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Samantha Chown Johnston

Inspiring you to love & wear your wardrobe

October 19, 2024

7 Sustainable Fashion Apps to Build a Wardrobe You Love  

Curating a wardrobe you love is tough; it’s even tougher to build a mindful one. Not everyone loves the thrifting hunt or has the time to research a brand’s manufacturing process. Luckily, there’s been an explosion of sustainable fashion apps that make it easy to shop secondhand, find ethical brands, or visualize your wardrobe.

Here are my recommendations for the top sustainable fashion apps to help you build a conscious wardrobe you love, and have fun doing it!

1. By Rotation

https://byrotation.com/us

Never panic buy a dress for a friend’s wedding ever again! Dubbed “The World’s Largest Shared Wardrobe of Designer Fashion,” this sustainable fashion app offers rental, lending, and resale services for designer pieces from the users’ own closets! By promoting a circular economy, By Rotation helps reduce fashion waste while providing access to luxury items for special occasions.

2. Beni

https://www.joinbeni.com

Paying full retail price is so passé. Beni is an aggregator of preloved fashion items from 40+ secondhand platforms so you can easily find the brands you love, for less. Plus, its Chrome extension is your secondhand shopping sidekick. Use it while you shop your favorite retail sites and it will let you know if a cheaper resale alternative exists.

Beni - Sustainable Fashion Apps PIN IT

3. Gem

https://gem.app

Similar to Beni, Gem is a sustainable fashion search engine that pulls listings from several resale sites, including Etsy and Depop. It’s perfect for finding specific vintage or preloved pieces. You can also set up search alerts for any items on your wish list and get them sent to your inbox. I’m currently watching “Toteme Monogram silk pj shorts” because I refuse to pay $500 for a pair of shorts. 

4. Indyx

https://www.myindyx.com

Feel like your closet is Pandora’s Box? Not getting enough cost per wear from what you already own? Indyx is the digital wardrobe app unlocking the potential of what you already own. It helps users manage their wardrobes digitally so you can save unlimited outfits, plan and track what you wear and use styling services through the app. 

Indyx - Sustainable Fashion Apps PIN IT

5. Depop

https://www.depop.com

Looking to sell items from your own wardrobe? Then consider Depop, a peer-to-peer marketplace for preloved, vintage, and upcycled fashion. Owned by Etsy, this app supports circular fashion and sustainability by allowing users to connect and trade fashion items, making secondhand shopping a community-driven experience.

PIN IT

6. Poshmark

https://poshmark.com

Poshmark is another popular sustainable fashion app that lets users buy and sell fashion, home decor, and beauty products. It’s the first resale app I tried a few years ago, and I keep coming back to it since it’s so easy to use and has a vibrant community.

7. Good On You

goodonyou.eco

Want to know how sustainable your fave brand is? Good On You rates brands on sustainability, labor, and animal welfare. This app empowers you to make informed choices by guiding you toward ethical brands, promoting sustainable fashion through transparency and education.


These apps offer a range of sustainable fashion solutions, from renting luxury pieces and finding secondhand items to managing your wardrobe and supporting ethical brands. Incorporate these tools to build a wardrobe that’s both stylish and more mindful. 


←No New Clothes: The benefits of a 90-day shopping hiatus
Outfit Roundup 001→

Posted In: Money, Style · Tagged: Beni, By Rotation, Fashion Apps, Gem, Indyx, Poshmark, Secondhand Shopping, Shopping, Style, Sustainable Style, Thrifting

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  1. Outfit Roundup 001 - Samantha Chown Johnston says:
    November 10, 2024 at 6:02 pm

    […] Which one is your favourite? Let me know in the comments! If you’re interested in searching for these peices secondhand, check out my go-to sustainable fashion apps. […]

    Reply
  2. 25 in 2025: My plan to shop smarter and wear what I have says:
    December 29, 2024 at 4:46 pm

    […] help getting started? Check out my guide to sustainable fashion apps and tips for curating a wardrobe you […]

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Welcome!

Welcome! I’m Sam, a sustainable fashion creator based in Austin, TX. I share sustainable fashion news, secondhand style tips, and ideas for living with intention.

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Good things come to those who wait … for their fav Good things come to those who wait … for their fave pieces to pop up on @benifinds 

If you followed my now defunct newsletter (oops!!), you’ll know I waited *two years* for this spectacular @_aje_ dress to hit the resale market in my size. 

Had to pull it out for another important event; this time for my oldest friend’s wedding in Nova Scotia. 🥂🥰

What do we think?! Worth it, I’d say. 😌

#rewearthat #weddingguestdress
A little Banff travel itinerary for my outside-y g A little Banff travel itinerary for my outside-y gals.

I’ve never been outdoorsy. I’ve never owned hiking boots. I don’t want to pack anything more than a water bottle, granola bar, and sunscreen.

So, this was the perfect way to see and experience parts of Banff (and Canmore) with my sister.

• Rent a car to drive to Banff and plan to park it at the hotel. Finding parking elsewhere is a bit of a nightmare. 

• Travel to @banff_lakelouise & Lake Moraine using Parks Canada transit. Plan to go in the late afternoon to avoid most of the crowds. 

• Golf at @silvertipresort; we rented clubs to make travel easier.

#alberta #golftravel
Spent the night learning to say Yahoo instead of Y Spent the night learning to say Yahoo instead of Yeehaw. 🙃

First @calgarystampede in the books & loved every second of it, from the marching band to the bareback relay races to dancing at Nashville North like I was 22. 🤠🐎🪩

#visitalberta #travelcanada
Designer for the price of Zara 😮‍💨 The way the ca Designer for the price of Zara 😮‍💨

The way the cashier and I both did a double take when they rang up the @carolinaherrera. 

#sustainablefashion #thriftedfinds
Thank you to the woman who told me I had to buy th Thank you to the woman who told me I had to buy this trench. 🙏

Everything you could want, you can find secondhand. 

#sustainablefashion #thriftedfinds
Never added something to my cart so fast @nililota Never added something to my cart so fast @nililotan 

Proof that everything you could want, you can find secondhand. What’s your favourite find?? 

#sustainablefashion #thriftedfinds
Ok I love when this happens 🫰🏼 After 5+ years of Ok I love when this happens 🫰🏼

After 5+ years of focusing on secondhand shopping, I now throw on outfits & realize everything is preloved. Plus, I spent less on the whole outfit than this @ullajohnson dress originally retailed for. The bank account loves that. ❤️🙂‍↕️

Your sign that everything you want, you can find secondhand.🫶🏼

#secondhandfashion #circularfashion
Constantly holding back the urge to say: “Thanks, Constantly holding back the urge to say: “Thanks, it’s thrifted.”

More of my fave secondhand finds of 2025. A few years ago I started shopping secondhand first and I’m never going back. 

I’ve curated a wardrobe of my dream items for half (or less) of what they’d sell for off the rack.

Here are my go-to tools and resale sites for sourcing the pricey items I want at more affordable prices: 

@gem.search 
@join_beni 
@poshmark 
@2ndstreetusa 
@thredup 
@therealreal 

staud, agolde, madewell, cashmere, #secondhandfinds #thriftedstyle #ootd
First year start to finish in Austin and what a ri First year start to finish in Austin and what a ride it was!!! 🪩🦇🌵🌞✨❄️🍒🥂🥹🫶🏼

• January: a light snowfall, exploring Austin
• February: first time skiing in 20 years!
• February II: I got greedy because the month was too good; home in Austin, golfing, tennis @atxopen 
• March: my twin @tchown in town, our first @sxsw and new Round Top addiction 
• April: spring in New York; SIL’s wedding 
• May: more New York, MCing my first wedding, Toronto
• June: still Toronto, cottage country, lots of golf
• July: back home to Nova Scotia, days on the coast, a special wedding
• August: back to New York, working on my Texas tan
• September: more sun, @ottine_mineral_springs trips, seeing @laineywilson live 
• October: first @f1, reunited at @aclfestival, another special wedding, back to Toronto for fall
• November: a month home, hosting friends, @austinstudiotour 
• December: early Christmas celebrations and nanny time in Nova Scotia 

 annual review, year in review, Austin, travel
A few more fave outfits of 2025. This Virgo is h A few more fave outfits of 2025. 

This Virgo is having way too much fun analyzing what worked & what didn’t. Taking notes for next year. ✍️👩🏻‍💻

#secondhandstyle #thriftedfashion #outfitideas #ootd
Just a gal with champagne tastes and a prosecco bu Just a gal with champagne tastes and a prosecco budget. 🍾🥂💅🏼

This year, 80% of my shopping was secondhand. Here’s a roundup of my fave secondhand finds of 2025. 

Shopping secondhand first is still not the norm but it should be! 

I’ve scored some of my dream items for half (or less) of the retail price. There’s no way I could build the wardrobe I want by shopping exclusively from the primary market. 🙂‍↔️

Here are my go-to tools and resale sites for sourcing the pricey items I want at more affordable prices: 

@gem.search 
@join_beni 
@poshmark 
@2ndstreetusa 
@thredup 
@therealreal 

staud, naghedi, ski style, #secondhandfinds #thriftedstyle #ootd
Some of my favourite outfits of 2025. Which ones a Some of my favourite outfits of 2025. Which ones are worth repeating in 2026?! 

#secondhandstyle #thriftedfashion #outfitideas
How lucky am I? Grateful I get to show out of to How lucky am I? 

Grateful I get to show out of town friends around 🤍 featuring *so much* stunning nature, local art, plentiful vintage, and live music obvi. 

Accepting reservations for 2026 😏
Just what the doctor ordered. ——— toronto, stayca Just what the doctor ordered.

———
toronto, staycation, autumn, fall outfit ideas, thrifting
You don’t need to buy from an ‘eco’ brand to be pa You don’t need to buy from an ‘eco’ brand to be part of the solution.

Circular fashion starts small with what’s already in your closet. Like re-wearing an old dress to its third wedding (and counting!!!). 💖💒💍

Instead, you can:

• Rewear things you love
• Learn how to care for your clothes
• Be curious about materials

And when you do shop:

→ Choose natural fibers
→ Look for recycled content
→ Ask brands what happens at the end of a garment’s life

🏷️ Wedding guest outfit, sustainable fashion, outfit repeating, pink dress, ootd
Me 🤝 wearing what’s in my closet When it comes to Me 🤝 wearing what’s in my closet

When it comes to festival and event dressing, no one talks about how rewearing creates personal style.
Just shopping for occasions? It creates costumes.

And the stats confirm it:

🛍️ 42% of people buy a brand new outfit just for one festival.
🗑️ 2 in 3 of those outfits are never worn again.
♻️ Every rewear or swap extends a garment’s life by ~9 months.

So before your next big event - wedding, concert, vacation, job interview, whatever - ask yourself: “What do I already own that could work?”

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you’re able to put together.🤍

——
🏷️
event dressing, Austin city limits, acl, festival dressing, slow fashion, outfit repeating, personal style
No new clothes for Austin City Limits. 🪩✨🤠 One th No new clothes for Austin City Limits. 🪩✨🤠

One thing I noticed walking around: a lot of people looked identical with trendy outfits and polyester cowboy hats that had clearly been bought off a fast fashion website the week before. They were outfits with a 24-hour shelf life, never to be worn again.

Instead, I worked with what was already in my closet so getting ready was a creative process and not another shopping assignment. 

I used a simple outfit formula that I knew already worked for me AND the weather/event: dress + wide brim hat + comfy shoes.

Rewearing is strategic:

• No panic-shopping or “nothing to wear” meltdown
• No $$ money spent for one day
• You actually recognize yourself in the photos later

If you’re planning for your next event, try starting in your closet!

———
🏷️ festival dressing, event dressing, outfit repeating, personal style, #acl #sustainblefashion #ootdinspo
A September rewind ⏪ Spent the end of summer loun A September rewind ⏪

Spent the end of summer lounging by the water, restaurant hopping, taking in a few concerts, and secretly wishing for some cooler weather. 🙃

The most fun part of these monthly recaps is noticing how much of my wardrobe is secondhand or from independent brands. It didn’t happen overnight, but through years of curation since swapping fast fashion for a slower mindset. 

#secondhandseptember #slowfashion #thrifting #vintage
92 million tons of textiles head to landfill every 92 million tons of textiles head to landfill every year 🤯 Most of it fast fashion. 

That’s why I choose small brands and secondhand finds over quick hauls. 

Thrifting and supporting indie designers means fewer clothes wasted, better quality pieces that last, and a wardrobe with personality instead of being a carbon copy of everyone else. 

Every outfit in the video features secondhand pieces and indie brands mixed with old faves. 🫶🏼

Next time you have the itch to shop, think secondhand or independent brands first! ❤️✨♻️

#secondhandseptember #thrifting #sustainablefashion
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