t, there is a ton (and I mean a TON) of clothing to choose from that won’t break your budget.
For Prime members, Amazon offers an extra benefit. Using a feature called Prime Wardrobe, you can order up to eight pieces of clothing which Amazon will ship to you; you try the pieces on, and then send back the ones you don’t like for free. The only clothes you pay for are the ones you keep. It’s the best of both worlds: ordering clothes online but still being able to try them on. And if you’re already paying for a Prime Membership, it’s like you have access to an exclusive perk.
Clearance at Designer Sites
This may sound like a no-brainer, but people underestimate the power of a designer label’s clearance section. If your timing is just right, you can score incredible deals.
Try this: Wait until the seasons are about to change, like in August when brands are transitioning from bikinis and swim trunks to sweaters and beanies. Then go to your favorite name brand website and check out their clearance section.
At the end of a given season, designers need to clear out their stock and make way for their new lines. This means they’re going to offer crazy discounts. Check out this sleeveless dress from the Final Sale section of Tommy Hilfiger. It was originally $129.50, then marked down to $52.98. Right now, the website is promoting a coupon, which brings the price down even further to $31.79. That’s almost $100 off the original price.
You may say, “Okay, but now I’m out of style because I bought a piece from last season’s line and can’t wear it until next year.” It’s time to get out of that frame of mind. You don’t have time to worry about whether you’re wearing a style that went out of fashion nine seconds (or even nine months) ago. Remember that you’re buying a quality item that is going to last you awhile. You can also mix up your wardrobe by pairing summer dresses with pullovers or sweaters with shorts. There are no actual any rules.
The only rule here is, get the best deals you can find.
