I've done very little shopping this year but have had success thrifting. My goal was just to replace (my wardrobe is in a good place and I have other budget priorities).
Without planning, I promptly found a Land's End navy striped dress... I already have around 11 sleeveless blue summer dresses so I can't say I needed it, but it was beautifully made and a perfect fit (I'll link if I can find the post). https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....gotta-give
I wanted a replacement for my white Dr Scholl sandals that had given up the ghost. I was willing to pay for new Dr Scholl's or Birkenstock, but they don't exist in white in my size. Then I came across a pair of Clark's with cork sole and leather footbed, new with tags, while on vacation, browsing secondhand for baby books for grandbaby.
A second pair of sandals made a fortuitous appearance, since I still haven't found the box of summer footwear I put away last September...
While packing for vacation, I discovered that BOTH of my (ancient) swimsuits had perished elastic. I only had time to check out the local thrift store. Amazingly I found not one but two one-piece suits, that fit perfectly when I got home to try on, in excellent condition. Both are more "me" than the ones I replaced.
I haven't identified any other wardrobe needs for this year, but if I do, for sure I will be checking out secondhand first!