I'm not here to tell you I'm a pro at thrift store shopping, because it's something I just recently started doing. For shoes/clothing, that is. I know, it sounds kind of weird, and a few months ago I would probably have never have thought of shopping at Goodwill.
But you know what? I have found brand spankin new clothes shoved on those racks... and name brand too! And it saves a ton of money.
Just to let you know, I don't get ALL of my clothes at thrift stores... not even close.
One of my good friends loves thrift store shopping, and she kind of got me hooked on it. I have always been kind of leery of buying clothes from places like Goodwill and Salvation Army (or "Salvy" as Aberdonians call it), and I usually keep my hand sanitizer close. I'm kind of a germ-a-phobe, but we'll save that for another post.
Every time I see my friend, she is dressed cute. I'll usually ask her where she got at least one portion of her out fit, and she almost always tells me, "Goodwill!"
Seriously!? Maybe I need to give this a try... so I did :)
I'm here to give you a few tips about thrift store shopping that I have found that work for me. Remember, I'm no expert, just things that I have learned:
- Set aside plenty of time. One reason for this is because I like to take my time when looking through the racks. Which brings me to point number 2.
- Look through every piece. When I go thrifting by myself or with my friends, we literally look through every. single. shirt on the medium racks. You never know what gem could be hiding between those icky granny sweaters!
- Don't skip the shoes. It's easy to breeze past all of the shoes because, quite frankly, some of them are SCARY gross. I recently found a BRAND NEW pair of New Balance shoes that I wear for working out, and I love them!
- Go frequently. Last week I went twice to Goodwill. Once to just browse, the other was to get a shirt for my Halloween costume. I found that even in a matter of a few days, lots of new stuff had been added.
- If you aren't sure about it, leave it. A typical rule of thumb when you're shopping, "If you don't love it on the hanger, you'll never wear it. I think this especially rings true when thrifting because I know that I always think to myself, "It's only $4, I might as well..." Wrong. Although something may be cheap and you think you might eventually find something to wear it with, if you don't love it, leave it.
- Wash, wash, wash. Wash those clothes. In hot water. With extra soap.
- Sanitize your hands. Or don't if you aren't a germ-a-phobe like me!
Well, those are my thrifting tips for you! Check out more tips here and here. I absolutely love this girl's blog. She finds the cutest clothes thrifting and knows how to pair them!
And check out my thrift finds below! P.s. Pardon my selfies... I do not care for them, but it was the only way to show you my outfits :) I also recently purchased a blue Sonoma puffer vest, and a gray Columbia vest!
Black polka dot dress shirt
Orange racerback workout top
My awesome kicks!!
Black Merona sweater
Until next time!
