Online Consignment Stores - Twice vs. thredUP

New-to-me clothes from Twice!

Over the course of the last year, my clothing size changed, as did my style, leaving me with a ton of clothes I no longer wore. So my first project of the summer was cleaning out my closet - and of course, adding a few new items.

In the past I've always just donated old clothes, but this time I felt like I had a lot of clothes I couldn't bear to just let go, so I wanted to try selling them. I don't have the patience to sell small-ticket items one by one on eBay, and secondhand stores like Buffalo Exchange look mostly for trendy, in-season items, so those options were out. While looking for an easier way to sell my clothes in bulk, I came across online "consignment" stores Twice and thredUP, which follow the same model as Buffalo Exchange, Plato's Closet, etc. wherein you can trade in your clothes for cash or store credit.

I sold a batch of clothes to Twice and am still waiting on thredUP, and of course I couldn't resist buying a few things (okay, six things - still about a tenth of what I recently sold/donated) and overall, I'm really happy with the experience.

Twice

NWT Sheer White Blouse by Ecote by Urban Outfitters, $11.95 (est. original price $33.49)

Tan Front Button Skirt by J. Crew Factory, $12.95 (est. original price $55.95)

Long Sleeve Blazer by Halogen by Nordstrom, $17.95 (est. original price $118.00)

Blue Striped T-Shirt by Banana Republic Outlet, $11.95 (est. original price $31.99)

Total cost: $54.80

thredUP

American Eagle Button Down, $9.99 (est. original price $40)

Hollister Casual Skirt, $9.99 (est. original price $40)

Total cost: $23.96, minus $15 discount code = $8.96

Most of these are items I've been wanting for a while but just never found at the right price. The blazer was a bit of an impulse purchase and isn't as flattering as I'd hoped, so I might be sending that back (luckily, Twice provides free return shipping).

Detailed comparison after the cut!

Introducing Voyya

Tokyo Fashion recently started carrying a new line called Voyya:

The name "Voyya" comes from "Voyage." They carry a good selection of basic items and have a men's line as well as a women's line. Many of the menswear item match up with the women's items, which is nice for couple dressing without being too over-the-top (if you like that sort of thing).

(More information and review after the jump)

ModCloth Review

Placed my first order at ModCloth! I bought these ridiculous socks...

小可愛

The post title (小可愛) is the Taiwanese word for camisole. It literally translates to "small cute [thing]" so I was confused the first time I heard it because in  my mind a lot of things can be "小可愛!" The mainland Chinese word is 吊帶背心 (literal translation: vest/sleeveless shirt with straps) which makes a lot more sense but I suppose isn't as catchy.

Anyway, my mom came back from Taiwan recently and bought me a couple of things ^___^

I asked for this organizer because I kept on accidentally leaving stuff I needed when I switched between bags. It's the perfect size to put in the white bow bag I bought from them earlier this year. Haven't put anything in it yet, but it has lots of differently sized pockets.

PG Beauty Polka-dot Purse Organizer, 99 元

Recent Consumerism

I haven't been dressing up lately so I haven't had much reason to post, and even if I had, I wouldn't be able to share photos because I forgot to bring my camera cable with me >_<

Reasons I've been a slob (T-shirt, jeans/shorts, sneakers) lately (in tiny text because it's kind of whiny)
When summer started, I was super lazy and wore pajamas all day. Okay, this one is totally my fault.
My eyes somehow became sensitive to my contacts, so if I wear my contacts my eyes get red (especially my left eye), but if I wear glasses for a couple of days they go back to normal. No pain/itchiness/irritation. I threw away my old contacts and tried a fresh pair on Monday (eyes had been totally clear for ~3 days), and everything seemed okay for the rest of the day and on Tuesday, but on Wednesday morning my left eye was red again. So I'll be wearing glasses for the foreseeable (ha) future, and I don't like the way I look with glasses, so I don't feel like dressing nicely. 
I have tendinitis in my feet and have to wear supportive shoes, preferably sneakers with an orthotic insert. Usually I can get away with wearing other shoes for a few hours if I put in arch supports (and am willing to have my feet hurt for a couple of days after) but recently it's been pretty bad - my feet hurt even after walking in the sandals for too long. So it's sneakers, all day, every day.
I work in a neuroscience lab and have to wear pants and closed-toe shoes. 
It's super hot and humid here, so my hair frizzes as soon as I walk out the door.

But even when I don't dress up, I still like pretty things...so here's the results of my recent consumerism/bargain-hunting.

PG Mall/ PG Beauty Review

Established in 2003, PG Beauty is a popular Taiwanese handbag/accessory brand.
They have their own online shop, PG Mall, as well as a Yahoo Taiwan storefront and TaoBao storefront. Their goods are also sold on YesStyle (marked up significantly, as usual).

Overview, timeline, reviews, and price comparison with YesStyle after the jump! You can also check out how to order from PG Mall/ PG Beauty here.

Jewelmint Review

So I didn't check my mail for a few days, and this is what I found today:
Jewelmint, Hollister, geocolouredlenses.com, and eBay packages!

I've heard a lot about Jewelmint, but most of it is from aggressive advertising - actual reviews seem to be pretty mixed. Personally, I rarely pay $30 for jewelry, and definitely not for costume jewelry, so I wasn't about to commit to paying $30 for jewelry every month!

But I caved and bought one piece - just one.

Mini Beauty Haul

Caved and bought some Dolly Wink Lashes off eBay, along with a case. Total was $40.49 - I know you can get them cheaper from SaSa, but I had $16.09 in eBay bucks so I only paid $24.40, and I was happy to have tracked shipping from the US (California).

Picked up some flat iron spray at the supermarket because there was a coupon for $2 off, and I need some help managing my short(er) hair. Also got a plain matte brown eyeshadow for contouring/filling in brows/actually using as an eyeshadow, with a $1 off coupon.

Left: Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy Flat Iron Spray, Maybelline Expertwear Eyeshadow Singles in Nutmeg

Right: Dolly Wink No. 1 (Dolly Sweet) and No. 13 (Baby Girl), Dolly Wink Eyelash Case

I want to try out the lashes, but I don't have any reason to - next few weeks are filled with papers/exams >_< although I did put them up to my eye just to see, and the edges seem a bit poky to me...

Betsey Johnson Serenn Platforms - Lita Lookalikes

Who doesn't like Litas? Yeah, they're kind of becoming a cliché, but admit it - they're pretty cute.

Jeffrey Campbell Lita Platform Boot in Slate Suede, currently $162 at NastyGal.

I'm not the kind of person to spend that much money on shoes, though, so I've been looking around for an alternative and came up with these:

 

Betsey Johnson Serenn Platforms in Gray Suede, currently $29.99 at Street Moda (MSRP $160)

I've never bought anything from Street Moda before, so I was a little apprehensive - the rather eclectic brand collection seemed a bit strange, but they have an A+ ranking from the BBB and a quick Google search turned up a good amount of positive reviews, so I gave it a shot.

WanBoo (Rakuten Thrift Store)/Tenso (Forwarding Service) Review

I made made my first purchase from Rakuten recently, taking advantage of their ¥1000 shipping promotion with Tenso.

Overall, I'm really happy with Tenso's service, and I would definitely use them again. I was also very happy with the quality and price of the clothing I bought from Wanboo, a thrift store with a Rakuten storefront.

Innocent World 10th Anniversary Skirt (Pink)

Bought my first lolita brand item - Innocent World's 10th Anniversary Skirt in pink.

Tokyo Fashion Review

I made my first online purchase directly from Tokyo Fashion on February 7, 2012. I've bought their clothes from YesStyle before, as well as the now-defunct angiehearts.net. I love the styles, quality, and price of their clothes - but the YesStyle markup is ridiculous, and most of the other places using Tokyo Fashion stock photos are really selling cheap replicas...for about the same price as the originals. Tokyo Fashion has two slightly-more-upscale sister brands, Mayuki and YOCO, but all are sold in the same webstore.

Tokyo Fashion is Taipei-based, and their clothes are manufactured in Hong Kong.

Minimum international order at Tokyo Fashion is supposedly 15 pieces according to their overseas instructions, but readers have told me that they've gotten away with fewer items, and at least one person was told by Tokyo Fashion that the actual minimum is 5 items. In any case, if you're a few items short you can easily add some light, cheap items to reach the item minimum without inflating your shipping cost too much (shipping is pretty expensive, as they only ship EMS).

Read on for an overview, timeline, reviews, and a price comparison with YesStyle.