Behind the Scenes: Thrifting

This is Part II from my guest blogging posts at the small things blog...

Hello, again! Glad to get to share some thrift store clothing shopping tips with you today.

Thrifting...oh so trendy right now.

But is it for you? I have to say that you have to try it to find out. For some people, it is not worth the effort, while for others, it is like digging for buried treasure!

When you thrift shop, I want you to remember 3 things:

1) You are looking for outfit "pieces" (with the exception of dresses) and what I mean by that is that you may not find an entire outfit in one trip (I think I only have one time) but you may find a part of an outfit that you love!

2) You have to keep in mind what color or pattern you are looking for because many thrift stores are sorted by color and are often easier to browse as you look for patterns. For example, if I want a nautical-looking striped top, I can skim the tops of the blouse/shirt section to see if there are any.

3) Patience! You must have the patience to look closely and to try things on. I still often limit myself to an hour (just so I don't go insane) but I also take that time to try on my items. I can't tell you how often something I thought would work DID NOT and vice versa.

You will develop your own favorite sections based, of course, on your style statement (see yesterday's post).

My personal favorites are:

Jackets/Coats: These normally expensive items can be found for a fraction of the normal cost. I am specifically enjoying the blazer trend since they are easy to find at thrift stores.

Tops: These are easy to browse by color or pattern and because of the variety of styles that are currently "in", I can even look at larger sizes of tops in order to get a more flowing look.

Skirts: I actually have to limit myself from buying the amounts of skirts that I tend to find. Especially since the maxi skirt trend began!

Don't be afraid to explore the other sections: pants (require more patience), shoes (hard for me as a germphobe :), sweaters (beware if you have dust allergies), belts, purses, jewelry, housewares, decor, books...and the list goes on!

I hope this helps you to give it a try!

Happy Thanksgiving!