Thrift Tips + Treasures
They say, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Well, I’d say that’s pretty damn accurate.
My mom raised my older brother and I on her own so we couldn’t afford to go shopping at stores like Hollister or American Eagle like some of my friends could. Fortunately, my mom worked for a family who would kindly donate their old clothing to us. Clothes from all over — low-end, high-end + fancy boutiques. There were times the clothes still had their price tags attached + I was shocked by how people could so easily give away brand new things. But I felt very grateful that they did. Since then, I’ve been a supporter of secondhand shopping because you can honestly strike some fashion gold. The best thing is that you can recycle your old clothing in a number of ways. You can sell at consignment stores, swap with your friends or simply donate your clothing to places like Arc + Goodwill so nothing ever goes to waste. There’s more + more online consignment stores popping up like ThredUp + Swap that make it even easier to sell + buy secondhand clothing.
When I was in college, I’d spend my weekends thrift shopping with my friends. We’d have a blast going through all the racks + finding Levi jeans to cut up into shorts for $7 or a vintage rock tee for $3. We’d fill up our carts + not feel guilty for spending $30 because we’d have a bag full of “new” clothing.
At this point in my life, I’d consider myself a thriftanista + I’ve picked up a few tips along the way to make a thrifting experience a successful one!
Go in the middle of the week
Weekends are consignment stores busiest days. There’s nothing worse than sorting through racks of clothes because people just throw them back carelessly. You’ll find clean + organized racks on a Tuesday or Wednesday when they are the slowest. Plus, you’re likely to score better deals on slower days when there’s not crowds of people taking all the best finds.
Look for sales
Most thrift + consignment stores have daily sales. Items with a specific colored sticker can be up to 30%, 50% or sometimes even 75% off their already reduced price. To get an even bigger bang for your buck, only shop their sales.
buy what you love
It is SO easy to get carried away when you’re out thrifting because everything is so damn cheap but make sure you only buy what you really love. Ask yourself, how often will I wear this? Do I have something similar to this already? Is this one of a kind? There are times I’ll buy something I only kind of like then I forget about it + never see it again. My closet is already at maximum capacity so I really only want to purchase items that are unique or I’ll wear often.
With those tips in mind, I decided to go thrifting + found some treasures to share with you all. The first stop was Buffalo Exchange. I’ve had a big bag of clothes, just sitting in my car waiting to be sorted through, sold + donated. At Buffalo Exchange, I received a measly $8 cash back. Not the best in sales this time around but hey, I took my $8 + went to the friendly Goodwill next door. At first, I felt overwhelmed when I saw SO MANY THINGS but remember, that’s one of the joys of thrifting! You’re not going to find the perfect item at first sight — you gotta look around + have fun with it. An hour later, I had a stack of clothes hanging off my arm, cutting off my circulation. Thankfully, one of my girlfriends was there to assist me with what I should keep + what I should put back. I decided on 4 pieces, which cost me $18. Using the $8 from Buffalo Exchange earlier, I paid $10 out of pocket. Not a bad deal. Below are the items I picked out. Let me know what you guys think!
Love + light,
Cris
Flowy skirt in mustard
I absolutely love anything mustard yellow. It’s one of my favorite colors for fall. $4.99
70’s top with bell sleeves
If I had to pick one fashion era to be born in, it would be the 70s’. The designs, the colors, the bell sleeves + bottoms. Groovy, baby. $3.99
Cream colored poncho
I can’t believe I scored this lovely poncho. The neutral tones in it make it easy to chuck on effortlessly. $4.99
Sheer tie-dyed blouse
This is probably my favorite out of the bunch. I love the fit of the blouse + the tie-dye gives it a cool vibe. $3.99