thrifting: how i do it.

so as i impatiently await springs arrival, i thought i would share with you details of something that i love: thrifting.

1) i do NOT go in with a plan.
i realize that this goes against everything pretty much anyone will tell you about thrifting but i find it is far better for you to enter a thrift store or second hand shop or even a yard sale for that matter, with an open mind. just go in and browse rather than hunt. nine times out of ten, every time i go in just for a look around, i end up leaving with something.

2) you must be crafty.
ok, well maybe you don't have to be but it is a plus. i can't tell you the number of fabulous pieces that i have left on the rack because of my fear of sewing. so i decided to perfect my stitching and got to know my sewing machine a bit better and now, there's nothing stopping me. don't know how to sew? that is perfectly ok too. google "no-sew t-shirt reconstruction" and you will see what i mean. also, there are tons of iron-on embellishments and Stitch Witchery is a God send! basically, the only limit is your imagination.

3) labels are everything.
most second hand shops have a base price for items. like, $3.00 blouses or $5.00 jeans. use this to your advantage i. the way i look at it is, i am already getting a great bargain so why not make it even better. example: i see two pairs of jeans in my size and same price. one pair is L.e.i Walmart and the other pair is LC Lauren Conrad from Kohl's. now shopping experience tells me that the better price deal is on the LC Lauren Conrad jeans. i also know that the better quality and durability of these jeans is going to come from the LC pair as well. obvious choice: LC jeans. keep this in mind when you are browsing through clothing. when the prices are inexpensive, you can afford to be a bit choosy as far as brands and labels.

4) try it on.
in some aspects of life size matters. as for clothing from second hand stores, sizing is thrown out the window. try it on. have you ever noticed how different stores have different sizes? like for me, just about every brand carried at Kohls, JCPenney's and Charlotte Russe, fits me like a glove. other stores however are waaaaaay off as far as my sizing. Old Navy for instance must have some ginormous gargantuan size 12 woman they are measuring because i wear almost two sizes smaller in their clothes. American Eagle works the opposite way. keep that in mind. sizing not only varies from store but also through decades as well. as "icky" as it may seem, i cannot stress this enough, try it on!

5) clothes are not everything.
do not be limited by only purchasing clothing items. i cannot tell you the number of handbags, scarves, belts and even jewelery i have been able to snag up. again, it may need to be embellished a bit or jazzed up just get creative.

also, wash everything before wearing. i know this may seem like common sense but don't say i didn't warn you.


xo -skippy