I’ve been dipping my toe into the world of secondhand shopping recently, and this is the experience that encouraged me to cast my preconceived notions aside and explore even more secondhand avenues. I recently and accidentally discovered that you can shop retired Nuuly pieces directly through Anthropologie, and once I started browsing, my curiosity took over. These are higher-quality pieces from brands I already know and shop, offered at a fraction of their original retail prices because they’ve previously been part of the Nuuly rental inventory. But, I had questions… What kind of condition would everything actually be in? Would the pieces look noticeably worn? Would the discounted prices feel worth it once I saw everything in person? There was really only one way to find out. 😉
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I’ve never heard of anyone else trying this out, so, in the name of “research” and experimentation, I placed an order with a pretty good variety of pieces: two statement winter coats, two dresses, a sweater, and a pair of cords. Six pieces felt like enough to get a sense of what you can expect when shopping retired Nuuly inventory versus judging the entire experience from a single item. And spoiler alert: I was incredibly impressed.
You can browse the full current Nuuly via Anthropologie section HERE.
First, What Is Nuuly?
If you aren’t familiar with Nuuly, it’s a clothing rental subscription service from URBN (Anthropologie, Free People, Urban Outfitters…) I have never been a subscriber but have friends who are/have been and I think the value is fantastic for those who are actively switching sizes, attend events, work conferences, or prefer to dress with more trends without adding them permanently to their closet. Nuuly subscribers can rent a selection of clothing each month, wear the pieces, return them, and choose a new assortment for the following month. The inventory includes lots of Anthropologie and Free People brands, along with other labels. Great designer denim, too! If you love a piece, you can purchase it for a discounted price. You can get all the details about their inventory and how it works HERE.
Eventually, some of those rental pieces are retired from Nuuly’s inventory, and select retired pieces can be purchased secondhand through Anthropologie at significantly reduced prices HERE. And when I say reduced, this is where things get interesting. If you love Anthropologie but don’t necessarily love Anthropologie prices, the retired Nuuly selection can be a pretty incredible opportunity to score some special pieces for a fraction. I’ll share the retail price vs. what I paid for each further in the post.
Why I Decided to Try Retired Nuuly Pieces
I’ve never been a secondhand shopper. It isn’t that I’m opposed to it; it just hasn’t historically been one of the first places I think to look when I’m shopping for clothes. I’ve also maintained preconceived notions about other people wearing things before me. But, since we’ve been more budget-focused while also enjoying “dressing” more lately, finding ways to spend less without sacrificing style has become a fun game. As I mentioned, the retired Nuuly section was really the first time I considered secondhand but I thought, if people are paying subscription fees for clothes being worn by others, this is no different. The description of the secondhand pieces is “gently used and washed” and based on reviews, it appears this ranges from new-with-tags, all the way to probably-shouldn’t-have-been-sold.
I love being able to shop online rather than digging through racks, hoping to stumble across something in my size. And the potential savings were significant enough that I was willing to experiment. And, being able to cross-reference reviews on the Nuuly site, gives the same kind of crowd-sourced opinions I love. So, I decided that instead of taking a chance and ordering one piece, I would order several different types of clothing and see how consistent the quality and condition were.
What I Ordered
For my little experiment, I intentionally chose a mix of pieces:
- Two statement winter coats
- Two dresses — one versatile for fall, events, etc., and a sweater dress specific to college football season at UGA (you’ll see 😉 )
- One sweater
- One pair of corduroy pants
I especially loved the idea of trying the coats because outerwear can get expensive and it’s typically harder to justify something that is incredibly color/style specific if it’s expensive. When my order arrived, my biggest question wasn’t even whether I would like everything. I wanted to see how used everything looked.
The Condition: This Was My Biggest Surprise
This is the part that impressed me most. Every single piece I ordered arrived in fantastic condition. Most of the pieces looked new to me. Nothing arrived looking tired, overly worn, or like something that had obviously made its way through a long rental life. And one of my pieces actually arrived with the original tags still attached. Based on reviews, it sounds like this isn’t necessarily ALWAYS the case, but in my experiment, I basically batted a thousand.
Obviously, I can only speak to my own six-piece order, and condition can naturally vary when you’re buying secondhand clothing. But based on this first experience, the condition exceeded my expectations. If I had seen most of these pieces hanging on a rack without knowing their history, I never would have guessed they were retired rental pieces.
The Haul
The fun part! As a reminder, they are constantly adding new inventory and new sizes so if something is out of stock that you’re interested in, check back. Here’s what I got…
Piece 1: Porridge Blaze Sweater Dress
Retail: $150 | Purchase Price: $39.95
The most unique piece from my order, I was tickled with this UGA-perfect sweater dress for football season. The quality is fantastic. Of the pieces I ordered, this one was the most noticeable that it may not be “brand new” since the sweater is white, but I say that with the most critical eye for the experiment. There was no staining or marks, it’s just not blindingly bright white (I’m not sure how white it is brand new) — it still looks incredible and I was thrilled with the condition.
Sizing Notes: I’m 5’3″ and ordered a Small (right now, my typical sizes are XS-S). The small is generous and I could have sized down. I like the roomy fit though.
Piece 2: Pistola Arlo Polo Sweater
Retail: $148 | Purchase Price: $19.95
This sweater feels incredible, I love the style, and I’m kind of in disbelief that I would have paid so much more for it. It’s slouchy but seems it will still hold its shape well.
Sizing Notes: I’m 5’3″ and ordered a Small (right now, my typical sizes are XS-S). The small is has a great slouchy fit so I would order TTS, or if you prefer a more fitted look, you could consider ordering down one.
Pistola Arlo Polo Sweater | Abercrombie High Rise Wide Leg Jeans (26 Petite)
Piece 3: Drop Waist Midi Shirt Dress
Retail: $178 | Purchase Price: $24.95
This dress immediately became a favorite because I LOVE a shirt dress style from Anthro but this is my first in a drop-waist variety. This showed up looking brand new and if there were additional colors, I would buy them all. For how much I’m accustomed to spending on dresses — even on sale — the value on this one stunned me. Bonus — it comes in multiple lengths!) Well deserving of its 5* rating.
Sizing Notes: I’m 5’3″ and ordered a Small, Petite (right now, my typical sizes are XS-S). There isn’t a lot of stretch through the middle so I would make sure to order your typical size.
Piece 4: Line + Dot Ginger Long OVercoat
Retail: $221 | Purchase Price: $39.95
The color is beautiful but the fit of this coat totally overwhelmed my frame. It is THICK and nice, but the cut isn’t doing the most for me. I think it’s too thick to belt but I may still try to find a wear it since I have it. I actually have a friend who said she rented this same coat through Nuuly and had the same experience with fit as me. Again — the color is gorg. Would I buy it again? No.
Sizing Notes: I’m 5’3″ and ordered a Small (right now, my typical sizes are XS-S). I would have benefitted from a smaller size but even then, I think it would have been too oversized.
Line + Dot Ginger Long Overcoat | Abercrombie High Rise Wide Leg Jeans (26 Petite)
Piece 5: AVec Les Filles Shawl Collared Coat
Retail: $228 | Purchase Price: $39.95
This coat though? LOVE! It is a large, roomy overcoat and it is THICK (Florida girls, this one def isn’t for you 😉 ), but I love everything about it. It’s versatile and I’ll be wearing it with my most casual and dressy outfits. Stoked about the value on this one.
Sizing Notes: I’m 5’3″ and ordered an XS (right now, my typical sizes are XS-S). It’s still oversized and even buttoned can fit thick layers, so I would suggest sizing down one for a still generous fit.
Avec Les Filles Shawl Collared Coat | Abercrombie High Rise Wide Leg Jeans (26 Petite)
Piece 6: Pilcro The Yaya Mid-Rise Corduroy Crop Flare Jeans
Retail: $148 | Purchase Price: $19.95
The once piece I got and thought “is this a joke?” Not because of the style but because of the sizing. These cords actually arrived with the tags still in tact! They come in four colors and multiple lengths, and TBH, the quality is nice and soft and I would almost consider ordering another pair in another size. I ordered my regular size in a 26 petite length and not only should I have sized up like two sizes on the waist (which I would have caught if I had paid more attention to the Nuuly reviews), but I should have ordered the regular length. You can’t tell just how tight these are in the pic, but believe me, they were a struggle to get on and obviously, they look like capris. If you get the size right on these, the value is amazing.
Sizing Notes: I’m 5’3″ and ordered a 26P (right now, my typical sizes are XS-S). I should have ordered two sizes up on the waist and the regular length since these run TINY.
Pilcro The Yaya Mid-Rise Corduroy Crop Flare Jeans
Of the six pieces I ordered, I absolutely loved four of them. One didn’t fit, and one just wasn’t quite right for me once I tried it on. But, there wasn’t a single piece I would reject because of its condition. Going into this experiment, I assumed there was a decent chance I would open the box and decide that some of the savings weren’t worth the signs of wear. Instead, my keep-or-don’t-keep decisions came down to fit and personal preference.
Pros & Cons
The pros far outweighed the cons in my test.
- Value: Easily the biggest selling point for me. I am an avid Anthro shopper but can rarely justify purchases that aren’t on sale. And, while I love a lot of their unique pieces, those are even more difficult to justify when they come with a hefty price tag. Scoring some of these pieces for (in some cases) 10% of the cost is incredible.
- Adding More Quality to My Wardrobe: I love looks for less, inexpensive finds, and don’t get me started on some of my recent Walmart adn Amazon finds! But, I love being able to add more quality pieces that I feel confident will be in my closet longterm.
- Up-cycling: More sustainability and a great way to give clothes multiple lives.
- Inventory updates: I will continue to watch as pieces are added and sizes are added to the pieces I’m watching.
- It’s an easy intro to secondhand shopping. As proof by my own experience, which again, I’ll talk more about soon!
And for the cons…
- Non-returnable: The biggest con to be is the gamble and not being able to return if something doesn’t fit, you don’t like the style, or even if the condition isn’t as great as you’d hoped.
- Gamble on condition: While condition is describled as “gently used” and I was thrilled with the condition of all my pieces, based on some reviews, it looks like sometimes pieces slip through the cracks.
- Shipping. This can actually be a pro or a con, depending on your stance on shipping. I fall into the camp of those who’d rather pay more for an item if I think I’m getting free shipping haha. Shipping is a flat $7.95 so if you’re planning multiple pieces, try to buy them together. If you aren’t as sensitive about shipping, $7.95 to receive discounts as deep as those offered probably seems like a bargain.
My best advice in terms of review on pieces your considering is to search them directly on Nuuly for images, sizing feedback, etc. HERE.
So, Would I Order Retired Nuuly Via Anthropologie Again?
Absolutely. And I plan to. Four of my six pieces were big wins, and all six arrived in a condition that exceeded my expectations. My experience even changed the way I’m thinking about shopping. I’ve already started exploring some other avenues for buying secondhand and thrifted clothing that I don’t think I would have considered before this experiment. I’m still a newbie, but I’ve been having fun dabbling, learning where to look, and seeing what I can find. I’ll be sharing more of that soon!
Kelley, I love this post. I am definitely a bargain shopper and love that you found adorable dresses at Walmart! You can find things there at great prices home and clothing. Keep the bargains coming!