On Feb. 26, TikTok influencer Allina Ai posted a fit check with the caption, “When she tries to copy my style but doesn’t know this will cause bankruptcy.” Out of touch? Yes. Classist? Yes. Rude? Beyond. But the fit was fire.
This post sparked a viral exchange in the comments. A commenter with the username @teabby said, “unfortunately i’m a thrift god i can replicate ur outfit after two weeks at the bins i fear,” to which Allina replied, “isabel marant ain’t at the bins i fear.” Little did she know, @teabby had receipts ready, replying with a photo of the exact same Isabel Marant top with the caption, “it is i fear.”
In a world full of Allina Ais flexing how expensive their designer clothes are and being unnecessarily belittling about it, it can be easy to assume that the only way you can get your hands on Isabel Marant is robbing a bank or praying you’ll be born into a nepo family in your next life. But, as @teabby proved, Isabel Marant is at the bins (I fear). Here’s how to find quality, expensive clothes at the thrift.
What are the bins?
“The bins” refers to the giant bins in Goodwill outlet stores, where clothes go to die…or not? When clothing goes unsold, it’s dumped into these bins and sold at about a dollar per pound of clothing.
If you thought regular Goodwill was already enough of a treasure hunt, the bins are like trying to find the One Piece. It really does take several hours to look through every individual article of clothing in the hope of finding a holy-grail piece that might not even exist. The thrift gods, like @teabby, are happy to do it.
We mere mortals, however, should stay far away from the bins, where the evil Depop resellers are lining up, drooling at the mouth, and looking at you like you’re their next meal.
How do I get cool clothes for cheap?
Where the bins fail, the internet prevails. Look on eBay, Grailed, and Mercari. Do not go to Depop! They are trying to sell you a “Y2K embellished top” for $50 when it was $4.99 from Forever 21 in 2016.
The easiest way to find what you’re looking for is to search by brand. For me, I go on Grailed and search Dolce & Gabbana for jewelry (I’m a silver girlie, but gold girlies may want to search for other brands), Gucci and Ann Demeulemeester for shoes, Dior for bags, and Roberto Cavalli for outerwear.
You’d be surprised how little you can pay. Just make sure to choose your size so you don’t get your heart broken by a gorgeous pair of shoes that are six sizes too big.
Grailed is too expensive! What do I do?
The Grailed resellers sell mostly designer pieces. Even if they’re selling for half off, half of a thousand dollars is still a ridiculous price. While they’re not upcharging like crazy like my mortal Depop enemies are, the cost is still quite steep.
So here’s my advice: lowball. Lowball offensively. Lowball immorally. Lowball like you don’t care whether they sell you the piece or not.
Gaultier boots for $500? I’m offering $80 at the maximum. If they set a minimum bid price that’s still out of your budget, move on! There are way better deals out there, I promise.
I understand that it’s hard to offer someone a bid of 16% their asking price with a straight face, but some of these sellers will take it happily. You don’t have to worry about how they’ll respond or if they’ll be mad at you — that was my biggest hurdle — because you are offering them money and they are pixels on a screen. If they don’t like your offer, they can just say no, and that’ll be the end of it.
You can find items for much cheaper on eBay or Mercari, but these pieces tend to be in worse condition. It’s more comparable to the bins; there are some gems going for $15, but you don’t know where they’ve been or what they’ve gone through.
Some people will be very honest about the item’s condition, posting pictures of where there’s wear and tear. Others will say the item is in perfect condition and will not take returns. The same can be said for Grailed, of course, but it happens less often because the sellers take their reputation more seriously. Transparency is the key to satisfied customers, and some eBay sellers have none.
Not good enough. Where are the bins?
For the Massachusetts girlies, start with the Savers in Dedham. It’s gigantic — half the size of a football field — and you are sure to find some great pieces for very cheap. If you’re seeking an even bigger thrill, the Goodwill outlet store (the for-real bins!) is at 1010 Harrison Avenue in Boston. They’re open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. But take my warning about those Depop resellers seriously: they literally line up and spend hours shuffling through every item.
I truly wish everyone good luck at the bins. I, however, will be sticking with Grailed, because I’d rather lose out on a Dolce & Gabbana necklace than my literal arm.
Be safe, fashionistas.
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