Looking for a fun way to reduce your eco-footprint? You should try thrift shopping! Not only is it a great way to spend a few hours, but it is also an easy way to help out the environment. There is no correct way to thrift, but here are some tips and tricks to enhance your thrift shopping trips.
1.) FIND A THRIFTING BUDDY
The first tip on this list is to find a thrift shopping buddy (or buddies). Having company while shopping is always a great experience, especially when thrift shopping. Having someone with you also helps when deciding on purchases or even finding hidden gems, which is always a big plus.
2.) SHOP ON RESTOCK DAYS
Shopping on restock days means that you get first picks on all items, especially if you arrive in the morning. The only downside to this tip is that it means you have to search through everything in order to find things but don’t let that discourage you.
3.) FOCUS ON COLORS, PATTERNS, AND TEXTURES
This tip is such a time saver, especially if you only wear specific colors of clothing. I have heard the tip to “touch everything,” which if you have the time and want to, go for it, but I recommend looking at the collar of a shirt or the bottom of the sleeves to save time. These areas tend to show the general wear of the item while also telling you the shape of the collar and the type of fabric it’s made from.
4.) SHOP IN DIFFERENT SECTIONS
This is definitely an obvious tip but trust me, my thrift game got 100 times better once I started looking in different sections. I know my favorite section for clothes is the boy’s T-shirts. I have heard that sometimes brands like Brandy Melville tend to show up in that section along with the girl’s section. However, I can’t really vouch for that since I don’t tend to look for that brand, so I haven’t really noticed it. Also, look in different sizes too even if you aren’t looking for an oversized or baby-tee look. Since a lot of brands — especially older brands — tend to size items differently, you can find clothes labeled large that fit like a small, and vice versa.
5.) CLEAN EVERYTHING
Remember, most of these items are secondhand, meaning you have no clue where these items were prior. This means the first thing you should do when you bring this item home is to clean it. From personal experience, I tend to wipe everything down with either soapy water or disinfectant wipes. When it comes to clothes, I just throw them in the wash. And for items that need a bit more attention, I tend to search on YouTube for the best way to deep clean the item and follow the video’s instructions.
6.) DON’T OVERSHOP
This is something I cannot stress enough: Please consider each purchase. Always make sure you love an item before buying it and avoid buying things “just because it’s cheap.” A lot of cheap items add up. Also, make sure you don’t buy more clothes than you need. Some people do a one-in-one-out method for their closets, which can be a good way to avoid hoarding clothes, but everyone is different. One-in-one-out is also a good way to contribute to thrift stores by donating your clothes. Thrift stores only work if items are coming in and going out. Also, some stores even give out coupons when you donate, which is another plus.