Thred it UP

As you’re stressing out over your outfit for the next ’80s-themed party this weekend, someone somewhere in the nation is throwing out a box full of fabulously-sequined shirts. Wouldn’t it be great if the world had a solution to this problem?

A new company called ThredUP thinks it has the answer. Inspired by the idea that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, ThredUP has set up an online clothing exchange system that it hopes will soon gain a large following. Part of the appeal might be the site’s simplicity: sign up online, choose a box that looks interesting, and then post a description of your own box of old clothes—you only pay the $13 shipping fee, and then you get the new box even if yours hasn’t been claimed yet.

James G. Reinhart, one of the founders and a recent graduate of the Harvard Business School, explains that despite the simplicity of the concept, his time at HBS has given him crucial experience for building ThredUP. “I think being in business school for a couple of years, being surrounded by great classmates, was really helpful in thinking through the bigger issues of the company,” he said.

However, for now it’s all about the basics. Oliver H. Lubin, another co-founder, thinks the core strength is that people will be excited with what they find in their new box. “Chances are, if you throw everything in the middle and reshuffle it, people are going to end up with stuff that they really like simply because it is new to them,” he said. In addition to adult clothing, ThredUP also has a kid’s section, and Carly N. Fauth, the official “Chief Mom” at ThredUP, emphasizes how this might soon become one of the strongest elements of ThredUP. “It is a great idea because kids outgrow their clothes so fast and it can get really expensive,” she said. “I think this will be a great resource for moms—and myself, as well.”

Currently, the brains at ThredUP are working on extending the services to military personnel. Who knows? Your sequins might just end up in Afghanistan sometime soon.