thrifting 101: thrift stores

Thrift stores can be super overwhelming, but you seriously can find incredible vintage clothes at amazing prices if you have patience.

1.     just like any other form of thrifting, you have to be patient and understand that you aren't usually going to find ten amazing things at once (And yes, you are more likely to run into something less than desireable that smells funny).  The first time my mom dragged me to Saver's I was an unknowing thirteen year old. I walked out and waited outside because the smell gave me a headache and all the old and used things looked gross.  Now I go whenever I can.

2.     Look in every section!  That means kids, pants, womens, mens, shoes, everything!  People pick things up and put them back in the wrong places.  The employees also may have put it in the wrong section.                                                                                                                                             

3.     Don't spend a lot of money on one thing!  It's a thrift store.  No one should spend $90 on a used dress (It wasn't even cute or expensive to begin with!)  If you are willing to spend that money on a dress, buy yourself a new one.  The point of thrifting was originally to save people money!  

4.     Not only should you look in every section, you should look in every size.  If it is vintage you're after, the size on the tag is different from sizing now. You are a bigger vintage size.  Also, if there are home sewn beauties they won't have a tag.  Employees guess the size.  And trust me, they don't actually care to be very accurate.

5.   Jeans- feel overwhelmed looking at this picture?  Me too.  Followers on this blog know I would choose wearing a vintage skirt or dress over jeans.  For as long as I have been into thrifting, the jeans section is something I have walked around completely.  I told myself not even to look into that isle because it was so much of one thing glaring me in the face.

My mom made me look for jeans.  I found green high waisted pants that weren't jeans at all in that section!  See again, rule 2.  I also have projects requiring vintage jeans.  So I actually, for the first time recently, looked through the entire jean section!  This is a personal victory.