Goodfair Shows How Thrift Shopping Can Go Online

Goodfair is a company that does the best job at recreating the thrift store experience online that I've ever seen. The clothes it sells were previously destined for landfill, but Goodfair rescues them from the waste stream and repackages them for sale as part of a themed bundle.

Shoppers purchase a bundle based on the type of clothing they're looking for, but they won't know exactly what they're getting until it arrives, nor is any bundle the same as another. There's an appealing element of surprise and anticipation, but Goodfair assures that its items are "inexpensive, basic clothing items across a variety of categories," and thus easily usable by all.

It's an intriguing concept, different from the higher-priced, consignment-style "thrift" or vintage shops that exist online, and without photos and specs offered for each individual item. With Goodfair, you select the type of item you want, give your size, and let the warehouse staff do the rest. This keeps the costs fairly low, both for the company and the shoppers; and it's arguably a very eco-friendly approach to clothes shopping, which is Goodfair's primary goal:

"Our mission is to help curb consumer excess and increase sustainable living by offering access to quality preloved goods. By purchasing from Goodfair, you are not only avoiding contributing to the human rights violations that come as a result of fast fashion, but you're also receiving awesome, one-of-a-kind preloved items that don't add an ounce of pollution to the enviornment to manufacture."

Here at Treehugger, we're fans of any initiative that can wean people off of cheap fast fashion, divert waste from landfills, and extend the lifespan of clothes. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimated that 18.6 million tonnes of clothing would be discarded this year alone and that total annual discards could amount to a shocking 150 million tonnes by 2050. Much of this waste is driven by the fact that people don't use clothing till the end of its wearable life; the average consumer tosses 60 percent of clothing within a year of purchasing.

Thrifting solves part of this problem, providing a way to "reverse consumerism and the negative effect it has on the planet," as Goodfair says on its website. The items have already proven their resilience; if they've lasted this long, they probably won't wear out within a few weeks. And the clothes are already comfortably broken in – an appealing feature for graphic tees, sweats, and denim. With many physical thrift stores forced to close over the past year, it's nice to know that companies like Goodfair exist to help spruce up one's wardrobe with second-hand finds. Check it out here.