I was recently asked by Rory of
WearAbouts for some thrifting tips, and I suppose I have a few to share. Although I don't consider myself an expert, I've been able to find some treasures whenever I stop in at a thrift store.
As a high school girl with no job (hoping to correct that soon!) and completely dependent on her parent's mercy for a fashionable closet, a thrift store is a treasure chest. Some thrifting rules that I've discovered by trial and error are these:
1) Never buy anything if you wouldn't buy it full price. Even if its only a couple dollars! I know how that ends up. Too often have I fallen into the trap of thinking "Its only so-and-so much, whats the harm in buying it?" You use it maybe once and then after that, its stuffed in the back of your closet, never to be seen again. Now that's a waste of a couple of dollars that you could've spent on something else.
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| All items: thrifted |
2) Develop an eye for potential. This may take a while (and quite a few unnecessary purchases). However, once you can spot items that you know will work in your closet, you can discover a lot of treasures in thrift stores! For example, I always browse the skirt and dress racks, because even though the majority of them are long and frumpy, I know I can DIY them into something chic. Remember, scissors and sewing skills (in this case, my mom) are your best friends!
3) Always check for stains, rips, etc. And if you're still willing to purchase the item, try talking to the salesperson about knocking the price down for you.
4) Ignore the size labels. In thrift stores, this does not matter. Anything could work! Just try everything on and then decide.
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| Dress & Shoes: thrifted |
5) Also, wear comfortable clothes. For example, not all thrift stores have fitting rooms. To try something on anyway, it will be a lot easier to try that blouse you're considering over a slim-fit tank or shirt than your trendy blouse+cardigan+belt layer.
6) If you have a smart phone, utilize it! I only recently got one as a gift, and man, has it helped me out. I downloaded this app called Stylish Girl, and you can use it to take pictures of all the items in your closet (okay, that part is extremely taxing and long - but the pay off is worth it!) and make outfits. Then when you're out shopping, you can use it to see if the item you're considering will go with a lot in your closet. I use this app all the time to make decisions!
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| All items except jewelry: thrifted |
7) If you find something similar to what you want (example: you're looking for a white lace skirt, and you find a black one), don't buy it if you're not completely sure! This kind of ties into rule 1, but don't settle for less. Just because the low price is tempting, you don't have to buy it. Thrift stores get new (okay, not "new" but new to the store) clothes all the time! Find out when they put out fresh stock and check back.
8) Don't be afraid to get down and dirty. What I mean is, be meticulous in your searching! There are a lot of hidden goodies in thrift stores, so dive in and search every rack. Also, the shops that have that musty old smell? Don't be turned off by that and walk away. Sure, 90% might be unusable, but imagine what the 10% is. You never know what you'll find.
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| Skirt & Shirt: thrifted |
Hope these tips helped and have fun. :)
♥
