10 Thrift Shopping Tips

For whatever reason, some people are really intimidated by thrift shopping.  Believe it or not, thrift shopping can be even more fun than regular shopping, because it's like a treasure hunt.  You look through tons of junk until you find the perfect piece, and on top of that, it's really inexpensive!  If that doesn't convince you enough, five hundred thousand tons of clothing fill the landfills of just the UK every year!  Also, the average American throws out sixty pounds of clothing per year!  So instead of always getting something new, try buying secondhand, so you can make use of what's been thrown out already!

Here are some tips to help you thrift shop!

1. Get inspired!  Rockie Nolan is a photography student (at SCAD actually) who thrifts almost everything she wears, and she always looks fantastic!  Check out her blog, and her lookbook.

2. Accept that there are going to be weird smells and weird people.  Remember, you can wash anything as many times as you want before you wear it.  Also, lots of people with really low incomes also shop at thrift stores, so just because they look sketchy doesn't mean they're bad necessarily.  Just use common sense and you'll be fine.

3. Don't go thrift shopping when you're looking for something in particular.  If you reallllllly want a pair of vintage boots, chances are you'll never find them.  You have to let them find you.  On the other hand, if there's a look in a magazine that you really like, you can try to get the same "feel" of it without looking for the exact same pieces.

4. Wear something simple.  A plain white t-shirt or tank top with jeans is perfect, like Rachel Bilson!  If you try on a skirt, the top will go with it, and if you try on a top, you already have your own jeans to try with it.  You also might not want to bring your designer bag, or you might get weird looks, or even worse, they might try to up the price if they think you have lots of money.

5. Find a place to start.  Whenever I go into thrift stores, I always look at the shoes and purses first, then dresses, then jackets, then skirts, then printed tops, and solid color tops last.  Make sure you pick up a basket on the way in!  Some sort of gameplan can keep you organized.

6. Don't get overwhelmed by color-coded racks.  Some thrift stores, particularly Goodwill, like to color code their clothes.  Personally, I think it makes it more difficult to shop like that.  With patterned things, it's easy to see what patterns you like and which you don't  Try to scan the racks of solid colors for nicer looking fabrics, or certain textures that appeal to you, rather than looking at every single shirt.  Or, you can look at every piece in just one color that stands out to you.  I usually always look through the teal stuff, and nude colored for lace things.

7. Try on everything.  It might feel "gross," but you don't want to waste your money.  Take a shower when you get home, you'll be fine.

8. Don't buy something just because it's cheap!  Ask yourself, would I buy this if it cost $30 instead of $3?  If the answer is no, you should probably put it back.  You don't want to end up buying a bunch of things that you don't ever wear just because the price was good.  This rule applies to regular shopping too, but it's just more tempting when it's next to free.

9. Don't forget to check out the home goods and the jewelry.  Who knows what you might find!  Obviously this isn't a thrift store, just some inspiration!

images via we heart it

10.  Don't be disappointed if you don't find anything.  Try another store nearby, or try again in a few weeks when they get new stuff in.  Better yet, ask them when they get most of their new donations and come back then!

Have fun! :)