How to Get into Thrifting If You’ve Never Done It Before

Thrifting is becoming more and more popular due to the increasing interest in sustainability. Anywhere you look you will find content dedicated to it — from TikTok to YouTube, anything related to thrifting is getting attention these days. However, there are still some people who have not tried thrifting yet. Understandably it might seem quite intimidating and different overall when your whole life you were only given the option of mass market and/or fast fashion shopping. Worry not, after reading this article the art of thrifting will become less scary for you.

Benefits of Thrifting

Let’s start by diving into the reasons why you should stop overthinking and just go for it. First and foremost, the planet. We have discussed in the previous articles the importance of thrifting, donating and selling your old clothes, and being mindful of your shopping habits. The amount of clothes that end up in the trash each year is growing exponentially and contributes to the pollution on our planet. Therefore, the best we can all do is try to give a new life to some old pieces, especially as we know fashion trends have the tendency to return every 10 years or so. Thrift shops are perfect for you to find some unique trendy pieces.

Another reason, saving your money. Although due to the increasing popularity of the thrift shops, many of them started bumping up their prices you may still find more affordable pieces than if you were to go to your local shopping mall and bought pieces from Zara or H&M. This is especially why thrifting is becoming more and more popular among the youth today.

Last but not least, uniqueness. How many times has it happened to you that you met someone wearing exact same dress you got from the mass market shop? I can honestly admit that it happened to me twice in my life. Although there is nothing shameful in that, I did in fact feel ashamed and was trying to run away or disappear from the face of Earth. When you go thrifting chances are extremely low that you will run into someone wearing the exact same clothing item as you.

Thrifting Guide

Get Inspiration from Social Media: As with regular shopping, before heading to any store you need to have an idea of what you are looking for. In the fashion world, the best way to do this is by finding inspiration or style icons that you look up to. Fake it till you make it, as they say.

Make a List of Items You Need to Purchase: Now that you have established what your style is, you should make a shopping list. This is a great tip for any shopping you do, frankly, from groceries to clothes and makeup — a shopping list can help you save your time, money, and the regret of buying something you actually don’t need. But especially when starting off thrifting you might feel overwhelmed at first, so having a list to stick to might be a good idea to find exactly what you need.

Find Thrift Shops in Your City: Before you head out into the world of thrifting it would be worth looking into the top recommendations online. We are lucky to be living in the digital age where any information that you need is at your fingertips. There are many websites where customers share their experiences, you can start by checking out the top-rated ones to save yourself from some possible disappointment by going to not-so-friendly or well-curated thrift shops.

Stick to the List: Needless to say that going shopping is always overwhelming as it seems that the pieces are staring at you and calling your name. That’s why you need to open the shopping list that you should have created earlier and follow it to not get carried away with the endless amount of items at a thrift shop.

Check Each Item Carefully: Now, remember, these are pre-owned items. How well-preserved and loved they were is for you to determine. That’s why inspecting each item is so important when thrifting. Most of the time, items at thrift shops look brand new, and even if they look old it’s ‘the vintage’ type of old not ‘my grandpa wore it in the 20s’ type of old.

Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun while shopping! Try out new things, explore the rails, sometimes the best buys are found unexpectedly. The only way to find it out is by actually going out there and paying attention. In no time you may turn into a pro and who knows maybe you will become the next style icon?

Photo: JulieArnhem/Shutterstock

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