One of my absolute favorite things to do is go thrifting. I love the thrill of the hunt…and how you never really know if you’re going to strike out or hit the jackpot!

People always say “you always find the good stuff” – so do you wanna know my secret?!

PATIENCE.

That, and knowing a few tricks that I’m sharing with you below!

BEFORE YOU EVEN GO:

• Have a plan going in: are you there to shop for something specific (maybe off of a note in your phone of things you are missing in your closet), are you hoping to find some items to resell, or are you just going in see if you find something cool?
• Don’t try to go when you’re hungry or cranky or have a tight time deadline – I am truly speaking from experience here…lol. You’re going to want to be on your A-game to have the patience to search through hundreds of items!

WHEN YOU WALK IN:

• Check for any storewide sales, section sales, or tag color sales.
• Pick a section you are most needing something from/most excited about, and stick there. Don’t jump around or you’ll miss things!
• Quickly glance over items BEFORE you put them in your cart, so that if there are stains/rips/holes you don’t waste time trying it on (or buy without realizing).
• Don’t limit yourself to just being within your size on the rack: items could have been returned to the rack incorrectly AND no one is just 1 size across all brands or items. I would generally consider myself a medium, but often times I find things in the “small” section that fit me just as well!

AS YOU FINISH:

• Pay attention to the return policy: some stores are final sale, some are “exchange only”, so that might factor into your decisions.
• Join loyalty programs if they have them (to get discounts on future purchases, or be notified of promotions ahead of time) – usually they just ask for your email address or phone number.
• Keep track of which stores you like, either by memory, or by making a list in a note on your phone.

IN CONCLUSION:

• I only seem “more successful” because I’ve had a lot of practice & a lot of patience – my “thrift store stamina” is high. I know what styles look good on me, so that helps narrow down the items that I would even THINK to put in my cart. I know what brands I like, and what brands are more expensive, so that helps me identify tags quickly. I know how styles generally fit my body, and have a pretty accurate guess as to if something will fit just by looking at it. You’ll get quicker with practice. I’m not kidding – knowing how to shop for yourself is a skill that must be practiced!
• And I know that sounds a little overwhelming. But, I can help take some of the guess work out of this by helping you learn which types of silhouettes & styles fit you best! Head to the services page of my website if you’d be interested in booking a style session or personal shopping session, where we can narrow down what styles fit YOUR body type the best – so that YOU TOO can be a successful shopper!