As my apology to you for going so many days without posting, I will give you a few of my tricks on thrifting. I know, I know, 'Second hand clothes?? EWWWW' not true. If you do this right, you can find some really amazing DESIGNER things for dirt cheap.
1. Know where to go
Keep your eye out for good second hand and vintage stores. Places like Value Village are not going to offer much, but can always be a good side trip for costume jewelry and similar items; however, I would save these places to find a costume you'll wear only once to a themed party (be sure to sanitize everything first). Plato's Closet and Buffalo Exchange are two well known second hand stores. They are very picky on the items they buy from people and therefore offer a much better selection.
2. Do your research
Before you go on your thrifting journey, make sure you read reviews online about the stores you plan on going to. This research is even more important if you plan on selling things. You don't want to go into a store expecting big bucks and leave having sold only half your items for a fraction of what you expected to make. If you're a big customer service freak (like me) don't be heart broken if you run into some ill-tempered employees.
3. Know what you're looking for
This is SUPER important, otherwise you might end up spending a lot more money than you wanted. Go in with a plan, and come out with just that, unless, of course, you come across something amazing and at an even more amazing price. What are you waiting for, BUY IT, are you crazy??
4. Know quality
If you're looking for a designer item, don't settle for the first you see if the quality isn't completely there. If you want Joe's Jeans, don't buy the $30 ones with the worn knees. Look around and pay the extra $20 to get ones that look brand new. Just think, if you were buying brand new you'd be paying over $160. Paying $50 for jeans that someone probably only wore twice is well worth it, especially if they're Joe's.
5. Customize when applicable
I'm talking about shoes, tshirts and jackets. If you buy second hand shoes, make sure you put in your own insoles to save your feet and speed up the break in process. Shoes form to your feet over time, if they have already formed to the previous owner's feet, it'll take some time to pick up your particular foot shape. If you buy a tshirt (which I wouldn't advise because, hello, everyone's pits are gross) and it doesn't fit exactly right, make it your own. Everyone needs a restyled vintage inspired tshirt. Cut a curve from shoulder to shoulder to create a draped look, cut it into a boxy tank, just PLEASE do not do the trashy side ties. By jacket I mean something like a blazer. Instead of spending money to get it tailored, get crafty and buy some ribbon. Use a needle and thread to put a few stitches in the lower back area of the blazer, bunching the fabric evenly to make it more fitted. Stitch the ribbon to the bunched area and tie a bow!! CUTE!!
This is probably my favorite picture I have ever posted! HA! Joking, I just wanted to show you the Seven's I bought for $40 on my thrifting journey--Super comfy!
These are my Cameron Diaz from 'Knight and Day' inspired boots. I looked everywhere for these things and had a super good feeling at Plato's Closet, I turned around and BAM! There they were!!
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