From That Thrift Shop Down The Road

You don’t have to agree with Macklemore’s style to know that shopping at thrift stores is awesome. I’m not going to lie to you; probably 50% of my wardrobe is from thrift shops. People give away clothes because they get tired of them, or they bought something but just never wore it, or a rich kid moved out of his house and bought all new clothes. Whatever the reason, thrift stores are full of great clothes!

Here are some tips that I’ve learned from my thrifting experiences.

• First, find the right store for you. You want ones that have a lot of clothes! If you walk in and it’s full of dishes and plates, that isn’t the place for you. Especially look for a decent sized men’s department. Some places only have women’s clothing.
• Once you find the stores that have the kind of clothes you’re looking for, go often. If you want to be the one that gets the good stuff, go back regularly. Once you know where everything is, it’s easy to spot when something is new on the rack.
• Find the sections that you want to look in for every store. I check the button-up shirts, ties, bandanas (looking for pocket squares), suits/blazers, shoes, pants, polos, jackets, and shorts. My most purchased items are shirts and polos.
• Learn what you can tailor (or have tailored) and what you can’t. I know that I can hem pants and bring in shirts, so when I’m looking for clothes, I know most things aren’t going to fit perfectly. I look for that something special that catches my eye about a piece.
• You can find a lot of new items at thrift stores. I’ve bought three pairs of brand new shoes from thrift stores. You will even find clothes with the original tags still on them.
• Become a member of the rewards/loyalty program. There’s no downside. I get 25% off on Thursdays at one place.
• Use coupons and pay attention to sales. One store I frequent has “30% Off One Item” coupons on the back of King Soopers receipts every time.
• Never buy underwear. That’s just nasty.
• Check out thrift stores in more “well off” cities/neighborhoods. You’d be surprised what people give away.

Get out there and check out your local thrift stores to Up Your Fashion Game. It’s the best feeling when you find something awesome, and it only costs $5!

 

“When you walk into a thrift store, you cannot have any expectations. Like none of that “Oh, I’m looking for a rain jacket” stuff. Forget it. You’re never gonna find a rain jacket that way. You have to be open-minded, and you’ve gotta dig around the entire store” – Macklemore