THRIFTING TIPS
One of the most common replies you’ll hear when asking someone who finds good things while thrifting is, “You have to look through everything.” And to be blunt with you, this is my reply too. Whenever I go into a thrift store, I try to already have an intention in mind… “Today I really want a nice leather jacket,” or “I’m expecting to see a big collection of bags/shoes/lounge wear/etc.” I honestly think that manifesting plays a role in the experience, and I did this exact thing when I was in search of a leather jacket last year and ended up at a thrift store with a huge selection of leather jackets to choose from and found the one I wanted all along. It’s also totally fine to go into thrift stores without an intention, not knowing what you want to find.
Step 1 - If there’s something you know you really want, set the intention.
Step 2- Look in the Men’s and Women’s section of whatever the clothing item is. I always check both because sometimes items are misplaced and don’t correspond with the section that they’re in.
Step 3- Look at every piece, feel the fabric with your hands and if you like the color/fabric, then you want to check the tag. I always check the tags to see what materials the clothing is made for as I opt for breathable material like cotton most of the time, and less synthetic fabrics such as nylon or polyester.
Step 4- If you’re thrifting somewhere such as Goodwill, always be sure to check what discounts they are offering that day. They will have little signs hanging on top of the racks that could say, “Any item with a green tag is 50% off today.” So you never know when you’ll get lucky!
Step 5- Open a rewards card! I have a rewards account for Goodwill, Savers, and Plato’s Closet and it doesn’t take long to do. Most times they just ask for your name/phone number/email address, and you don’t need the physical card on you since they can look up your account through phone number. If you’re already spending the money, might as well build up some points for potential discounts or free items.
And that’s really it! I find I have the most success when I shift through almost everything on a clothing rack just to see what all my options are. It’s also important to keep in mind you can always crop a shirt, take in a pair of jeans, and customize your clothing in a variety of ways.
If there’s anything you take away from this blog post, it should be attempting to go into a thrift store with an intention. I think you’ll be surprised by what you might find. Let me know what you find @shiftwithyuliana on Instagram :)
