Are you thrift or no thrift? - YouLookFab Forum

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Are you thrift or no thrift?

Peri

Veteran

I'm curious about it...it seems to be gaining popularity. Among some high school kids I know it is even the cool thing to do. Some on this board often refer to it and they always look great.

On the other hand, someone (I'm so sorry I've forgotten who, and apologize for taking your post) has very recently said that stopping thrifting improved her style.

I'm not sure if I could get over the idea of wearing a stranger's clothes, but that's not my biggest obstacle. My biggest thing keeping me from trying is that I honestly can't tell what is dated! Someone will post something and the general concensus is that it is dated and it will be because of some tiny detail that I can't see and I'll be thinking that it looks exactly like what is in the stores right now. And considering that thrift items are not brand new, how could I go to a thrift store and not come home with a bunch of dated items that aren't any better than what I just purged?

Just curious, wondering how and why people thrift successfully.

General

62 replies

Latest reply was from ironkurtin

Echo

Veteran

There are many people who are expert thifters here! I, sadly, am not. First, being in many thrift shops aggravates my allergies, and second, I am too often tempted to buy things that are completely impractical because it is "only ___!"

My sister collects and deals in antique glass, and she often finds treasures in thrift shops, though.

Oh, and this isn't really topical, but anytime someone mentions thrift shops now, I have that song by Macklemore in my head that I never would have known about unless my DS13 had told me about it. It was very popular among the middle school crowd! http://vimeo.com/56256943

Vildy

Veteran

Right now I'm doing Shop Your Closet but have thrifted for many years and is why I have so many good choices in that closet. I keep up with trends and have often used thrifting to try out my version of the trend. I'm happiest like that because I don't *want* to look exactly like everyone else. One good way of telling what is dated is whether you would see something very like your thrift store item in a current retail display or not. Of course, that means you would have to go on a research expedition.

Another thing that I enjoy, and wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, is to start introducing styles that everyone has been reviling for years already. As soon as most folks have finally thrown them out of the closet, they're poised for a comeback.

Diana

Veteran

I generally don't thrift clothes because of smell/allergy issues. But I like looking through the jewelry at thrift stores.

Parsley

Veteran

I'm not against thrifting, but I've never had any luck at it other than for costumes or children's clothes. Maybe I just don't have the patience to pick through a lot of stuff to find something good. I think the pickings are better in some communities than in others, too. Where I live it sometimes seems that high end= Chicos!

I think there's a time/money tradeoff: if you have a lot of time but very little cash, thrifting makes a lot of sense. If you're short on time but have a larger budget it might not be as practical for you.

I am always in awe at some of the great finds that people here have come up with, but truth be told, I've also seen some not-so-great items that people have bought just because they're bargains. I think there's such a thing as "thrifting goggles" just as there are "sales goggles".

Anonymous

I'm not crazy about thrift stores. Like everyone is saying, I get allergies as well plus the organization of thrift stores would drive you nuts. Disorganization drives me crazy. I'm in accounting what do you expect. LOL.

Vildy

Veteran

One thing that is helpful is to avoid prints. Prints can be very specific to a certain era or even year.

Glory

Veteran

It is very popular here amongst teens - both middle school and high school. I agree with echo that this is a result of the very popular song.
I don't thrift because shopping completely overwhelms me and I feel very little faith in my abilities to pick up to date fashion.
Plus I think I would compromise due to prices being so excellent. Then end up donating back to the stores.

Adelfa

Veteran

Thrifting overwhelms me too, Glory! I don't have the ability to scan-select-scan that thrifters have. I focus on individual items and get bogged down quickly, and then exhaustion follows.

I am convinced that style of information processing is the most important factor in determining whether one likes to thrift.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I'm not a huge thrifter, never have been. It's funny, I have patience to rifle through discount stores like TJMaxx, but I find that process less appealing in thrift stores. I have a little bit of that aversion to the "someone else's clothes" feeling. I have to be in the right mood. There are a couple of nice consignment shops near me that I find a little more appealing, but their selection tends to be very conservative, so I just am not that interested.

Vildy

Veteran

You know, I don't do yard/garage sales. It drives me crazy that people are so prideful about stuff they're kicking out of their house.

Angela

Dear Peri,
I LOVE shopping in charity shops (which is what we call them in the UK), for the exact reason that what you find is unusual, and not *quite* on trend. I have a charity/thrift shop in my village, which is always full of beautiful, expensive clothes. I agree with others that the experience can be daunting or frustrating and, sometimes, just plain nauseating, but I with the luxury of time, I think it's a fabulous way to spend an hour.
The only advice I would give is to shop for specifics, go with a wish-list. I saw YLF-Angie's red pencil skirt and I went on the hunt and found it, in my local thrift shop!! I could not believe my luck!

Reduce, re-use and recycle! Some stuff anyway!
Good luck!

Wow, my first post on YLF! *Slopes off for a lie-down*

deb

Veteran

I am definitely a not thrift. I have nothing against it, it is just not for me.

DonnaF

Veteran

I've thrifted some, but yes, Peri, I've realized that I can't always tell what's dated. Where I live, thrift store prices aren't all that great, and I've had more misses than hits. Guess I can say the same thing about shopping at Ross. Thus, I'm trying to stay away from both places, especially since the return window is so limited. Also, I've finally learned that just because a store is selling a particular style doesn't mean that the style isn't dated; it just means that they know someone will still buy it.

shedev

Veteran

I'm yes to thrift. I'm pretty picky about what I thrift. I dress to a persona rather than to trend so being modern vs dated isn't as important to me as it may be to others. I do have many things that feel personally dated to me. I used to love them but have moved on or really feel like the current version really is a lot better.

Deborah

Veteran

I thrift a little (we call it Op Shopping) lol. in my opinion you have to be very discerning. My rules are the item has to be current or vintage, in excellent condition. Also things that are perhaps a little unique and I keep an eye out for designer items or pieces that would ordinarily be outside of my budget. I find that fashion is so expendable, and people so changeable that even current seasons garments can be found in thrift shops. Last year I purchased a tailored jacket from one of my favourite thrift stores. The jacket was current season, exquisite quality, brand new with tags, known label and retails at $250 and I picked it up for $15.00:). Some of our retailers send seconds (though this isn't) and surplus stock to our thrift stores:).

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JulieJohn

Veteran

I have had a couple of good experiences but I am kinda turned off. A close member of the family is a hoarder so maybe that's why I have an instinctive aversion. Plus not a lot of time to shop.

Neelie

Veteran

I don't enjoy thrifting, there is always a musty smell in the stores that I cannot tolerate. I do love to get hand-me-downs from people I know though...a girlfriend recently gave me 2 pairs of jeans that she didn't like on her that I love. So I have nothing against second hand clothes, I just like to know who had them before me!

soobee

Veteran

But sh*t, it was 99c!

I like to shop for accessories at op shops. I can sometimes find some unusual things. It's not very often I can find good quality plus sized clothing though. I do tend to try my hand at ebaying too, as I'm in a smallish town and my shopping options are limited.

Anonymous

I was raised on thrifting before it was a verb. My mom used to purchase ladies dresses in thrift stores and use the fabric to sew dresses for me and my sisters. As a kid I at first had no problems when other little girls said "I like your shoes, where'd you get them?". I didn't know when I said "Salvation Army" that they would make a face and say something nasty. It didn't stop me from thrifting though. In my 20s-40s ladies were shocked and impressed with my finds. Now the world of thrifting has changed. It seemed to get more popular about the time bloggers started posting about thrift shopping and the collapse of the US economy. The increase in shoppers makes it harder to find nice stuff. The nice things are also easier to find in consignment stores and EBay now then in donation type stores. The prices are higher now too.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I used to go with my mother - she had a great eye for quality & could find designer clothing that others would miss. She would have them dry-cleaned & altered if necessary & always looked amazing.

I shopped like this too for years but I don't find it worth it now. Maybe it is just my current location. A lot of these charity shops in Australia now sell their better donations to "dealers" who then sell them in designer recycle boutiques.

MsMaven

Veteran

Growing up I wore too many hand-me-downs from my aunts and older sister.

I did some excursions to consignment shops about fifteen years ago and didn't find much that I would wear or that would fit me. Like the store racks at sales and end of season, my size is one of the most popular and the first to disappear. I later learned that it is important to find out which days new acquisitions are put out for sale when you'd have a better chance of finding a wonderful piece before anyone else.

Now that I'm older I have problems with allergies--I'm allergic to lavender. Also, I find the smell of Febreeze nauseating--too many places use it.

I did enjoy the YLF exchange we had at the beginning of 2012. Some of the clothes I tried on were brand new. It was fun to try on a variety of things and get instant feedback from objective spectators.

Betti

I tend to do it in spurts. But I'm VERY picky and VERY careful (I'm so scared of getting bedbugs and hate odors too). We have a huge Salvation Army store near us that always has a good amount of current high end clothes, is clean and well organized, but their prices are quite high for thrift. I've actually paid less for new items on clearance. Recently I did pick up a BR velvet jacket that still had the store tags on it, still in style for $18, and a really cool silver mesh cuff bracelet for $5. I wear the bracelet almost every time I go out.

amiable

Veteran

I have a weakness for thrift stores - I love the idea of re-using what someone discarded, and love the prices. Because of YLF I'm learning to be MUCH pickier, which has (maybe unfortunately) made thrifting that much more fun for me - finding something that fits perfectly, isn't out-dated, etc. Nearly my entire wardrobe is thrifted. (And I'm not afraid to alter thrifted stuff to fit when I paid very little for it).

Peri

Veteran

Thanks for your replies everyone! The idea of trying it out is tempting to me but at the same time, I know my weakness pretty well and I don't think I would be very successful at it.

They are: I'm persnickety, so the smell many of you refer to would send me back out the door! I am really terrible at sifting through jumbles...I can't even shop at TJ Maxx and Kohls, and I hadn't thought of that until Janet made the comparison. I really require display and presentation for me to see items at all. Like Glory and Adelfa, shopping overwhelms me. And I do truly believe that I would not be able to judge what was dated and what wasn't.

Hey, best to know one's self! And nice that it's not just me. But I'm still in awe of those of you who can do it. Thanks for your insights.

nancylee

Veteran

I'm not a thrifter myself, although my son and his friends (especially when they were in high school) are big-time thrifters. I think it's great when clothing gets a second life, but at this point in my life thrifting is not for me. I've never had much luck with it; it seems like making thrift purchases work well requires a lot of re-working, time, and effort....so I applaud those who can make it work for them.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I used to shop vintage a lot in my 20s. It was big in Toronto, where I lived. And I found some fun items. I didn't really have a personal style, and my thrifted items injected a bit of personality into my otherwise quite dull wardrobe.

Later, I shopped in second hand shops (a bit different than vintage.) But I didn't often find much that I liked. So I stopped.

Just after I lost weight, I went back to those stores in order to fill out my almost nonexistent wardrobe. And I got to know the (few) vintage and consignment stores in my town as well. I'm glad I did. I could not have afforded to buy a wardrobe at full retail price, and I learned a lot by buying and trying and then recycling.

The pickings are not great here (as they are where Claire and Shannon live). Yet I've found some wonderful bargains -- charcoal wool Theory wide-leg trousers for free at my local consignment store (free because of the balance on my account), my fuchsia silk suit for $20. The problem is, you're as likely to find nothing as something, and it's easy to be blinded by "thrift" goggles.

At the same time, shopping this way allows me to experiment with colours, cuts, or silhouettes that I might not otherwise try.

I find I'm doing it less and less as my desire for a modern style becomes more apparent to me. And I'm much more selective in the shops I frequent. To lump consignment in with vintage and thrifting is misleading, I think. Each is a bit different.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I haven't tried thrifting (yet), but I will say that I've always thought that people who are very good at it are way more stylish than I am, and somehow 'know' what to buy.

I am amazed and inspired by the thrift store finds that YLF'ers have posted here. Hopefully I'll feel confident enough to try it myself one of these days.

I've always thought that those who are able to find fabulous things at thrift stores really know what they're doing, and have a much more developed sense of style than I do.

That's really the only reason I haven't tried it yet myself. Because I feel like I don't "know" what to buy.

It's this teensy lack of confidence in my style choices that stops me from trying the thrift stores. Being able to find the best of the best in a second-hand store, thrift store or even a consignment shop requires a level of style and 'know how' that still feels just a bit beyond me.

I'll get there one of these days.

rachylou

Veteran

I like to thrift, but I'm not a regular. I get a bee in my bonnet a few times a year - which is probably one of the reasons I'm bad at it. But there are other reasons. I'll go through a rack and then DD will come behind me and find something totally cute that I somehow missed.

Easier for me is to go to the upcycle shop. These ladies take old clothes and redesign them.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

I'm a huge thrifter - always have been. It's never bothered me about the item being "someone else's clothes" - that's what a washing machine/dry cleaner is for. And besides which, when you try on brand new clothes in a store, that same pair of jeans could have been on 50 other people that day trying them on. To me it's pretty much the same thing.

I use thrifting to try out new silhouettes or styles for me but I've learned that I need to be very careful. I can very easily venture into the hideous and ill-fitting and have to keep a tight rein on myself.

I have also recently realized that I have been using thrifting as of late for the wrong reasons and so am backing off a bit. But I have found fantastic items like my blush Zara wool blazer I'm looking forward to busting out in the fall.

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