The online consignment store sees which brands people are most keen to get rid of – and which ones they keep.
Before you go too crazy with the Black Friday sales, take a peek at what online thrift store ThredUP has to say about the most commonly purged holidays gifts. The consignment store is in a perfect position to shed light on what's wanted and what's not in the post-holiday season, as it receives a whopping 60 percent more items in January compared to the rest of the year.
All of these items – some 250,000 of them – are brand new, tags still on, meaning it's fairly safe to assume these are rejected holiday gifts. Perhaps this will influence what you choose to buy for family and friends this year. Here are some of the most purged and the least purged items based on 2018 numbers. (See full list here.)
Most purged:
1. J.Crew cardigans, +442 percent
2. Ruffled clothing: Banana Republic's ruffled dresses are up 225 percent and Express ruffled tops by 116 percent
3. LuluLemon cutout tops: +186 percent
4. Footwear: Nike sneakers are up by 201 percent and Christian Louboutin's trademark red-soled heels by 106 percent
5. Victoria's Secret swimwear, +208 percent
By contrast, look at the items that are least purged – in other words, hardest to find on ThredUP's online store. There seems to be a theme here!
1. Everlane, "the brand with least regret, two years running"
2. REI
3. L.L.Bean
4. Luxury brands, including Prada, Gucci, Cole Haan, Coach
5. UGG Australia
I can't speak for the luxury brands listed in the 'least purged' list, as I've never owned such a piece and know little about them, but judging by the appearances of Everlane, REI, and L.L. Bean on this list, people are happiest with high quality, ethically-made, functional clothing. Everlane, you may recall, has just launched a collection of recycled polyester puffer jackets, fleeces, and parkas, and REI opened its Used Gear Beta store just over a year ago, selling refurbished outdoor gear. So, both winners in TreeHugger's eye!
Choose carefully this year. Skip the aspirational swimwear (who wants to try that stuff on post-Christmas, anyways?), the cutout tops (never understood them, but the bottoms are everlasting), and the dreaded cardigans. Choose quality and practicality over novelty, and you'll nail it every time.
