With the rise of fast fashion and quickly changing trends, it is easy to fall victim to expensive shopping sprees that contribute to overconsumption and mass production. To combat this issue, many people have turned to thrifting and buying used clothes as a way to build more sustainable wardrobes while staying true to current fashion trends. Although many are experts at the Goodwill bins, my personal favorite place to thrift is at my local Saver’s. From many failed and successful shopping trips to Saver’s, I have developed a general guide for myself that details how and where I find the best items and my tips for navigating your local Saver’s secondhand store.
Don’t Go In With Expectations
One of the most difficult but important things to remember when going thrifting is that you can’t be tied to expectations or have a specific list of things that you hope to find. More often than not, your trip will disappoint your expectations of specific clothing items or accessories that you are looking for. Instead, keep an open mind because you will often come across plenty of other amazing finds if you remember not to set yourself on particular pieces. My most successful Saver’s trips usually consist of clothing pieces that I have no intention of looking for when I enter the store. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have a list in the back of your mind of different kinds of things you’re looking for depending on the season or current trend, but you just need to be open to finding other things and not be disappointed when you don’t find the exact things you were looking for.
Know Your Sections
Knowing the sections of your local Saver’s or thrift store will help you to have the most productive shopping experience. Every Saver’s I have been in is different, so it is important to familiarize yourself with the different areas of the store. Personally, I have sections and racks that I explore every time I am in the store, while others I only attend to when I have more time to spend. Discover your favorite sections and come up with a plan of attack for the order in which you will go through them.
Look In Unexpected Areas Of The Store
Another important part of knowing your sections is remembering to not limit yourself to the most dependable areas of the store. Some of my best thrift finds have come from areas that I did not even think to explore when I first started thrifting. My personal favorite areas include the men’s knitwear rack for oversized sweaters and the kid’s section for baby tees. Aside from clothing, I always make sure to take a quick look at the jewelry section, the shoe section, and the bag section to find staple accessories for every outfit.
Come Well-Rested And Fed
As much as I enjoy a good Saver’s trip, I am also a person who hates shopping to my core. I quickly get overwhelmed, tired, and unhappy, which negatively affects my thrifting experience. I always need to remind myself to make sure that I don’t enter Saver’s hungry or tired because I will quickly abandon the store and walk out in a bad mood. Eat a good meal before going to Saver’s to have a positive and successful thrifting experience.
Leave The Store Empty-Handed (Sometimes)
My last piece of advice is to remember that it is OK to leave the store empty-handed. Don’t buy just to buy because it not only wastes your money, but it also wastes space in your closet with clothes that you know you will never wear. Although it is sometimes disappointing, it is always better to leave the store without buying anything than it is to buy things just because you are there. Make informed decisions about whether or not you really like or need something that you find because you will regret it later if you buy something just because you are there.
Take this thrifting advice as your starting point if you want to get into shopping more sustainably. You will start to develop your own guide once you get more experience and know your individual preferences about the areas of your local store and the order in which you navigate them. Focus on incorporating timeless pieces into trends to successfully build your most sustainable wardrobe. Happy thrifting!