When I tell people that most of my outfits are thrifted, I tend to get this response, “How? When I go to the thrift stores I never find anything good!” This has made me realize that there are certain things I do that have made be a “good thrifter.” The following are ten of my best tips and tricks to master thrift shopping!
1. Try on anything
It’s really important that as you look through the racks, you grab anything that sparks your interest. If you see something that you think you might like, don’t second guess yourself and put it back on the rack. Grab that item and put it in the shopping cart (believe me you will need a cart to give your arms a break!)
2. Take your time
This tip goes hand in hand with the idea of trying on everything: when you go thrift shopping be willing to spend one or two hours at the store. For me, it is very relaxing to go through all the items at the store, and it’s super rewarding when I find a hidden gem! However, this takes time. The process of finding great things at a thrift shop works differently than going to a regular retail store, so be patient!
3. Don’t Skim
Since you have decided to take your time while shopping, don’t skim! Walking past the racks and looking at the close without touching them and really inspecting them is useless. It takes more than the slit of fabric that you can see from the side of the rack to determine if that item might be your style.
4. Choose your colors
Something that has helped me a ton is determining what colors I will shop for. Many thrift shops organize their clothes by color, so what I do is I look through the colors that are most my style. So when I am shopping, I limit my search to black, white, grey and navy. This saves me time because I know my style; I know I don’t wear bright colors. This allows me to look at every item in the rack that is those particular colors very carefully. Defining your style will save you time in the long run!
5. Go through every section
You never know what you might find if you look at the shoe section, or the furniture section of the store. Even if I go to the thrift store to buy clothes, I still make a point to look at the purses, baskets (yes baskets, I am obsessed) and shoes. By doing this, I am constantly surprised by great quality items I wasn’t necessarily looking for but that are too good to pass up!
6. Size up and down
I am a size medium, so I make it a habit to scan the racks of smalls and larges. I do this for two reasons: (1) clothes may not be organized perfectly and sometimes sizes get mixed up (2) if clothes are older, they may have a different fit. Meaning that an older small in a certain brand might be today’s medium. Thrift shopping is all about maximizing your opportunities to find great stuff!
7. Go to the men’s section
I like to dig through the men’s section from time to time for specific items. I have found a lot of great sweaters from the men’s section (if they are a small they usually fit!) I also tend to look at the men’s belts to increase my chances of finding a great leather belt. The men’s section might also have super cozy sweatshirts with great graphics!
8. Inspect items
I have mastered the skill of thoroughly inspecting clothes at thrift shops, but it has taken time and more than one careless oversight. When you grab clothes from the rack, give it a quick inspection: look for obvious stains, holes and overall damage. If the item is a light color, inspect the armpits and avoid going home with a t-shirt that has nasty armpit stains. Then, when you try on the clothes, make sure to search for any other imperfections. As a rule of thumb, I don’t buy things with stains, I might buy something with a hole if I am confident that I can repair it, and I will purchase a sweater with pilling if I deem it to be “not too bad.” When I inspect clothes, I also look at the material of the item. For example, I know an item is worth buying more if its suede, leather, silk, wool or cashmere.
9. Bring a friend
If you are new to thrifting, bringing a friend is really helpful. Shopping with a friend gives you a second opinion when you don’t know if something might be “cute in a retro sort of way” or just simply something your grandpa might wear. Having a friend by your side might also make the process of shopping less intimidating as you guys laugh at clothes that are simply too funny (you will find things that combine the power of denim, rhinestones, velvet and cheetah print all in one garment.)
10. Look for possibilities
Lastly, get imaginative and creative! The whole point of recycling clothes is to give them a new life and purpose, so don’t be afraid to reinvent the clothes you find! You can make cut off shorts out of jeans, you can get the hem of a skirt shortened, you can make a top cropped! Many of the clothes I find need some type of alteration that is not difficult at all to do. A floor length dress only needs a shorter hem!