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Style has always been a huge part of my life, even when I was wearing tacky overalls and Limited Too tees.  And yet, by the time I was a sophomore in high school, I started to become a little bored by my wardrobe. I got tired of going to the same stores at the mall and seeing the same nondescript jeans and t-shirts week after week.  That’s when a few of my friends turned me on to thrift shops, amazing little stores filled to the brim with used clothes of fashionistas past.

While I still do a fair amount of shopping from popular retail chains, thrift shopping can be more economical and it helps broaden my style horizons.  Taking the plunge into the world of thrift shopping is rewarding, but it  isn’t a breeze, but it is so rewarding.  So here are some tips to get you started:

1. Use sites like Yelp or Google Maps to find your local thrift shop. Luckily, thrift shopping veterans love to share their personal experiences at a given shop, so you can read reviews and determine which shop you should venture to first.
2. Plan a thrift shopping adventure with your friends!  It’ll make the experience way more fun and you can give each other feedback.
3. Wear clothes that are easy to get in and out of.  If I know I’m going to go thrift shopping, I usually opt for wearing a dress and a pair of tights.  It’s comfortable and low hassle when I’m trying on a variety of clothing.  Wear what you’ll feel comfortable in, but trust me, you really don’t want to have to keep unbuttoning and zipping and re-zipping your clothes.
4. Patience, patience, patience.  This might be the MOST important tip.  Here’s the thing about thrift shopping: This isn’t going to be organized and predictable like your average retail chain.  Chances are the shop you’ll go to isn’t the most organized, and even if it is, you’ll still have tons of clothes to browse through.  It might be overwhelming, but the last thing you want to do is give the rack a quick once over, assume you don’t see anything you like, and move on to another rack.  I’ve found some real gems by taking the extra step to really look through as much of the clothing as I could.
5. Don’t buy anything overpriced.  Unfortunately, not every thrift store is all that thrifty.  Thrift stores and vintage clothing are growing in popularity–without Macklemore’s help–and ultimately they’re in the business of making a profit.  Just because something is old and worn, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll be sold to you on the cheap.   When it comes to prices, go with your gut.  Do you think that that vintage concert tee is really worth $30?  Probably not.
6. Try on and inspect every inch of your items.  Don’t depend on the size label to tell you whether or not an item of clothing will fit.  Some fabrics can be very restricting, and a size 4 in 1964 is not the same as a size 4 in 2013.  Also, check for any rips or stains.  You don’t want to come home and realize that there is a massive hole in the back of that cute 80s mini dress you just bought.  If you find a noticeable imperfection that you can live with, tell a store employee before you purchase it because you might be eligible for a discount.  Don’t count on it though; what you see is usually what you get.
7. Get real.  Let’s say you find a really dope blazer that is giving you some serious Fresh Prince of Bel-Air vibes.  You whistle the theme song as you try it on, only to realize that it is too big.  Consider whether or not you love it enough to pay for an alteration,  but be realistic or else you’re wasting your money.  I can’t even count how many times I’ve bought amazing dresses that fit perfectly but are longer than I like.  I spend ages telling myself that I’ll get it altered, that I’ll watch a Youtube tutorial and shorten it myself…but does that ever happen?  No.  So if something doesn’t fit exactly how you want it to, only buy it if you know you’re going to get it fixed.
8. Be unique.  Thrift stores are prime places to get one of a kind pieces, so take advantage of that!  Create a collection of thrift store finds as unique as you are.  Honestly, it is so rewarding to have  someone ask you where you got your coat and happily sighing, “Oh, it’s vintage.”  It just feels cool, okay?
9. Clean your purchases before wearing them.  Alright, I’ll confess: I know I should do this more often but I usually don’t bother unless my purchase smells like an 80-year-old grandma’s cigarettes and cheap perfume.  But it’s still a good rule of thumb to take the extra step of making sure that your items are clean before you wear them.  It might look clean, but you never know what could be crawling on them.
10. Don’t give up!   Thrift stores are notoriously hit or miss.  I’ve been thrift shopping regularly for about 6 years now and I still have  off shopping days.  Just because you don’t find anything you love the first time you do it, that doesn’t mean that you’ll never find anything that catches your eye.  Keep trying it, you’ll find something you love sooner or later.

Oh, one last thing: Once you buy some awesome thrift store finds, make sure to take some selfies; there’s no shame in it! Make all your friends jealous of that awesome denim jacket you snagged.  Chances are they just bought a similar jacket at Urban Outfitters for twice the price…and chances are yours looks cooler anyway.

Do you have any thrift shopping tips? Have you ever gone thrift shopping? Would you rather buy something vintage or new?  Tell us in the comments!

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