If you want to find clothes for a good price but not for bad quality, or clothing that is unique and can easily be personalized, thrift shopping is the way to go. After finding a store it can be difficult to know exactly how and where exactly to start. Here are some methods to keep in mind for beginning thrifters.
While thrift shopping/thrifting isn’t a difficult process, there are some important things to remember. Never forget to push your boundaries, find some inspiration beforehand. Visit thrift shops frequently, and look through every single item in order to be as successful as possible.
Clothing inspiration can be found on social media or in person, in locations like school, malls, or around cities.
“I wouldn’t wear half the things I wear today if it weren’t for me seeing other people that I really like wearing these things really well,” said Conan Gray in his video “How to Thrift Like a Teen.” “Find a few people you love and use their confidence in fashion to help you grow in your fashion sense as well.” These tips just help keep a fresh mindset and can help to change up your style.
Also, when thrift shopping, it is always a good idea to wear simple clothes so that you can imagine wearing anything in the store, and to make trying clothes on easier. Often times this means black shorts/pants and a plain white t-shirt.
The first big step of thrifting is to locate some good stores to shop at. Some popular thrift shops in and around New Berlin are Goodwill and Plato’s closet.
“Find a good store,” said freshman Lilly Walters. “Once you find a good store with the style of clothing you like it is a lot easier.” Both of these stores are great for thrift shopping but some people prefer Plato’s closet because they only carry name-brand clothes.
After finding a store, it is important to decide whether you are shopping for a specific item or just looking around. If you are doing either, it is good to look in all sections of the store and consider how different items could be worn. For example, an old men’s t-shirt could be worn as a dress or just an oversized shirt tucked into jeans, or worn over leggings. An open-mind is a key aspect of thrift shopping because things might not only be wearable for their original purpose.
In addition to wearing things differently, clothing items can also be altered or personally customized to make them more suitable for you. Clothes can be bedazzled, have patches sewn on, or be cut or ripped in order to be more personalized. It is important to envision these possibilities when looking through clothes.
Thrifted clothes have many benefits in addition to their low prices and ability to be personalized. The clothes found in thrift stores are extremely unique which is often favored over clothes that everybody else has. Thrift stores have clothes in different styles, colors and from different time periods. These aspects help make clothes fit your style.
“I love thrift shopping because it’s one of the ways that you get to experiment with fashion and room decor and so many things like that without having to spend too much money,” Gray said.
“I think it’s really cool that you get to reuse clothing, that way beautiful pieces of clothing don’t get thrown away.” Next time you are looking to shop, consider going thrift shopping and remember these tips and tricks for the best results.