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 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!
I’ve found to really enjoy purchasing clothes from thrift shops. And, honestly, this surprises me quite a lot. At my local Good Will shops, I still find brands I like (American Eagle, Limited, Express, Banana Republic…). That was something I never expected. Because the prices are so much lower, I’m able to experiment with style. I even bought myself a floral romper – I would never risk $20+ on such a style gamble. (And its a good thing because it was terrible). And it was through affordable jeans that I finally found the PERFECT size and brand for me (thankfully it’s a Target brand, too!). So, for me, it has all of these fun and relatively cheap perks. But I also feel good about it – I feel good that the clothes are being used and appreciated. Even with only limited knowledge of clothing factories, I try to avoid purchasing new clothing. I want their hard work and the environmental impact that article of clothing that has already produced to get its full use instead of creating more and more and more. And once I’m done, I donate our clothing to homeless shelters. That’s my little contribution.
Yes, I love your point about appreciating existing clothing for the hard work and environmental impact it represents!
I have to say… I think you have incredible style. It just takes some of us a while to come into our own.
I buy 90-95% of my clothes from Goodwill. It was actually my New Years resolution this year not to purchasing any clothing that isn’t previously used (excluding underwear, obviously), and so far with the exception of a swimsuit and a pair of discounted work pants I’ve honored that resolution.
My biggest tips for thrifting is to give yourself time to try on and always go with an idea in mind of what you’re looking for. I’m trying to move toward a simpler style, so I go with the mindset of it either needs to be black or pair nicely with black bottoms. And I only purchase cotton or other natural fiber items. This has come after many purchases of things I thought I would love but ended up never wearing, and therefor eventually re-donating… So I’ve avoided repurchasing similar items.
I would love to go thrifting with you some time. Some times you just need a friend to be like, “nah, you’d never wear it.”
A thrifting trip sounds great! Are you able to find pants that are long enough for you? That can be tough for me even with new clothes.
I love your New Year’s Resolution! That’s terrific.