Thrifted

As a child I always loved treasure hunts. The excitement of getting all the clues and reaching the prize at the end. Whether or not I won, the thrill of the hunt was the ultimate memory. This is why I love thrift shopping. I go about once a week and I've learned through trial and error what works and what doesn't. It's definitely not for everyone. Thrift shopping can be incredibly overwhelming and some just hate wearing clothes that other people have owned. Well, not me. So, here's some of my tips to live by if you're going to go thrift shopping.

1. Keep an open mind:

Don't go into the hunt looking for a certain item. If you have specific goals for what you want you'll often be disappointed and miss some great things.

2. Look at everything:

Seriously!! Look at everything! Take your time, dig through every single thing you can find, look at the dishes, the furniture, the sweaters, the tees, the men's stuff! Even the shoes. You can never know when or where you'll find a diamond in the rough. Don't skip sections of sizes because anything could fit you.

3. Focus on colors and prints:

When you're looking through make sure and shop colors that attract you. If you find something with a great print but a bad silhouette don't throw it out right away. There's always a chance that it can be altered.

4. Try on everything:

Just do it, pick out fifty things and only buy three. You never know what will or won't fit. It's just like any store, it may look great on the hanger but it won't always fit your body. Things at thrift stores have usually been worn and washed so beware of garments that are too short or too wide.

5. Don't get too extreme

Buying something that's too long that you're planning on hemming is alright. Buying something that's four sizes too big, needs to be dyed, and is missing a button is getting ahead of yourself and you probably won't ever wear it. If you can't sew then don't buy a great dress that needs to be a few inches shorter because chances are you're never going to ask that one person you know to fix it. And how many people are really going to go out of their way to return an $8 dress within the 30 days you're given?

6. Brands

Don't let brands make or break a purchase. Items will have a label or they won't but its not what really matters. I have had great luck with fit and quality in garments from brands I trust, one's I've never heard of, and even ones that my grandma would normally buy from.



So, on that note, here's some great stuff I've thrifted lately: