the spoils of thrifting

This entry, & perhaps the next few entries, will be all about thrifting. Yes, i use it as a verb, meaning to go thrift shopping, bargain hunting, the like. One thing about me is that i love to save money. LOVE it. i actually crave saving money & there's nothing wrong with that. i've gotten quite good at it over the years. & i want to share it with others.

i'm sure a lot of people are grossed out by thrift stores for whatever reason. They smell like grandmas, they're full of "weird" people, whatever. The important thing one must realize if they want to save money & still look fabulous is to get past that part. Who cares if someone has worn this shirt before? Take it home, wash it, deconstruct it, do whatever with it. It's still perfectly good fabric. It's a form of recycling (which i'm big on) & not to mention many thrift stores benefit the not so fortunate-- another great thing. The best part?? i can find AMAZING clothes (sometimes even vintage, yes, real vintage, that same dress some fancy place downtown or some website will charge you $50+ for, & you can find it for $5!!) at amazing prices. Finding really great stuff will take a good eye & it's often helpful to know how to sew at least a little bit, but all of that will come with practice.

Some helpful hints i use:

- Know your size. In everything. Womens, mens, kids... yes kids. i must tell you that i'm actually 4'9" & 90 pounds so i frequent the kiddie section. Don't judge me!! Many times thrift stores don't offer dressing rooms so knowing your size will help you to know if something will fit without trying it on.

- Often thrift stores will carry newer stuff & also vintage. Familiarize yourself with the current (or the vintage, whichever you're looking for at the time) trends. Peruse fashion websites, blogs or even just look at the newspaper ads. Department and chain store ads & websites will have tons of photos of trendy pieces, whether it be a maxi dress or skinny jeans or an overall look like the "layered" look or bohemian. Whatever you fancy, make yourself aware of what's being sold at non-thrift places so you'll be able to spot those same items for $2 at the goodwill. For vintage, again, tons of websites devote themselves to vintage & retro-inspired looks. Take a look, see what you like, & go out there with an idea of what you like!!

-I find it’s easiest to navigate through those sprawling racks of clothes if you go there with something specific in mind. For example, unless I have an entire afternoon to kill in one shop, I need to go there with a list because otherwise I will look at absolutely every single article of clothing. But when I go with a list, it helps me to narrow things down a lot. Most shops (at least the ones I go to) are divided into style or color or both. So I can go knowing that I want to find a brown sweater and a green shirt and a pair of black pants (or whatever) and then I can focus just on finding those few things. Sure it’s fun to browse and if I had all the time & money in the world, I would. But I don’t, so I need to keep myself disciplined. It sounds like common sense but it works! It’s important to note, though, that I may not find what I’m looking for. Then I give up and just try another shop on another day. Thrifting is exciting and fun for that reason, you never know what you’re going to find.

-- But most importantly stay open-minded. You may happen across something that looks awesome but is way too big. This is where a sewing skill comes in handy. On my last trip thrifting i found an incredible 70s style wrap dress that was a size 10. i'm a size 2. i'm going to have to take it in quite a bit, but i can do it because i taught myself how to sew. And don't for get to think outside the box. Do you love the pattern of the fabric on those super early 90s granny shorts? Buy it for a dollar & make a shirt out of it. Stay tuned to this blog because i'll show you how to do just that. Take that $1.20 man's cute plaid dress shirt & turn it into a dress for yourself. i've done it all & it's easy!!

Just for some inspiration & motivation, i'll include these:

First take a look at this adorable 50s style plaid dress from one of my favorite retro clothing websites, Modcloth.

what a steal at $58.99 plus shipping, right? if you have the cash by all means, it's a great dress.

but check this out.

i found this cute plaid gem at one of my local thrift stores, for $1.95. i had to hem it, a lot, & the ribbon around the waist is mine. i wore it originally with a navy blue, wider ribbon but couldn't find it when i took this picture! sure it's not the same pattern or color scheme, but really? colorful plaid is very in right now & so retro & cute.

alright, til next time!