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My favorite winter-to-spring transition pieces (with a $250 giveaway)

This post is sponsored by thredUP. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Modern Mrs Darcy.

The calendar says it’s winter, but the forecast says spring. It’s been weirdly warm lately. Usually dreaming of spring, but this week the local nurseries put their pansies out for sale, and even a few bulbs in my neighborhood burst open!

Suddenly, my winter wardrobe of chunky sweaters and skinny jeans isn’t seasonally appropriate, no matter what the calendar says. (Not that I’m ready to put them into storage. The weather in my town is notoriously fickle. It was 70 degrees last week but it could snow two feet next week.)

My family just moved, and I’ve been unpacking my old wardrobe with care, taking the opportunity to cull anything that doesn’t truly belong in my closet. I retired a few old favorites that were starting to look a little too well-loved (read: like a child’s beloved ratty blankie).

For right now, I’m assembling a wardrobe that can carry me from winter to spring—versatile pieces that can easily be mixed, matched, and layered. And to fill the gaps in that wardrobe, I hit up thredUP.

thredUP is a huge online store that buys and sells high-quality secondhand fashion for women and kids. They carry on trend, like-new fashion (sometimes brand new with tags!) from top name brands and designers for up to 90% off.

thredUP has a ton of inventory, and they have an amazing filtering system to make it easy to find what you’re looking for.. To avoid shopper’s overwhelm, I always stick to brands I know and love. (Favorites include J.Crew, Citizens of Humanity, Kate Spade, Tory Burch, lululemon, and occasionally, The Gap.) Once I toggle by size and color, their tens of thousands of options become much more manageable to sort through.

To fill the gaps in my winter-to-spring transition wardrobe, I was looking for great basics in neutral colors with interesting fabrics.

I filled my thredUP cart with items I knew I could wear all the time, with flip flops or winter boots, with a wool sweater or a linen one, with a chunky scarf or a simple gold necklace.

Just a few days later, my polka dot box arrived on my front porch. Nothing about the packaging says “secondhand.” Everything comes neatly folded, wrapped in tissue paper, and nicely tagged.

My shopping strategy didn’t disappoint: I found great stuff from brands I know and trust. (If you don’t find your size or desired color from a certain brand, check back later—thredUP gets new inventory in all the time.) And while I was happy with the prices I paid at thredUP, hang tight because I have a coupon code for you that will let you get an even better deal. (And a giveaway for one lucky reader!)

Denim is a year-round staple for me. I ordered two pairs of premium denim, because I love the look and fit of designer but the regular price tag makes me feel faint. But on thredUP, I found a cute pair of white skinnies from Joe’s Jeans for $35.99 (instead of $167) and a Citizens of Humanity pair with an interesting wash for $40.99 (instead of $198). (Embellished heathered sweater above is J.Crew, $28.99 instead of $98, and that’s a new Little Free Library I’m checking out.)

For the earliest days of spring, I like contrast in my wardrobe. I love the look of pretty white tops with dark blue jeans, or navy blue with white denim. (This J Crew navy cashmere v-neck was $45.99 on thredUP, instead of $198 retail.) These color combos say “spring” to me. For a pop of color, I love a bright orange, poppy, or even yellow.

This time of year I need items I can layer—great tees, flattering tops, versatile sweaters. In transition seasons, I choose basic pieces and add interest with accessories.

This Madewell Wallace cardigan is a great example. (I found it on thredUP for just $23.99, instead of $89 retail.) The gray wool goes with almost everything in my closet, so it’s super easy to pull on an extra layer on a chilly morning. I paired it here with the Citizens jeans and a brand new J. Crew linen top, that I found on thredUP for $29.99 instead of the $68 retail price tag. (That price tag was still attached to the top when I got it!)

I will be wearing some variation of this outfit—top, sweater, denim—three days a week this season, because it’s easy and it looks good. I like to look good, and I really value easy.

Are you giving your wardrobe a spring cleaning? If you have clothes you don’t wear anymore, you can send them to thredUP. Order a thredUP Clean Out Bag, fill it with the items you no longer want (the thredUP website has all the details), and place at your front door for pick-up. It couldn’t be easier to find a new home for those things you’re not wearing anymore. You can even check out their website beforehand to see what they do/don’t take and what the payout will be.

Want to try it yourself?  thredUP is offering Modern Mrs. Darcy readers a special discount. The first 100 people to use my code DARCY40 will get an extra 40% off their first order! (Applies to new customers only. Discount up to $50)

Want to shop on somebody else’s dime? Click here to browse thredUP, and leave a comment with a link to your favorite item to win $250 thredUP shopping credit. Good luck! I hope you win.

(Giveaway ends 3/6/17 at 11:59 pm EST. 18 and older, U.S. only.)

362 comments

  1. Rachel White says:

    i scrolled through thredup & bought two cute lightweight cardigans! would love to win the credit so i can shop more. thanks!

  2. Kristy says:

    I love thredup! Now that I’m a few months postpartum I’m ready to get my wardrobe back together. I’d go with this cardigan- perfect for nursing on the gohttps://www.thredup.com/product/women-j-crew-wool-cardigan/22495105

  3. Christin says:

    I love these cute polka dot jeans from JCrew. A fun way to add a bit of spring when it really doesn’t show up in upstate NY until May! 🙂
    http:// /sl?u=1124360&i=14828991&p=102

  4. Jorgan H says:

    I recently found ThredUp and have loved it so far! I have to dress up for work but I don’t want to spend a lot of money on professional clothes. This blazer is a great staple for work and transitioning into spring! https://www.thredup.com/product/women-mossimo-blazer/22620848. It is also a great place for kids clothes — my kids grow like weeds and every season I feel like I have to buy them a whole new wardrobe that fits! It’s nice to feel like they are stylish and comfortable without breaking the bank.

  5. Jen Banks says:

    I really like thredup but I noticed to send clothes in they now charge a $10 fee. I don’t remember that fee the first time I did it. I don’t expect to make a lot off my clothes, so that seems like a big chunk. Anyone else agree with me?

  6. Cassie says:

    With my first summer as mom coming up, I’m desperate for the blue lands end rash guard top they have right niw.

  7. Rebecca says:

    Most of my wardrobe comes from TherdUp. I love their jean selection, but today I am most interested in the J crew crossover bag.

  8. tracey says:

    I am still adjusting my wardrobe from a mostly winter climate (Montana and Western NY) to the desert of Arizona. I see a lot of people wearing vests here and it seems the perfect solution for chilly mornings walking the dog.

    https://www.thredup.com/product/women-jjill-vest/22006620?sizing_id=795

    I am hoping ThredUp will give me the impetus to do a good purge of my clothes. Without the guilt of simply giving away perfectly good clothes that I don’t wear anymore I am shooting for a realistic purge! Will be more like swapping out what I don’t wear and getting new (to me) items that I will wear.

  9. Sharlee says:

    I love ThredUP. Right now I see a black dressy blouse from INC and a black and white sweater from White House Black Market. I’d gladly walk away with either of those pieces.

    • Heather Cox says:

      Also Thank you for the additional money savings code! It saved me an additional $23 off my order! Which means this mom feels like she got her new name brand shirt for free while ordering a few things we actually needed like a new bathing suit for my growing daughter! -Heather

  10. Kimberly Thomason says:

    I love ThredUp! And, boy, could I do something amazing with $250 from them!! I’ve got a striped Zara sweater, a Boden 3/4 sleeve printed blouse and a gorgeous navy wool coat from J Crew on my list of favorites. (I don’t have to limit myself to just one, right?)

  11. Jenny says:

    Pretty feminine top at such a bargain of $12.92! It will look so cute with jeans and booties then a cute sandal in Spring. navy-blue-long-sleeve-button-down-shirt/14718574

  12. Linda Fristedt says:

    Looks fun, though somewhat limited for plus sized women. Oh, well, free is still a very good price

  13. Torrie says:

    I’m currently on a clothes shopping ban until I eventually need some more maternity clothes, so when that comes around, I would love the Isabella Oliver maternity dress!

  14. Kay says:

    What an amazing contest. Great clothes and great prices. Love thishttps://www.thredup.com/product/women-ralph-lauren-casual-dress/17923577?shortcut=4217

  15. Livia says:

    I’ve placed many orders with Thred-Up, and its addicting to scroll through the entire selection! Sometimes I just put items in my cart just to feel like I’m shopping.

    Anyway, I’m having trouble picking, but maybe this top:

  16. Lisa S says:

    I cannot get enough of the Tory Burch black ankle booties. I’ve put them in and out of my cart every day for the last week but I just can’t quite justify the expense…I could with a ThredUP credit though 😉

  17. Jennifer Haddow says:

    I have lost 70 pounds in the last year and I still have 20-30 that I want to lose. Needless to say, replacing clothes that will soon be too loose is pretty expensive. I have had some success shopping local consignment stores, but mostly I wear only a few items ALL the time and some of those are too loose. I just put a pair on jeans and two pair of work pants, as well as one top, all brands I like and for only $48.96 total! Four items! Even with shipping, it’s just a little over $50, and that’s before I use your coupon code. I hope I win the shopping spree. Here’s the top -https://www.thredup.com/product/21177078

  18. Marilyn says:

    The slacks are my choice to buy or win. Thanks for the oppotunity to win this contest.
    Marilyn

  19. Emma M says:

    Ha, I placed an order last week that I hope will have some new favorites! I’ve been wanting to try out the Portofino blouse from Express, but never wanted to pay their prices. I managed to find 3 on Thredup that I hope are my size! (I know this isn’t a link, but it’s too dangerous to go searching while I wait for my order!)

  20. Marnie says:

    Filled a basket for my little girls and am hoping to win so I can shop a little for me too:)

  21. Deborah M says:

    So fun! I love this silk top :)https://www.thredup.com/product/women-madewell-short-sleeve-silk-top/22123064

  22. Kristina says:

    Funky orange flats! ❤️https://www.thredup.com/product/women-shoes-banana-republic-flats/22819098?sizing_id=799%2C795%2C790%2C559

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