THRIFTING FOR DUMBIEZ AND BROKE BEACHES

These past few years I am LOVING that thrifting is trendy. It is so good for the planet, our wallets, and in GENERAL.

Now to get my singular serious remark out of the way before the fun begins: if you go thrifting I highly encourage you to follow the "bring a bag, get a bag" rule. This means if you are going to buy things from the thrift store, bring some items to donate as well. It will help you clear out your closet and keep a constant cycle of items going through the store for people who genuinely need to shop there.

NOW, let's move onto the good stuff.

"Em, how do you always find such great finds at the thrift store?" is a question I get asked ALL the time. So, I have decided to be generous in the spirit of the holidays and compiled a few tips for you when you go thrifting at your local store.

TIP NUMBER ONE:

Go into your thrifting trip with a general idea of what you want. This can be a super general idea such as big t-shirts, or a pair of jeans. On the other end, you can get specific and pick out a specific item on Pinterest, a brand's

website, or Instagram and try to dupe it!

I like to create a Pinterest or mood board for what I’m looking for in each trip so I have the visual inspiration to look at as I go through all the racks.

The only thing with looking for specific pieces is that most of the time you won't find the exact color or material of what you're looking for, so keep an open mind and get creative! Magic can happen when you keep an open mind!

For example, on this thrifting trip I was set on getting a new pair of vintage baggy jeans, a cute lingerie-looking tank top, and sweat shorts. AND BABY GOODWILL DELIVERED.

TIP NUMBER TWO:

Have a creative eye and always envision a possible flip for a piece of clothing. Being able to see the potential in a thrift store item is the KEY to getting good pieces.

The same concept applied with the sweat shorts I envisioned. I saw two pairs of men’s sweatpants that I thought would be so cute cut up and made into shorts and they were each only $3. PLUS, they were Nike and Adidas brand, so I was VERY happy.

For example, I saw a white silk slip and would not have worn it as a dress, unless it was to bed. However, I knew if I cut it into a crop top it can be my silk lingerie-looking top that I set out looking for.

TIP NUMER THREE:

There are normally deals displayed as soon as you walk in such as "50% Off Purple Tags" or "75% off Rack!" so always pay attention to the deals because you can get items for more than half the price!

(A sale on discounted items: a broke girl dream)

I got a big t-shirt and brown sweater for $2 each on these sale racks! Both were $4, but because they were 50% off it was an even bigger discount!

They normally have really unique items on these racks so this is where you get very creative and make your outfits stand out above the rest!

Always take advantage of the sales and as I said earlier, do not be afraid to get creative!

TIP NUMBER FOUR:

Thrifting is a really easy way to keep up with trends that may die out soon. You don't want to invest in expensive pieces that may go out of style sooner than later. For example, the tennis skirt, collared shirt, and bagging crew neck are VERY in style right now. I see it all over Pinterest, Instagram, and Tik-Tok all the time.

Personally, I don't like that look on me, but for those of you who want to try it out:

Instead of buying expensive crewnecks from Urban Outfitters or online stores for $50 or more, look in the men’s section at your local thrift store. I found almost 50 sweatshirts and crewnecks.

I also found so many button-down collared shirts in both the men’s and women’s sections. To make it even better, most of them were around $2-3.

The good part about thrifting your button-downs is that if you don't want to look like you're wearing two shirts, you can cut the bottom off the shirt off and just have the collared part to put on like a necklace piece.

When I went to catholic school and had to wear a button-down shirt, I used this trick and wore this under my fleece to school all the time.

Here's a picture I found online to help with the visualization.

The first photo is an example of how to cut your thrifted shirt:

(photo from google images)

The second is an example of the desired look: (photo from Pinterest)

TIP NUMBER FIVE:

For tip number five, think of how the pieces you find in the thrift store will fit into your closet at home. There is a difference between getting a cool unique piece and getting something that looks cool but doesn't go with anything you own and you'll never wear.

Now don't get me wrong, you can always buy more pieces to go along with your new unique piece if it doesn't work with your current clothing situation, but this is about saving that money and we don’t want to spend more than we need to.

So, making sure these items will be able to fit right in with the rest of your wardrobe will ensure you get full use of them and now you can mix and match them with things you already have to create new looks.

A good way to think about this is the color scheme. For example, 95% of my closet is black, white, nude, and denim. When I find a cool hot pink pair jacket, it's certainly a statement piece, but I'll probably wear it once or twice.

HOWEVER, if I found a cool black or denim jacket I would probably wear it once or twice a week. It's about getting use out of your items that way you're not spending money on things you'll most likely never wear.

BONUS TIP NUMBER SIX:

Now because the holidays are upon us I will gift you with a bonus tip. Caring for your previously loved items is very important, so let me briefly tell you how to do so.

I would definitely recommend washing your new items at least twice to get out any old stains, smells, or previous love from old owners. As much as you want an authentic vintage piece, washing it is necessary.

Before you wash your pieces, lay them out, and locate any stubborn stains so that you can treat those with stain remover before you wash them.

I would also recommend washing your items with some scent beads or scented detergent to get rid of the musty smell that most thrifted clothes have. These pieces are YOURS now so treat them like new clothes.

But also remember since some of these pieces are vintage, they may have specific washing or drying instructions so always read the tags! For example, my new baggy jeans could not be dried in the machine so I had to air dry them and the white silky shirt had to be hand washed and air-dried. You want to get the smells and stains out but you also don't want to ruin any of your new finds!

And that is all from me, but let me know if you guys would like a post on all my favorite thrift stores in Tampa, FL, and the names of all my favorite thrifting places in general. There are some great ones that I know are ALL over the US.

Support small thrift stores, follow the 'buy a bag, bring a bag' rule, and most importantly, HAVE FUN AND GET CREATIVE! I hope all these tips helped and happy thrifting!

Stay Broke!

xoxo