I know for many of us just the thought of thrift shopping can be mentally exhausting. The endless amount of clothing racks & the feeling that you absolutely must leave the store with something because everything is so damn cheap. But for those of us who enjoy navigating their way through the chaos, thrifting can be a breeze. I’m one of those people. But, I haven’t always been a thrift expert. I mean, I can see how shopping racks & racks of styles can be stressful and kind of intense, but take it from a veteran, it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tips on how to maximize your thrift trips and find those hidden gems.
THRIFT OFTEN
Honestly, you can’t just thrift one time and think you’ll find all of the items you’ll need to build your wardrobe. You must thrift often, new styles are arriving into these stores every day! Thrifting is like love, you never really know what you’re missing, or what you're looking for until you find it.
DON’T SHOP WITH SOMETHING SPECIFIC IN MIND
I don’t know about you, but whenever I thrift or even shop at regular stores with something specific in mind, I never find what I’m looking for. It’s easier and less stressful to just casually shop. You won’t end up disappointed if you had no expectations for the shopping trip.
DO BROWSE MENSWEAR
The menswear area is one of the first places I check when thrifting. The larger silhouettes and masculine ambiance is a selection you can’t get from womenswear especially since you're shopping vintage pieces.
DON’T ONLY SHOP DENIM SECTIONS
A lot of people see thrift shops as a place to buy cheap, vintage, denim styles but thrift shops offer so much more in other categories. Outerwear and accessories are two of my favorites to shop at thrift shops aside from denim.
LOCATION MATTERS
If you're looking to snag major labels at a thrifted price, the location of the thrift shop may be extremely important. Try to find thrift stores in more upscale neighborhoods and don't shy away from thrifting when you travel to get the best regional fashion finds for cheap.
DON’T GIVE UP
Yes, my last piece of advice is a pep talk. Patience is the key when thrift shopping! Don’t rush, take your time to find what you need. If you get overwhelmed, try it again next time.
Thrift stores can be very overwhelming. Trust me, you needed this.
NOW LET'S GET INTO THE LOOK
Yes, you guessed it. The outfit pictured here was thrifted. I bought the top and pants for a total of $10! Low-rise oversized pants have stolen my heart and I just want to live the rest of my life in them. I got this pair from the men's section---another one of my obsessions has been wearing men's clothing. (Check My NYFW blog post for all of the details.) I casualized the pant by wearing a tie-dye t-shirt up top and added a gold waist chain from amazon to amp up the sex-appeal and glam. I added a chunky necklace from ALDO to tie it all together and white sandals to balance out the bright t-shirt up top.
See my wardrobe playbook for this look below:
