I’m going to tell you guys a secret.

I don’t thrift shop for clothes.

I don’t thrift for MY clothes that is. I’m happy to find school attire for my kids at a thrift store any day. And home decor, sure, that works.

But I can’t thrift. Because…..I have no style.

Well, I do have a bit of style. I’ve been working hard on it for a few years. A stylist friend tipped me off to reading PeopleStyleWatch, and I study the neighborhood cool kids to see what they wear. But guys, it’s tough. Set me loose in a thrift shop, and I’ll be wearing mom jeans before you know it.

A representative example of my style before a fashion intervention. I found those pants at a thrift store. I'm pretty sure they're actually scrubs. And gotta love those white socks!
A representative example of my style before a fashion intervention. I found those pants at a thrift store. I’m pretty sure they’re actually scrubs. And gotta love those white socks!

A few years ago I hit a local vintage store and found a cocktail dress that I loved. My husband hated it, but I dismissed his critique….until I wore the dress for a jazz workshop performance, and the instructor said it was horrible. (Okay, she was much more diplomatic than that, but you get the picture.)

My friend Hannah recently posted about a personal styling service offered by thrift stores in Minneapolis. It’s like Stitch Fix but with thrift prices and sustainability. I could totally go for something like that here in Nashville.

For now, though, I’ll be buying my clothes new from sustainable companies and enjoying occasional clothing swap with friends.  (Thank goodness for stylish friends, right? They don’t bring mom jeans to these swaps.)

Do you have any tips for thrifting with style? I’d love to hear them. Maybe there’s hope for me!