I can't say I possess all of these qualities and habits in my day to day life but when it comes to thrift shopping, I stay pretty consistent in the hunt for fabulous treasures.
1. Patient Amazing pieces aren't beautifully styled on a mannequin for you. Thrift shopping requires you to spend some time sorting through racks and racks of stuff. You have to carve out at least an hour of time for a good session. Seasoned thrift shoppers enjoy the search. Sometimes they bring music and dance in the aisle.
2. Detail Oriented They check their finds thoroughly for stains, holes, and other flaws. They know you have to try things on, hold them up to the light, search inside and out for a complete inspection.
3. Persistent They visit thrift stores often. The merchandise changes over pretty rapidly so it's a new store everyday. Some days you find nothing and some days you're hauling giant sized bags.
4. Thinks Outside the Box Thrift shoppers buy what they like. Whether it's a current trend or not, they will buy what feels good. Is the shape working out? Is the color your jam? A pencil skirt from the 60's is just as good (if not better) than one from current year. They know it and are cool with it.
5. Keeps An Open Mind Some thrift stores have smells. Some are dirty. Some are a disorganized mess. It doesn't mean the clothes aren't cute. Some of my favorites finds have been in the dingiest stores.
6. Budget Conscious It's so easy to go overboard when thrifting. Five dollar clothes can hype you up. It can lower your expectation of good quality and it can become easy to pick up a habit of buying based on price alone. Good thrifters hold on to the money for truly special items and know cheap is not always good.
7. Body Confident Vintage sizes can be shocker. Thrift shoppers will buy something amazing that isn't their "normal" size. They are not deterred by size labels or discouraged by a string of ill fitting clothes. There are thousands of brands in one store so hey know it's not them. It's the clothes trying to appeal to standard sizes and shapes that don't always exist in real life.
8. Always Prepared Thrift shoppers bring refreshments so the "hangry" doesn't effect their patience. They come to the store dressed in a light base layer so that you can try things on with ease and possibly without a dressing room.
9. Delays Gratification You're not going to be able to leave the thrift store and put on your new outfit. Sometimes you have to carefully remove staples. You'll have to launder your pieces. You may even have to find a tailor to mend and make adjustments. Thriftanistas delight in the entire process.
10. Has a Plan Knowing what you're looking for will cut down on time and keep you from going over budget. Thrift shop queens pull up the Pinterest board in aisles or have magazine cutouts handy. They create a running list of items they want so they don't become overwhelmed and lost while treasure hunting.
My outfit came to be because I had a list and a light jacket was on it. I thought outside of the box when shopping the international section of the thrift store and found the top. I delayed gratification and waited for a sale day to score $198 jeans for $2.50.
1. Patient Amazing pieces aren't beautifully styled on a mannequin for you. Thrift shopping requires you to spend some time sorting through racks and racks of stuff. You have to carve out at least an hour of time for a good session. Seasoned thrift shoppers enjoy the search. Sometimes they bring music and dance in the aisle.
2. Detail Oriented They check their finds thoroughly for stains, holes, and other flaws. They know you have to try things on, hold them up to the light, search inside and out for a complete inspection.
3. Persistent They visit thrift stores often. The merchandise changes over pretty rapidly so it's a new store everyday. Some days you find nothing and some days you're hauling giant sized bags.
4. Thinks Outside the Box Thrift shoppers buy what they like. Whether it's a current trend or not, they will buy what feels good. Is the shape working out? Is the color your jam? A pencil skirt from the 60's is just as good (if not better) than one from current year. They know it and are cool with it.
6. Budget Conscious It's so easy to go overboard when thrifting. Five dollar clothes can hype you up. It can lower your expectation of good quality and it can become easy to pick up a habit of buying based on price alone. Good thrifters hold on to the money for truly special items and know cheap is not always good.
8. Always Prepared Thrift shoppers bring refreshments so the "hangry" doesn't effect their patience. They come to the store dressed in a light base layer so that you can try things on with ease and possibly without a dressing room.
10. Has a Plan Knowing what you're looking for will cut down on time and keep you from going over budget. Thrift shop queens pull up the Pinterest board in aisles or have magazine cutouts handy. They create a running list of items they want so they don't become overwhelmed and lost while treasure hunting.
My outfit came to be because I had a list and a light jacket was on it. I thought outside of the box when shopping the international section of the thrift store and found the top. I delayed gratification and waited for a sale day to score $198 jeans for $2.50.
How many of the habits do you possess?
The Details
khaki raincoat - J. Crew (thrift store)
african print top - home sewn (thrift store)
jeans - Citizens of Humanity (thrift store)
black pumps - Vince Camuto (retail)
khaki raincoat - J. Crew (thrift store)
african print top - home sewn (thrift store)
jeans - Citizens of Humanity (thrift store)
black pumps - Vince Camuto (retail)