Ever since Macklemore’s hit song “Thrift Shop” came out and #Girlboss Sophia Amoruso attributed her fame to thrifting, the game of digging through second-hand clothing to find the best steals has become almost a sport. While it might seem simple to find a Salvation Army or Goodwill near you and dig for vintage treasures, there’s a few rules you might want to know beforehand.
1. Always be well rested and comfortably dressed- thrifting can be real tiring, especially when the store is the size of a TJ Maxx. Be ready and energized for the hunt.
2. Thrift specifically in a city or in a trendy area; it seems silly but when there are fashionable people around, that means there has to be some chic stores close by. Follow the fashionistas, they have a talent for finding good pieces.
3. Heads up, not all second hand stores are going to have clothing for a dollar. There is a difference between thrifting at a GoodWill in your suburb and going to a high end antique thrift shop in Soho, NYC. So, beware of the location and price range of your thrift shop beforehand! If you are thrifting for some vintage Chanel (ugh, yes) just do some research before and make sure it’s not overpriced!
4. Go thrift shopping with goals in mind or else it can be super overwhelming for some people. Now, I just love to shop so I’m fine getting lost thrifting for hours and digging through racks and racks of clothes to find a few central pieces I love. Not everyone does though, so fair warning, if you are trying to be efficient and save time, keep some goals in the front of your mind.
5. Be open minded to trying different things on (plus they are most likely super cheap, so what have you got to lose?).
6. Please don’t buy (or even try on) hats or shoes…There could be lice, bed bugs, athletes foot, the list goes on. Just don’t risk it, unless it’s a really cool, well-known, well maintained thrift shop. Then by all means try it ALL on!
7. Do not overlook the scarves or accessories. Pro tip: look on Pinterest for examples, but you can totally make a gorgeous statement necklace out of pins/broaches from a thrift shop! Check out the pic below… so cute right?!
8. Wear tight clothes, maybe some yoga pants and a workout tank, and try stuff on over it to speed up your search. Not all stores will have dressing rooms (most do, but once in a while- like when I was thrifting last week- they don’t). Just a heads up.
9. Keep an eye out for clothes being dry clean only. It really sucks when you get home and need to wash the item you bought (especially since it’s from a thrift shop) and end up having to pay for dry clean only.
10. This brings me to my last tip: When you get home, put your purchased items in a garbage bag and close it tightly or put them in the freezer to kill off bugs and then wash in very hot water two days later. Bed bugs and lice are not fun, so out of any of the above tips, make sure you remember this one!
Don’t forget my top rules to thrift shopping and best of luck becoming the next boss of Nasty Gal.