This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Alexandrea Ciardella. Find her on Instagram at @a6ysma1. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Thrift style bundles are packages of second-hand clothes hand-picked by stylists and sent right to your door. How do they work? Why have they been so popular? And if you’re interested in buying one yourself, what style should you get?
The process is pretty simple. First, customers send stylists their measurements and an inspiration board for the aesthetic they want. Normally curated on a Pinterest board or sent in as a collage, these inspiration boards contain images that reflect the type of style that the customer wants the stylist to shop for. The best part is, you can be as specific as you want about a certain style, and your stylist will try to match your description! Once they have an idea of what you want in your bundle, the stylist goes out to hunt for clothes that match the style, sometimes stopping by multiple stores, or searching online at thrift sites. The types of clothes can range from dresses to pants, vests to blouses. Once the stylist has enough clothes for the customer’s bundle, they pack it up and ship it off to the customer.
Thrifted style bundles are becoming so popular because nowadays it can be hard shopping for yourself. Thrifting for stylish clothes can take some time, especially if there’s a specific style you want. If you’re busy with school or a job, you may not be able to spend your free time going to multiple thrift stores looking for the perfect outfit. Stylists are paid to spend their time in stores, looking for the perfect outfit, and probably know all of the best spots to get clothes.
You may also have trouble deciding what looks good on you, or (if you’re like me) love a certain aesthetic but have no idea how to style it. When you pay for a stylist’s service, they have insider knowledge on how to achieve a style across multiple outfits. Thrifted style bundles give you the chance to experience the luxury service of a personal stylist without needing to shell out thousands of dollars for an outfit.
Most thrifted stylists can be found on Etsy, with a few appearing on Depop. You can search for stylists through aesthetic or by the amount of clothes provided in a bundle. You can get bundles as small as 3 pieces or as large as 30, with prices ranging from $50 for smaller bundles to over $500 for the larger ones. Some even come with accessories or small decor! Depending on who you buy from and what your order consists of it could take a few weeks for it to ship to your address, as they may need time to pick out all of the clothes.
There are lots of styles that these thrift stylists can pack for (there are almost as many styles as there are customers!). If you’re looking for some inspiration, or need something to tell your stylist if you decide to get a thrift bundle, here are a few of the most popular options.
Cottagecore – idealized representation of farm life, living in harmony with nature.
Beige – a neutral style, beige clothes reflect a sense of calm and minimalism in everyday life.
Goth – dark and melancholic, goth styles draw inspiration from Victorian fashion, often dressing in darker colors.
Academia- whether dark or light, both styles are intellectual. Light is joyful and optimistic, while dark is moody and mysterious.
Skater- loose and comfortable clothing that allows freedom of movement and rejection of mainstream trends.
Coastal – consisting of light blues and whites, this style makes you feel closer to the beach.
I would love to try this service myself, as I’m terrible at buying my own clothes. I normally pick things that are function over style, so most of my wardrobe consists of sweatpants, tshirts, nice blouses, and nice pants that I’ll use for a job interview. Having someone pick out my clothes for me would be a great gift for myself and would let me try out new styles. I’m definitely interested in the cottagecore style bundles, and will be looking into getting myself a gift sometime soon.
Have you ever tried a thrift style bundle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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