Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Style

Top Three Tips to Find the Cutest Clothes at the Thrift Store

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

Thrift shopping has become a huge trend over the past few years. While it may not be a new concept, it is giving many people a new view on the fashion industry and influencing their purchasing decisions. Not only is thrift shopping super fun, it is also far better for the environment than shopping with the fast fashion brands that have taken over the industry. It is also a great way to find unique pieces that not everybody will have in their closets. In this article, I’m going to introduce you to my top three thrifting tips for finding those hidden gems at the thrift store.

Look Through Everything!

While this can be a time-consuming process, it is so important to take your time when shopping secondhand. When you first step into a thrift store, the sheer amount of inventory can be very overwhelming and honestly, a lot of it might not look that appealing. But as we all know, you should never judge a book by its cover, so a lot of times you just have to take a deep breath and start digging. You might have to sift through your fair share of high school spirit week t-shirts and jeans that have seen better days, but eventually, you’re bound to find something that’s worth all the effort.

Have a Plan

We’ve all heard the saying “You can never be too prepared” and sometimes, this is exactly the sort of mindset you need to bring to the thrift store.  A great way to find the best secondhand items is to have an idea of what you are looking for. Try making a list of items that you would like to find and it will help to guide you through your search. This can also help you save time if you aren’t in the mood to go through every item at the store.

Find Out When Your Thrift Store Restocks

 

To many people, thrifting might seem like more of a weekend activity, but sometimes it might be more beneficial to go during the week. Oftentimes, people bring in donations over the weekend, which means that the store will not put out that new inventory until the following week. Try going to your local thrift store on a Monday or Tuesday if you have some extra time and you just might find that the racks are looking a lot less picked-over and a lot more promising.

 

Thrifting is the perfect way to add some unique pieces to your wardrobe at a fraction of the price of what you would normally pay at some of your favorite stores. Not only that, but it’s a great way to limit your contribution to the fast fashion industry and to help out Mother Nature. Next time you’re thinking about stopping in at your local Goodwill, remember these three tips and you just might find yourself walking out with some awesome new additions to your closet.

Emily Sheets is a junior a the University of Kentucky majoring in Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles and minoring in Spanish. In her free time, Emily enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, and styling outfits. She is passionate about her field of study and hopes to pursue a career in the fashion industry one day. You can find her on Instagram @emilysheets1002.