I used to always say I had bad luck at the Goodwill bins and at thrift stores, but it turns out I just didn’t know how to thrift. Practice makes perfect, really, is the case with thrifting. The first couple of times I went to the bins, I was grossed out, nervous and didn’t stay long. Now, I use no gloves (I know, but I shower after), stay for hours and am always happy with my finds. Here are some tips on how to find good things on your next thrift trip.
Stop looking at size
Only looking at a certain size is really limiting yourself at thrifts and chances are, more sizes fit you than you think. A lot of clothes at thrifts are stretched out or shrunken from the wash, so you might as well look at everything. You can pull off a baggy look or a tight look, which opens up every size for you. Hold it up to you, see if it is reasonable, and don’t look at the tag.
Be Open To Anything
If you pick up a shirt and it looks grandma-ish, try to think of something to do with it. Once you start seeing visions for clothes, you will never find anything you can’t style. Last time I was at the bins, I caught myself saying: “Well, if I flip it upside down and cut the sleeves off, it could be cute…” and this is coming from someone who once could never see the potential that my friends saw. You can also always see if you can cut it into something else, use pieces of fabric from it, hem it or belt it — the possibilities are endless.
Don’t only focus on “your” style. Someone told me that when you start thrifting, that’s when you find your real style, which I have found to be extremely true; my style isn’t in stores with hundreds of the same items. You can find a bunch of clothes from those types of stores at the bins, along with dozens of other styles that you might like if you go out of your comfort zone a little.
Clothes don’t have a gender
One of the biggest things that has helped me to find good pieces is not asking myself if it is men’s or women’s clothes. I feel it is often easier for girls to fit into men’s clothes, but anyone can pull off a different look. I have found so many good Levi’s jeans, sweaters, button-downs, graphic tees (which I feel men always get the better of, while women just get fitted tees with worse designs) and so many more pieces that were technically men’s clothing. I didn’t look at gender, nor did I really notice, because it fit me, so what did it matter if it was men’s or women’s?
Don’t get grossed out
Chances are, if you get grossed out thrifting, it’s not for you. Remember, you are just giving these clothes a new home. You can wash them, and then they are yours and it’s as if no one else has ever owned them. If you spend your time grossed out, you definitely won’t be open to finding all types of clothes and get the best outcome from your experience. You have to really dig to find the good pieces sometimes.
stay for a while
If you go to a thrift store and are ready to leave 20 minutes in, you probably won’t be super happy with your finds because you were rushed. If you go for a short time, you might settle for some things because you don’t want to leave empty-handed (we have all been there — you later realize you have no idea why you bought that shirt).
Thrifting should be calming. Put on some headphones and listen to your playlist or chat with a friend. Thrifting is the only time I feel like I don’t have to worry about anything else in the world. All that is going through my head is: “How can I style this?” That being my biggest worry for a little while is exactly what I need. When you just focus on clothes and nothing else for a couple of hours, you will find great pieces.
I thrifted everything in this outfit — the shirt (Brandy Melville!), skirt, cardigan and boots — from the Goodwill Bins!
be in the action
Switchovers at the bins can be scary (especially if your bins are crawling with Depop resellers like mine). Getting in there will give you an adrenaline rush and will allow you to be the first to find good pieces. I have found two pairs of Adidas Sambas, two pairs of Adidas Campuses, a Brandy Melville top, a vintage 90s tankini, a couple of vintage Ann Taylor tank tops, a lot of Levi’s and so many more good finds because I was right in the action searching with hundreds of other people. It’s definitely scary, but I promise it’s worth it.
Practice makes perfect
The more you go, the more you train yourself to notice certain patterns, fabrics and colors that you are interested in. You get used to scanning the bins or racks and pulling pieces that speak to you. You also learn to give everything a chance.
I’m no expert on thrifting, but most of my wardrobe is thrifted now, and I realized why I thought I had “bad luck.” I wasn’t going enough, wasn’t open to anything and wasn’t letting myself get lost in the experience. So give it a shot! Take your time, be open-minded — I bet you will find better pieces on your next thrift trip.
If you want to see some of my finds from the bins, check out my thrift hauls here.