Thrifting isn’t easy, but it’s certainly not hard, either. If you have been following me for a long time, then you know that before I introduced designer threads into my wardrobe, I was a very aggressive thrifter. Honestly, I look back on that time and think about how much life had a simplicity to it. There’s an adventure in thrifting that I don’t necessarily feel when I walk into a department store. So, what do you do when you don’t know how to thrift?
Even though I have some designers that I absolutely love, and constantly go back to time after time, there is nothing like finding that perfect wardrobe staple that you spent a fraction of the cost on. One thing I realized is that a lot of people don’t know how to thrift. And because of natural assumptions about thrifting, secondhand purchasing throws a lot of people off. I’m going to share a couple of my proactive tips on how to thrift and how to score your best pieces yet.
So the first thing you want to do is go into thrifting with an open mindset.
You have to not think about the process the same way that you would if you went into a Nordstrom or a Saks Fifth Avenue where clothes are carefully curated. Yes, thrift stores are organized. But the reality is you really don’t know what you’re going to find. For instance, I could walk into Nordstrom, and find a feathery black top that comes in five different colors and four different sizes. Alternatively, I might go to a vintage shop and find that top in one size and one color. So it might be my perfect fit, or it might not be the right option for me.
Honestly, I think that the limited availability is what really throws a lot of people off, especially when you are curvy or plus size. You might find that a lot of the clothes in the store tend to skew smaller. For that, I would recommend a couple of things: One, keep your mind open and maybe look for alternatives to styles. For instance, I usually will go straight to whatever plus size section there is, or naturally buy something that is a size or two bigger than what I am. The reason for that is because I can then get it tailored perfectly for me versus getting something that is too small and trying to figure out when and how I’m going to wear it.
Again, this comes with having an open mind and not necessarily seeing something exactly for what it is, but for what it can be. There have been a lot of clothes I found that might have had a broken zipper here or a missing button there. But a few quick alterations either on my own or mostly with a tailor or seamstress gives me an entirely new product that makes me happy and is worth the cost. Take into account that you may have to pay a little bit extra on the side for tailoring. So think about that as you are evaluating if you would like to buy something or not. For example, let’s say you score a designer coat that even though it’s not as expensive as it would be if you walked into the department store, it’s still pretty costly. If it’s getting towards the max of your budget, you might need to evaluate how much you may have to pay for tailoring or taking it to a seamstress or even sending it in to be dry cleaned.
If it’s worth it, definitely make the investment. If it’s not or if you’re too fickle about it. Maybe it’s best to put it back and try something new. Okay, I spent a lot of time on the first point, but it’s because it is by far the most important if you’re close-minded or you naturally expect You should be able to find your size or your exact garment when you go thrifting you’re going to be disappointed. However, there are a lot of options in variety when you are trying to find something that is unique, and that’s honestly the coolest part.
The second thing is to wear really comfortable clothing.
When you go shopping, if you are shopping in the fall and winter, it’s probably best for you not to wear a chunky sweater because trying to try clothes on for the spring and summer. When you have clothes that already inflating your body type slightly can be a challenge. For me, I like to usually wear more figure-hugging bodysuits or tops and usually will opt for something like leggings for the bottom. The reason why is because it does not actually make my body bigger or smaller, and it makes it super easy to try clothes on without necessarily going into a dressing room. As you guys know, many dressing rooms were closed because of the pandemic and a lot of stores have not necessarily been granted access to those options.
That being said, you still will want to try things on before you leave. And if you did not know you should be trying your clothes on before you leave. A lot of vintage and secondhand shops have a no return policy. So if you buy something simply by eyeing it or thinking that it will fit and then you find out that it won’t, you may not have the option to return the item for a cash refund or even a store credit. When you’re in the store. definitely find out how to layer your pieces. with leggings on you can easily try on anything like shorts and skirts or even pants. And then for tops. If your natural top is more form-fitting, you can try on short sleeves, long sleeves, different turtlenecks, different sweaters and cardigans, and then of course your outerwear.
As someone who personally likes to shop alone, I always opt to go to the mirrors that are usually scattered throughout the store to look at myself from all angles. Sometimes I’ll put a piece of clothing on especially like a coat or a jacket. Were around for a few minutes to see how it feels across the body. You would be surprised how things can feel really great when you first put them on. But then as soon as that high comes down, you realize that it’s really not worth whatever you were about to spend. If you are at a store that doesn’t have mirrors or doesn’t have enough mirrors to count, you can always ask a sales associate or even a friend of yours to take a photo of you on your iPhone so that you can see how you look.
Honestly, this point just stands that you should make sure that you try things on and evaluate how you look and feel in them before pulling the trigger. Last certainly not least start small. I know a lot of people who want to thrift but they’re sort of nervous about thrifting from bigger wardrobe pieces like their coats and shirts and pants. I totally understand. And I believe that thrifting and shopping secondhand vintage should all be about how comfortable you feel. And what that looks like. For me. I usually thrift almost anything but I do not thrift underwear or socks or undergarments. That’s just a personal preference.
But again, everyone has their own understanding of what they want and what they like. My recommendation is to start with accessories. Accessories are super easy and quick additions to any wardrobe. Start with the jewelry or purses. If you are someone who is not super tied to different shoes, you can always check out the shoe section. And really start playing around with different accessories and figuring out ways to elevate your look from there. You might be surprised about how easy it is to find a really cool belt or a really amazing pair of earrings that instantly lighten up your entire look.
From there, you can work your way up to shopping everything else. As I’ve gotten older and more curving, the type of things that I thrift in and how I serve them changes. You also may need to try out different stores. Because even franchise locations are really predicated around the community that they serve. For instance, I used to travel to different Goodwill’s, that were in more affluent areas. And I just happened to notice the clothing options were significantly different. It’s interesting, but I can completely understand.
I’m not saying only go where rich people are. But I’m saying that if you want to find specific types of clothes, sometimes you have to go straight to the source. Regardless, you have to just take it one day at a time and figure it out. When I first started thrifting almost a decade ago, I really was just trying to figure it out and have fun in the process. Since then, I have found so many cool pieces that are one of a kind and unique to my wardrobe.
I found things for as low as $2. And I’ve also found amazing designer pieces that I plan to preserve and pass down to my children one day. So are there any thrifting misfits out there? I would love to know your tips and things that you do to make sure that you thrift safely and effectively.
