PM Bottom Line: Yes. My ThredUp Goody Box was filled with items well suited for me at less than $13 per piece. I found a few summer staples, a few of which I really needed.
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Have you ever considered the potential of marrying Natalie Attired (the Stitch fix alternative I review here) with thrifting?! Me, either. But Thredup sure did. Read my review of ThredUp here. And for me, the fruits of that marriage, the Goody Box, were positive.
I want to be clear that I’ve never tried Stitch Fix. The subscription is too much commitment for me. I have tried and enjoyed Natalie Attired. The clothes are very good quality, which means I can’t really afford a regular box and wait for sales. But I do like that it is not a subscription. ThredUp’s Goody Boxes are not subscriptions. You order one whenever you want one.
I received an email about this fairly new service soon after I had pulled out my warm weather clothing and realized that I really don’t have shorts that currently fit me. That’s another story [huff].
The cost for the curated box was $10 for me. They seemed to be promoting a reduction in this price, which is credited to any purchase you make. They caught me in a weak moment and, contrary to my usual self, I made a bit of a spontaneous purchase. As such, I don’t feel that I was super detailed or specific in my requests. I did say I wanted shorts and I did mention no scarves. I noted some general preferences: no animal prints, preference for natural fibers, no white. I should have jotted these down for you, but again-impulse!
After I submitted, I received a note suggesting I “favorite” some items so the stylist could get an idea of what I like. That part was fun! Though my choices were rather boring, I admit. Black pants and jeans, mostly. I’m quite practical! Well, I did “heart” some fun shoes!
I also chose the cheapest price point: $10-25 per piece. I chose “Custom Box,” but could have chosen Spring Essentials or 9 to 5 Styles.
Now I swear I saw in more than one place that the items would ship in a few days. I was wrong. It takes up to ten days to put a box together and then there’s shipping time. It took a solid two and a half weeks from ordering to receiving. I’m a patient gal, though. I received a shipping notice and it arrived as planned.
The box was pretty big! I received 15 pieces. One was a very nice (I assume?) Coach wristlet and another was a purse by Tignanello, which I did pick up and put down a few times. I was tempted by the matches-everything color and crossbody style . I was just not in the market for accessories and will make a note of that next time I order. And perhaps I just don’t know enough about Brands to know if these were good deals that I should have jumped on. The crossbody bag was $25, which was more than I was willing to spend at the time.
Now on to the clothing.
I received 13 pieces of clothing. Overall, it included items I could definitely see myself wearing.
Hits:
- The colors and patterns were my preferred ones. Someone seems to have actually read and considered what input I offered.
- I don’t remember mentioning petite sizing for my very short waisted self, but all the bottoms they were petite or fit as such!
Misses:
- Two items were just too small. One was listed as the same size as other pants tht fit, but that’s how it goes in fashion, I guess? And a Tshirt was labled “one size.” Maybe. Ten pounds ago.
- One sleeveless blouse was too see through. I know, I know-I could wear something under it. But I know I won’t. That one extra step will mean I never wear the thing.
- One pair of shorts was “too old lady,” as my 14 year old said. And she was right. Pleats emphasize my pooch.
Highlights:
- They sent me three pairs of shorts. They all fit! And I’m thrilled with two of them.
- The very night I received the box I wore one of the dresses to a confirmation Mass. It is comfortable, does not require special undergarments (translation: I don’t have to suck in when I wear it), and the length is just right. I wore it with sandals, but it will also be perfect with boots when it cools down again.
- The absolute highlight for me was an icebreaker sleeveless top for $12. They clearly saw that I like wool and have purchased this brand in the past. I’m thrilled with it! I wore this top the day after I receive the Box.
- And the NEXT night (another confirmation) I wore a black sleeveless blouse from The Limited that is perfect for me. Black, flowy (covers pooch) but with some shape, and a nice texture pattern.
Maybes:
- A pair of Eileen Fisher jeans. I wanted these. They fit so comfortably. They weren’t too long (my usual issue). But they were grey and I don’t need grey. I like it OK, but at $25, I needed these to be exactly right. I debated these longest. And I decided to return them. But I forgot to actually put them back in the box. Talk about a Freudian slip. I had to re-open an edge of this box and shove them back in right before they were picked up. Oops.
- An Old Navy red and white striped dress. It was just a wee bit too big for me. But that’s part of what made it super, duper comfortable. I was loving how comfy this was. But then two family members asked if these were PJs. OK, maybe not exactly what I need in my attempt to look more put together. I even tried adding a belt. But no, sent it back.
- A dark red linen blend top (thank you for noting my reference natural fabrics) that they called a jacket. I wanted to like this so much! But it made me feel dowdy. Though hubby thought it was nice.
So, in summary
Of the 13 clothing items I received, I kept six. I was seriously tempted by ten. Five were immediate “Nopes.” I think that’s pretty good for me and my hard-to-fit body shape/size. Outside of fit, all items were things I would consider wearing. I have to give a big thumbs up to my stylist!
I spent $74 on these six pieces. $12.33 per piece is more than I’d usually spend at a thrift store. BUT – I didn’t have to go to a thrift store. I don’t mind going thrift shopping, if I have the time to do so. Hahahahahaha! [Wipes away tears because she never has that time.] So I’m OK with the slightly higher price per piece considering the time savings. Though, if you really enjoy shopping, you may prefer to stick to traditional thrifting (live in person or online).
The RETURN PROCESS was super easy. You have seven days (plenty of time to consider items carefully). For space purposes I wanted to return my box sooner and clear out my house asap. I just placed the items back in the box, taped it back up, adhered the included address label and set it out for our USPS carrier. LOVE how easy these services make the process.
My suggestions to ThredUp would be:
- decrease the time between order and shipment (I can live with it, especially when they did such a nice job for me).
- Add the color to the item description. It would make it way easier for me to figure out what’s what on my list.
My question to ThredUp:
- Could I get a box for my teens? Or do they need their own ThredUp accounts? I think this would be a great option for them. 1. It’s fun to get a box of surprises 2. mom didn’t choose items, a stylist did AND 3. the price is decent (for teenage girls with opinions). They spend more than I’d prefer in general per piece, so this would be a nice price compromise.
I’m definitely trying this again. If you’d like to try a Goody Box or ThredUp, here’s my referral code, which is good for a $10 credit. I do not know if this can be used for your Goody Box. But still -$10 ?
Let me know if you try out a Goody Box and how it works out.
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