Successfully Shopping the Thrift Store

Sometimes I (Ashton) get asked about where I find clothes, particularly modest clothing. And the honest answer is all over, but mostly thrift and consignment stores. Because I have very expensive tastes AND I'm super cheap. Yeah, its hard. But that's why I love thrift stores. And today I thought I would share my very best tips to successfully shopping the thrift store.

-Be picky. Most of my clothes are brands like JCrew, Land's End, Eddie Bauer, LLBean, and LOFT. But I've never actually been in or bought clothes from a JCrew, and I've only been in LOFT maybe twice. However, I usually look at the brands of clothing in thrift stores and try to stick with nicer brands that I know and like. Their clothes hold up better and I know what size I wear.

-Don't be picky. Right, I know I said be picky. But sometimes you gotta ignore brands, because in reality, no one will know if you are wearing JCrew or Walmart if the garment looks pristine and fits you impeccably. So don't pass up a perfect piece that you love just because you haven't heard of the brand.

-Examine clothes carefully. And I mean carefully. Look for stains, holes, wear, and stretched out places, especially along seams and the front. Don't forget to test all of the buttons and zippers or other closures. Check sweaters for snags and pilling, and please, don't buy worn looking sweaters. They won't look any better once you get them home. If you buy something with the intent of fixing it, ask yourself, can I really fix this and will I do it in the next three days? If not, leave it.

-Know what you like and what looks good on you. I don't really look good in light brown so I don't even look through the light brown clothes, and I cannot wear over-sized clothes because I look like I'm drowning in fabric, so I pass on those, too.

-Try everything on. It's a hassle, I know, but do it. It will save you money and you will leave with what you know fits and looks good. Besides, if it looks good in the horrible thrift store lighting, it will look good at home.

-Watch and wash. Watch the care labels: if you don't want to invest the time and money to have something dry cleaned, don't buy it. And please, wash your new clothes before you wear them. Thank you.

-Don't limit yourself to just thrift stores. Check out the antique stores and consignment stores in your area. They may be a little pricier, but you can often find really great deals or something special. The picture on the right is one of my graduation pictures; the jean jacket came from a thrift store and the dress, belt, and boots came from three different online antique/thrift stores. (I don't know where the horse came from, he wasn't mine. But he had good taste and liked my jacket.)

-Shop in the right neighborhood. I figured this one out by accident. If you live in a large town or city with a "nice" or upscale part of town, check out their thrift stores or the stores that are close by. More upscale neighborhoods usually mean nicer clothes and brand in better condition. Not always, but usually. (BUT, don't forget the little stores in the old parts of town as they can have some real treasures!)

-Watch for extra discounts. Some stores do half-off days, or brown paper bag days, or Military discount days, or a discount on anything with a particular color tag, so keep your eye out!

-Remember to check the online consignment stores that are popping up! Our favorite is thredUP, but there are lots out there. On thredUP you can shop by color, size, brand, or all of the above all at the same time. They have really great prices and do a good job letting you know the condition of the item, and we have been nothing but pleased with the clothes we have purchased from them. And the boxes they ship the clothes in are super cute. (I'm not getting paid to tell you about thredUp, I just really like it and have had great experiences with them, and disclaimer, if you use the link above you get $20 to spend ((seriously)) and we get $20 too. So ya know, that's cool and you are welcome.)

-Don't shop! The easiest way to save money at the thrift store is to just not buy anything. The easiest way to do that is to not go in in the first place. Trust me!

So there ya go, my best tips and tricks. And I would love it if you commented and shared yours!
 -Ashton