There are websites offering better deals than your local TJMaxx or Nordstrom Rack, if you know where to look.

As an artist, I can’t help but be a bit materialistic. I care about physical things, and see clothing as a way to express myself. As much as I would like to adopt a “uniform” and wear the same thing everyday, this is so far removed from my personality that it will never happen.

I find online shopping to be meditative. I’m not thinking while I do it, or I can think about something else entirely. It’s soothing. And clothing costs a lot less than buying a house, so it probably is safer than browsing Zillow. I like online shopping more than in person, but until recently, I felt like the best deals were always found in person.

Is buying too many clothes wasteful? It depends on what would have happened to the garment if you didn’t buy it. That answer is not black and white, but I have created some guidelines:

• If you actually need the item, and you are buying the highest quality item you can afford, it is not wasteful. There should be a balance between eco-friendliness, supporting the economy, and mental well being. Higher quality items are more environmentally friendly, because if you donate them to the local thrift store later, they likely will be bought by someone else. Higher end brands are more environmentally friendly for the same reason, since a thrift store can sell it easier. For example, I may have too much Lululemon stuff, but I know that if I donate it or list it on Poshmark, someone else will buy it, so it isn’t wasteful.
• Items with natural materials are more likely to not be wasteful. For example, anything made with sheepskin is a by-product of the meat industry, and most of it gets thrown away because demand isn’t high enough for sheepskin compared to the meat from the same animals. If you eat meat, you should support the product side of this industry too. Faux versions of fur are made of plastic, and you may inhale the tiny plastic fibers which will get into your body. They don’t know the consequences of this yet but I’m guessing it isn’t great, and this comes from an avid Diet Coke drinker. Plastic is made from fossil fuels. Sheep don’t like being eaten, but most of them would not even exist if people didn’t want to eat them. Maybe the ideal thing for the environment is not eating meat at all, but we do, so you should also be buying leather and fur goods, which are biodegradable and really nice.
• Buying second hand items is minimally environmentally wasteful, whether you need the item or not. You are just extending the period the item is in use before it goes to a landfill (if it ever does). It might be wasteful for your finances, but other than shipping it doesn’t harm the environment.
• Buying new items full price increases demand and leads to more new items being made, so you should be the most thoughtful before buying something full price. Companies often are actually losing money on sale items. I care about having a solid economy, but I don’t think it should rely on overconsumption. So if I don’t need something, I try to buy it on sale.
• When things sit in the sale section for a long time, many companies end up burning or disposing of the items. This is so that they maintain a certain image of what the price should be to consumers. Other companies send items on to a different selling channel, such as an outlet or discount store. Discount stores like TJMaxx and Nordstrom Rack offer a second chance at life for items. There are some items created specifically to be sold at these places, but generally I think these are good companies to support. If I just want some retail therapy, these are good options.

Where are the best places to shop for unsold merchandise?

• Otrium is a unique website. The motto of this business is “All clothing should be worn”. Otrium refurbishes items that have minor imperfections, and uses data to help match items to potential buyers. They have an app and often have “extra X% off” deals. This website is why I mentioned you can get better deals than Nordstrom Rack if you know where to look. I found some Sweaty Betty leggings for $19.50 on Otrium using an “extra 25% off” code. I went to Nordstrom Rack in the same week, and these were being sold for $40. The original price was $108, you can still buy them for that price at Bloomingdales. If you do opt to pay full price for something, you should at least search the item on google. It may be on sale somewhere else. I found similar items at Nordstrom Rack that were also on Otrium for much less from Faherty, BCBG, and more. My favorite find was a metallic genuine leather moto jacket originally priced at $826 from PAIGE. I copped this for $96. Definitely not a “need”, but would be great for the Beyoncé concert coming up.

Some other notable brands on Otrium include APL, AllSaints, Farm Rio, Good American, KORAL, NAADAM, and The Sak. I bought some APL slides for about $30 and a cashmere tank top for under $20. There are definitely treasures to be found.

• A similar website with different brands, and seemlingly much more merchandise, is Yoox. Yoox has more expensive brands, like Gucci, combined with cheaper brands, like Adidas and Nike. Recently on Yoox (8/29/2023), I brought home this haul:

Again, I used a code which they sent to me from the app to get an extra 30% off. If you know, you know that these are amazing prices. I consider the Telfar bag and sweater “wants”, and the shoes are “needs”. Obviously I need those Moon Boots.

• You never see J.Crew at discount stores like Nordstrom Rack, but J.Crew consistently will discount items until they are actually gone. They are one of the few retailers who does this. If you sign up for J.Crew Passport, which is free, you also get free shipping on all orders with no minimum. Right now, the discount on sale items is an “extra 50% off already reduced prices”. This summer, more often than not, the discount has been an extra 70% off. I find the deals here to be better than shopping at J.Crew factory. J.Crew factory has different items compared to J.Crew- sale items don’t feed into the factory stores, they just have different items. I have been eying J.Crew polos lately for video calls, which ring up as $10 with the discount code. Sizes available for the best discounts tend to be the smallest or largest sizes, but you can sort by size to find deals that will work for you.

I will add more later, but these are some of the websites I use to find cute, high quality stuff for less!

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