Thrift Happens
Let's be honest here, thrift shopping can be both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. There is a chance that you can find the ultimate bargain...or you could also just get lost in a sea of shoulder pads and 80s florals. So in consideration of this, here are 5 tips to help you own thrifting!
Image Credit: Kiloshop France
1. Prepare yourself
Honestly you need to prepare yourself, especially if it's your first time thrift shopping. It's not like a Macklemore video where you just grab some cool stuff and put it together (also it may not be 99 cents), you are going to walk in an most likely be overwhelmed. There's gonna be a ton of stuff that you are gonna have to grow through, so just be prepared for your eyes to explode from the amount of clothing you'll see.
2. Have time and patience
Thrifting isn't something that will be an easy in and out experience. It's not like a department store where they have labeled sections and nice signs to guide you. It will take a good amount of searching an for this, you will need a good chunk of time to get through everything. I remember whenever I went into the Kiloshop (a popular thrift store in Paris) for the first time, and I was amazed by the fact that it was two floors. Obviously in order to scour the whole store and also find something will take time. You could honestly be there for hours.
Another thing your going to need an abundance of, besides time, is patience. If you go in expecting instant gratification, it's not gonna happen. You have to be patient when looking for a gem while thrifting.
3. Set A Budget
The purpose of thrifting is for you not to spend crazy amounts of money on cute, worthwhile, and sustainable clothing, so please set a budget. Honestly 50 dollars and under is a good place to start. I have been able to get five amazing shirts for under 50 dollars (and I'm someone who unknowingly gravitates to the highest price item). So take it from me, budgets are your friend.
4. Keep An Open Mind
Okay some things may need to be modified after purchasing them. I won't even begin to tell you how many shoulder pads I had to cut out of my shirts that I bought, but it was so worth it. Don't let shoulder pads or weird trim stop you from buying an amazing piece. Just keep an open mind and allow yourself to see the potential in the pieces.
5. I Got Nothin'
Sometimes you won't find anything and that's okay. Yeah it's frustrating sometimes, like "I just rifled through about a thousand floral shirts for about an hour and found nothing?" It sucks, but sometimes it's just like that. You won't always find something, but just know that sometimes you can go in and find everything you want. So don't let one bad thrifting experience define if you go again or not.
