In my last article I talked about resale stores and consignment - which are great methods of grabbing some nice new-ish clothes on the cheap. However, if you're looking to add a bit of adventure to your shopping itinerary and save a little more green, thrift stores may be the option for you. I'm not talking about sparkling clean, neatly organized resale stores - in this article the term "thrift store" refers to places like Goodwill or Salvation Army: places that have underwear that's older than you are for sale at ten cents a pop and at least two rows of John Grisham books on the shelf.
Places like these aren't a metropolis of designer deals and you're not going to walk out with a two-season old Prada crop-top, but you can find vintage pieces with a lot of character and basic staple pieces for when you're not too worried about looking like you just stepped out of a Maserati.
Define Your Goals
Going into a thrift store without a game plan is a rookie move. You'll go from wandering the sweater section to porcelain chickens and then you'll come across the VHS section and get caught up in memory lane. What do you need/want? Make sure you have an idea of what you're looking for before you're overwhelmed by the cheap everything.
Hygiene
This is by no means a knock to thrift stores, they provide a great service and many of them do amazing things for their respective communities. However, if you touch each and every item in the place, you're going to walk out with some nasty hands - which I have affectionately named "second hand". It's the nature of the beast, but it can be avoided by being picky. Touch only what catches your eye.
Don't Be A Total Brand Loyalist
Sticking to brands you know for things like shirts and pants can save you a lot of time in the thrift store; however, if you're looking for something like shoes or a leather jacket, don't worry so much about the designer. Look at the construction, feel the material, then try it on if it rubs you the right way.
Locate The Mirrors
Usually in thrift stores there aren't too many mirrors. Locate one in your primary shopping area and locate a rack in close proximity to the mirror with a little bit of space on it. That rack is going to be home base, and you're going to monopolize it like Point Place. Gather everything you've deemed worthy and set up shop. This is now your fitting room. If it's in a narrow aisle, make sure to keep watch and move out of the way if someone needs to get by, but don't give up position. It's a dog-eat-dog world in the thrift store.
Something fit well? Buy it. It's five dollars.
Stay tuned! I'll update with another post next week.
