Shopping for“ new” clothes can be quite an adventure if you are shopping at a thrift store. Buying clothes from thrift stores has quickly become the latest trend in the fashion world. You can go in and find nothing, or you can go in and find exactly what you are looking for and I have tips on how to find exactly what you are looking for every time.
By: Noel Fontaine The first step to finding that perfect piece is preparation. Preparation entails finding the thrift store that best suits your needs. Mine is Goodwill, since they carry more clothing than other things. After you have found your store of choice you need to have a list in mind of what you want. I find that physically writing down what you are looking for on piece of paper is helpful so that when you are in the store you have reference material. One of my tricks is, when I see something I like in a magazine or online, I write it down and look for it at a thrift store before I purchase it in a retail store. If you go in with a list you can stick to what you have written instead of buying things you don’ t need.
Shopping is always better with a friend. Shopping with a friend at a thrift store is helpful when it comes time to try things on and get opinions. When planning a thrifting day you should always wear something that is easy to take off and put back on because you will be trying lots of clothes on.
Trying clothes on when thrifting is very important. When planning a thrifting day you should always wear something that is easy to take off and put back on because you will be trying lots of clothes on. Trying things on helps you realize if it is cute on, or if it is cute on the hanger. When trying things on it also helps you see if there is any damage on the item of clothing, such as rips, stains, or bleach spots. Most of these things can be fixed but if you get it home and then realize it has these problems, you will most likely not wear it.
When shopping at a thrift store, you should always shop for the opposite season than it currently is. So if it is winter I will be shopping for summer. Everyone donates all their winter clothes during the summer, so that is the best time to buy coats and sweaters and boots, where as in the winter everyone is donating their summer things! I always find great shirts and shorts during the winter.
My number one rule for thrift shopping is, if you cant see your self in at least three outfits with the item in question, then you should not buy it. I only say this because I always find myself looking at things and thinking maybe I can find something to go with this, when in reality I wont. It is also a money saving tip.
You should always go into a thrifting trip with a budget. When I go thrifting I always allow my self a twenty dollar budget, that way I can only get the items I know I will wear again and again, instead of the shirt I might wear once. It is also a good idea to find out when your store has their sale days. Some stores have fifty percent off days, some have ninetynine cent days, and some have certain color tag days! They are not the same for every store so it is a good idea to make a list.
You should check up on your store often because they are putting out new clothes and accessories everyday. I go to my stores weekly and depending on when there sale days maybe twice a week. If you put a decent amount of time into looking you will come out with a greater reward. Looking at the first rack, not finding anything and getting frustrated wont help. You have to be patient and look thoroughly through everything to find the good stuff.
These tips are tried and true and hopefully they will help you all become frugal fashionistas!
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