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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at DePauw chapter.

Welcome to Thrifting 101! I am Katherine, a certified thrift shopper, and today I am going to be telling you a few of my tips and tricks on how to get the most out of a trip to your local Goodwill! 

  1. Look through everything 

I feel like most often those that never find anything at the thrift store are the ones who do not look through everything.  You have to commit at least thirty minutes to the search, or else you’re never going to find the real hidden gems.  When I say go through EVERYTHING, I mean you better be in the men’s section, the home decor section, the cringy t-shirt section, and maybe even the kids if you are brave enough.  I found my all-time favorite shirt (it has cats wearing witch hats) in the cringy, business tee section.  You have to physically look at every piece of clothing, not just skim.  

  1. Go in with a color palette in your head 

When I am in a rush and don’t have time to look at absolutely everything, I make a list in my head of colors I am drawn to.  My automatic list is always sage green, pastel yellow, beige, and dark green.  This is a faster way to shop and, while you may not be looking through everything, I guarantee having a color palette will set off alarm bells in your head when you find your new favorite jacket.  

  1. Thrift flip it! 

Okay, so I don’t really mean flip it, as incredibly talented people on YouTube do.  I can’t sew and I’m also a college student with no time for that.  What I mean here is to keep your mind open to the possibilities of the piece.  Can you crop it? Can you cut it into a tank top? A halter top? You have to keep your mind open to the possibilities! 

  1. Bring a measuring tape 

I wish I took this advice, but I never do.  I come home each trip with like three pairs of jeans that just really do not fit me.  And then I always end up forgetting to return them, and now I have a box of ill-fitting jeans just sitting in my closet.  Bring a measuring tape especially for the jeans.  Trust me.  

I love thrifting and I hope this gives you a better idea of some things you can do to make your thrifting experience more enjoyable.  Have fun spending a few hours at the thrift store! 

Hi, I'm Katherine! I'm an Anthropology major. I am a member of the Honors Scholar Program, as well as a Bonner Scholar.