Friday, March 22, 2013

thrifty: thrifting 101

I love thrifting and you definitely know that if you follow me on Instagram (http://instagram.com/emily_soto). I love posting my daily outfits to show off how I've styled my thrifted items. You don't have to spend a fortune to dress fashionably! I get asked pretty often what my "secret" is to finding good stuff so I'm going to share a few tips.


Today's outfit of the day: thrifted Gap sweater and Target leopard print jeans with a bubble necklace from Groop Dealz, boots from Belk, and a t-shirt from the Target clearance rack.
Thrifting 101:
  • Go often! To find the best stuff you have to go thrifting on a regular basis so that you don't miss out on any great finds. I go at least once a week to my regular thrift store.
  • Check out the racks of stuff that hasn't been put out yet. I always find amazing stuff there because no one has looked through it yet. Last week, I found brand new Target and Gap items on that rack- with tags still on!
  • Find out if your thrift store has a customer savings program. For example, Goodwill has a Preferred Customer program. For about $15 per year, you can save 10% every time you shop! It will pay for itself in no time if you shop regularly.
  • Most people say they don't have the patience to go through all of the stuff so here's a trick I use. I look at the fabric. You can tell a lot about the quality of an item by just looking at the fabric. I don't bother even looking at anything that looks worn out, faded, or the fabric doesn't look like it's of good quality. Josh makes fun of me for this one, but I also just go down the aisle and touch the fabric to see if it's good quality. Good brands = good feeling fabric!
  • Speaking of brands, I have a list of brands on my phone that I look for. This list would vary depending on your taste in clothing but some of my favorites are J. Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Lucky, Guess, and anything from Anthropologie. This brands generally have great quality clothing so even if it's second hand, it's typically going to be in good condition.
  • Look everywhere! I've found women's clothing in the men's and children's sections of the stores.
  • Sizing is so different from brand to brand so don't be afraid to try on a large if you typically wear a small. I've found some really great items by giving an item that wasn't my size a chance.
  • See if you thrift store runs any sales. I have a favorite thrift store that has daily deals but they also take 50% of all clothing on Mondays. I love a good sale!
  • Shop for the whole family! About 80% of our wardrobe is from a thrift store. I find amazing clothes for the girls at thrift stores!
  • Styling your thrifted items is the fun part- I love mixing my thrifted items with items that I've found at regular retail stores. You can make a thrifted item work with the latest trends!
  • Being patient is essential. You won't find a ton of stuff that works for you everytime but don't get discouraged. A piece or 2 at a time is fantastic and sometimes I leave with nothing. Don't buy if you don't love it because it will just hang in your closet and end up back at the Goodwill in a few months.
And here are my thrifted finds for today:
J. Crew button up for Josh and a floral Izod button up and a yellow Prabal Gurung sweater for me. All for less than 10 dollars!
Happy Thrifting!

10 comments:

  1. I love your instagram posts - makes me think maybe I should get up, shower, and get ready! ;)

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