From pretty much the time I could walk, I would go thrift shopping with my parents for clothes or other items. With the current rise of sustainable fashion and the few clothing drives that have happened at Laurier this year, I thought I would drop some of my thrifting tips to help you find the best items!
Check Seams on Clothing
When you’re thrifting, it can be easy to mindlessly grab an item of clothing that you like without looking at it fully because it’s cheap. However, many items at thrift stores have been donated because they have issues such as staining, ripping or fading. The seams of clothing are the spots that are most likely to wear down easily, so when you’re accessing items make sure that you check them thoroughly!
Quality Over Quantity
Because items are cheap, you will likely feel far more tempted to pick out items that you wouldn’t necessarily grab if you were buying them from a store in the mall. Because of this, I try to always look for quality name brands instead of a cheaper option like Joe Fresh. A better made garment will hold up longer, and you will not need to replace it as quickly (maintain a sustainable mindset!)
Double Check any CD/DVDs you buy!
Thrift stores are a great place to pick up older movies and CDs that you may want to add to your collection. However, it is important to remember to check if they are still functional, as many people will donate them if they are corrupted in some way.
Always Look at the Purse Section
You would be surprised at how many times I have found designer bags in the bag section of thrift stores. Additionally, there are often very high-quality wallets available if you need to replace the one you have! However, I would suggest doing a bit of research into what knockoff versions of these bags look like to determine if you have a real one or not.
Take a Gander at the Scarf Section
Many thrift stores get in 100% silk scarves that are actually worth a fair amount of money. This can be easy to overlook as most people go straight to looking at clothing without considering to look at accessories. Plus, silk scarves are quite fashionable to wear in your hair now, so you will be perfectly on trend!
I hope these few tips have inspired you to thrift shop more – or if you already do, maybe convinced you to give some sections a second look. Thrift shopping is so fun, and by doing it we help to lessen our carbon footprint!