ThredUp Review: Why I Recommend It to Every Single One of My Photography Clients
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As a headshot and personal brand photographer in Dallas Fort Worth, I spend a lot of time helping clients figure out what to wear to their sessions. If you have read my guide on what to wear for professional headshots, you already know how much I believe that your outfit can make or break your images. What you may not know is that for years, one of my most consistent recommendations to clients has been ThredUp. I tell nearly everyone about it, and I finally decided it was time to write a proper ThredUp review so I could point people here instead of explaining it over and over again.
I am not just recommending ThredUp because of the affiliate commission, though yes, I do earn one if you use my link. I am recommending it because I have used it myself extensively, and it genuinely changed the way I shop for clothes. More on that in a moment.
What Is ThredUp?
ThredUp is one of the largest online secondhand clothing stores in the United States. Think of it as a very well-organized thrift store that lives on your phone or computer. You can filter by size, brand, color, condition, price, and style. Items are inspected, photographed, and listed by ThredUp directly, so you are shopping from a standardized inventory rather than guessing what you are going to get.
There is also a selling side to ThredUp, where you can send in your old clothes using what they call a Clean Out Kit. I will cover that briefly, but the honest truth is that selling on ThredUp is not the reason I recommend it. Buying on ThredUp is where it really shines, and that is where I will spend most of this review.
Why I Started Using ThredUp (The Personal Version)
A few years after having my two daughters, I found myself in a closet full of clothes I hated. Nothing fit the way it used to. Some things were too big, some were too small, everything felt out of style, and none of it felt like me anymore. I kept telling myself I would buy new things once my body settled, and that day kept getting pushed further and further out.
By the time I actually felt ready to rebuild my wardrobe, I had nothing. My closet was full of black, white, and gray, which makes sense because photographers and artists tend to gravitate toward neutrals. We wear them every single day. But here is the thing: I had my colors done years ago and was told that I was warm toned, specifically true autumn, and that wearing black and white makes me look completely washed out. I had forgotten that entirely and spent years in a wardrobe palette that was working against me.
I also did some research on Kibbe body types, which is a system for understanding not just your size and shape but the overall energy and line of your body. I uploaded a few photos of myself to ChatGPT and got a clear answer within minutes. I am a soft natural, which means I look best in relaxed, organic shapes rather than sharp structured pieces. I am technically on the taller end for a soft natural, but the typing still rang completely true once I started dressing for it.
Once I had those two pieces of information, warm autumn palette and soft natural body type, I knew exactly what I was looking for. What I needed was a way to find a lot of it affordably, because rebuilding a closet from scratch is not cheap. That is where ThredUp came in.
Between ThredUp and Poshmark, I did a complete overhaul of my entire wardrobe. I now only own clothes that suit my coloring and my body type, and for the first time in years I open my closet and actually like what I see. Everything I own works. That is not something I could have said before.
The Search Functionality Is the Real Reason to Use ThredUp
Here is what most ThredUp reviews miss entirely, and the reason I recommend it so enthusiastically to my photography clients. The search on ThredUp is genuinely exceptional for finding clothes that are right for your specific body and coloring.
Searching by Body Type and Color Palette
This is the tip that changes everything. Instead of searching by a clothing category, try searching ThredUp using the language of your body type and color season. If you are a soft natural like me, search “soft natural” directly in the search bar. If you know your color season, search “warm autumn” or “true autumn” or whatever your palette is. ThredUp’s search pulls from listing descriptions, and people who are intentionally selling for these systems use that language when they list.
What comes up is a curated feed of clothes that other warm-toned, naturally shaped women already bought and loved. The items that show up tend to have the earthy tones, drape fabrics, and relaxed but intentional cuts that actually suit this type. It is like having a stylist who already filtered out everything that would not work.
If you do not know your Kibbe type or color season yet, that is a very quick thing to figure out. You can upload a few clear photos of yourself to a tool like ChatGPT and ask for both. I had my colors done professionally years ago, and the AI result matched it exactly. It takes about ten minutes and it will change the way you shop forever.
Using a Pinterest Inspiration Board to Search
This is the feature that surprises people the most. If you have a Pinterest board full of outfit inspiration, whether it is for your own everyday wardrobe or specifically for an upcoming photo session, you can take any image from that board and upload it directly into ThredUp’s search.
ThredUp will then find you similar items available for purchase right now, in real inventory, usually at a fraction of what the original piece cost. So if you have been pinning a particular style of blazer or a certain type of flowy midi dress, you can take that pin image and find something nearly identical in your size for fifteen or twenty dollars.
I tell every single one of my photography clients about this feature before their sessions. Most people show up to their intake call with a Pinterest board already built. Now that board is not just inspiration, it is a shopping list.
Here’s an example of it finding a skirt from a Pinterest image I found. Notice that some of these options are just $7 with the thredUp discount code.
Filtering by Your Exact Size
This sounds basic but it is more powerful than it seems. ThredUp lets you set your size filters and stay in them across your entire search. On a platform like Poshmark, sizing can be inconsistent because individual sellers are listing their own items. On ThredUp, the company does the inspecting and listing, so the size labels are more standardized.
If you are between sizes or have a body that fits differently in different categories, you can set multiple size options and browse within those parameters. No more clicking into something you love and finding out it only comes in one size that is not yours.
You can get extremely specific when you search. For this next picture, I put in “terracotta v neck blouse cinched waist,” and it came up with over 500 options in my size. That Wilfred blouse for $17 is from Aritzia and is in perfect condition.
ThredUp for Photoshoot Wardrobing Specifically
For my clients who are preparing for headshot or personal branding sessions, ThredUp is genuinely one of the best tools available. Here is why it works so well for this particular use case.
Sessions require variety. Most of my clients bring two to four outfits, and finding that many pieces that all photograph well, fit properly, and actually feel like you can be a real challenge if you are shopping retail. ThredUp lets you browse a massive inventory quickly, filter hard, and find multiple pieces in one session without spending a fortune.
Condition tiers matter here too. ThredUp uses standardized condition labels: new with tags, like new, gently used, good, and minor flaws. For a photoshoot, I recommend sticking with like new or gently used at minimum. The last thing you want is to pull out a shirt on the day of your session and notice a fabric pull or slight discoloration that did not show in the listing photo.
Specific things to look for when shopping ThredUp for a photo session include solid colors over patterns, fitted silhouettes over boxy cuts, fabrics that do not catch light in a distracting way, and necklines that frame your face well. If you have read my what to wear for professional headshots guide, all of those same principles apply here. ThredUp just makes it more affordable to follow them.
What ThredUp Is Good For as a General Buyer
Beyond photoshoots and intentional wardrobe building, ThredUp is excellent for a few specific shopping needs.
Everyday workwear basics from mid-range brands are often priced at a fraction of retail. Things like J.Crew blazers, Madewell tops, Banana Republic trousers, and Anthropologie dresses come through ThredUp regularly at steep discounts. If you know your size in a brand you already wear, shopping ThredUp for it is usually a very reliable experience.
Kids clothing is also a consistent win. Children grow out of things so fast that secondhand kids’ clothes are often barely worn, and ThredUp has a strong children’s section with good filtering.
Seasonal pieces that you will only wear a few times a year, things like a specific weight of coat or a formal option for events, are often not worth buying at full retail. ThredUp is perfect for these.
The Honest Downsides
No ThredUp review would be complete without covering where it falls short, and I want to be straightforward with you here.
The selling side of ThredUp is genuinely not great. The payouts are very low, typically a small percentage of the sale price for items under twenty dollars, and you also pay a bag processing fee that can wipe out much of what you earn. If you want to sell your clothes and actually make money, platforms like Poshmark or Mercari where you control the pricing will serve you much better. ThredUp selling makes sense only when convenience matters more than profit, as in you just want to clear out your closet and not think about it.
Quality control is not perfect on the buyer side either. Occasionally something arrives with a flaw that was not mentioned in the listing, a small stain, an odor, a seam issue. It does not happen constantly but it happens. Wash everything when it arrives and inspect carefully before your shoot if you are using ThredUp pieces for photography.
Some items are marked as final sale, meaning you cannot return them. Always read the listing carefully before buying anything you are not completely sure about, and avoid final sale items if you have any hesitation.
Return policies vary depending on promotions and item type. ThredUp does have customer service and handles returns directly, which is easier than resolving disputes with individual sellers on peer platforms, but it is still not as seamless as returning something to a physical store.
ThredUp vs. Poshmark: Which One Should You Use?
I use both, and they serve different purposes in my wardrobe.
ThredUp is easier to search, faster to buy, and better for finding everyday pieces and building a wardrobe around a specific aesthetic or body type framework. The search functionality is genuinely superior for intentional shopping.
Poshmark is better for higher-end and name brand pieces because individual sellers price competitively when they want their items to move. If you are looking for something specific from a designer label or a premium brand, you can often find it for less on Poshmark than you would on ThredUp. The tradeoff is that you are dealing with individual sellers, which means more variability in sizing descriptions, communication, and shipping speed.
My workflow is to search ThredUp first for everyday pieces, use the palette and body type search method there, and then go to Poshmark when I am looking for something specific from a brand I know and trust.
Is ThredUp Worth It?
For buying, yes, without reservation. It is a genuinely excellent shopping tool, especially if you approach it with some intention about what you are looking for. The search functionality alone makes it worth using, and the ability to find flattering, well-priced secondhand clothing across thousands of brands in your exact size is something I have not found replicated anywhere else.
If you are one of my photography clients reading this while preparing for your session, I hope this gives you a practical new resource. Build a Pinterest board, upload your inspiration images directly into ThredUp’s search, filter by your size, and try searching your Kibbe type and color season directly. You will be surprised what you find.
Shop ThredUp here and use the search tips above to make the most of it.
Frequently Asked Questions About ThredUp
How do I search ThredUp by body type and color palette?
Go directly to the ThredUp search bar and type in your Kibbe body type or color season, such as soft natural, true autumn, or warm spring. ThredUp’s search pulls from listing descriptions, and many sellers use this language when listing items. The results will surface pieces that other women with your same typing have already selected, which makes for a much more curated and useful browsing experience than searching by category alone.
Is ThredUp worth it for buying clothes?
Yes, for most buyers ThredUp is genuinely worth using. It has a large, well-organized inventory with standardized quality tiers, good filtering, and customer service handled by the company rather than individual sellers. It works especially well for building a wardrobe around a specific aesthetic, finding everyday workwear basics from mid-range brands, and shopping for kids clothing. The main caveats are that some items arrive with undisclosed flaws and the return process, while handled by ThredUp directly, is not as simple as returning to a retailer.
How does ThredUp compare to Poshmark?
ThredUp is generally easier to search and better for building an intentional wardrobe because its search tools and filters are superior. Poshmark tends to be better for finding specific higher-end or designer pieces at competitive prices because sellers set their own pricing and compete for buyers. Many people find a workflow that uses both: ThredUp for everyday pieces and general wardrobe building, and Poshmark for specific brand-name finds.
How do I find my Kibbe type and color palette?
The fastest way is to upload a few clear photos of yourself, ideally in neutral lighting and fitted clothing, to a tool like ChatGPT and ask it to identify your Kibbe body type and color season. The result is typically accurate and takes only a few minutes. If you want a professional assessment, there are color analysis companies that do in-person or virtual consultations, but the free AI method is a reasonable starting point and many people find it matches a paid consultation closely.