The Budget Fashionista

Do you guys have any great tips for shopping thrift stores. As a frequent thrift store shopper, my top tip is the smell test. If it smells musty, most likely it will stay musty,

I carry a card with all waist, length, bust measurements of my family members.
I carry one of those free paper tape measures from Home Depot or other store (Ikea also has them) to take measurements of garments because you can never rely on size since many items have ‘shrunk’ or stretched from their original size.
I carry a list of specific items I’m looking for so I’m not ‘dragged away’ or overwhelmed by all that’s there.  I know what I’m looking for (say, a black blazer for my daughter) and that’s ALL I look at.  It’s tough but it saves a lot of time and frustration.
If shopping for myself, I wear a tank top so I can try on sweaters, blouses, etc. without having to go to a dressing room (and some stores don’t have a dressing room.)
I keep a pair of ‘peds’ so if I’m trying on sandals, I am protecting my feet!

Go early when the have a % off tag sale.You can come home with more than you intended.I always carry a paper tape measure in my bag at all times.

OK, so I’ve been unemployed for the last 6 months (!!!!) so I’ve had to put all my budget fashionista powers to work for me even more than usual!  :down:  Thank goodness Dallas has lots of great thrift stores.  Last week I went to a local Salvation Army “Family Store” just for grins, and WOW!  The very first item I saw was a fabulous mid-century modern round glass coffee table—I bought it on the spot for a mere $50!  Not only that but on Wednesdays, clothes are 50% off and Thursdays, furniture is 25% off.  Surprisingly, they really do have some NICE stuff.  I may even go back again this week to pick out a few thrifty Christmas gifts.  Hey…I don’t have to say where I got them, right?  ;-)

First things first!  Eat a decent meal, pack a bottle of water, leave kids with DH or sitter and have general want-list.  I find better things when I have a guideline of what I am needing in the closet.  If you have been in the store for a couple of hours, take a breather outside.  Know what colors suit you best, then you can zip through the racks quickly!  Always check enclosures WELL!  I had found a great black and blue winter coat-well-fitted, functional and sassy, THEN I checked the zipper…not fixable!  Be realistic!  Are you REALLY going to fix it, hem it or dry clean it?

I look for good quality basic items in neutral colors, solids, especially black - these things often get overlooked when mingled in with tons of other stuff on the racks.  If there is a long rack of 50 black pairs of black pants, many people will get tired halfway through.  You have to look at every single item so you don’t miss that “gem”.  When looking at dresses, I look for dresses that might be “outdated” just because of length; I recently purchased a cool (but way too long) ABS dress, had a couple of inches taken off the bottom and now it looks modern and new.  It does add a bit to the cost, but the dress was only $7.00!

One of the most important tips I can give is To Take Your Time!!  Don’t rush through.  You might miss a great piece thats hidden in the racks!

Great tips Laurenstamps; THX!

Tips;
Don’t rush through, and don’t over look anything
If you like something, but you’re scared the size doesn’t fit you, try it on anyways; you never know it might look better baggy
Carry socks if you’re going to be wearing sandals just incase
Wear a tank top to save from going to the fitting room for too much
Keep hand sanitizer in your bag just incase :D

I make sure I am wearing clothes that are easy to get in and out of so I can try things on. I try to keep what I am looking for down to maybe three items like sweaters, dress pants and jackets. When I go through the racks I look at the fabrics first. Since everything is shoved in the racks you can’t see the garments like you could in a retail store with displays. If you have a pretty good eye for fabrics and what looks like quality you can pick out designer and better quality clothes. Some of the thrift stores where I live throw all sizes and colors in together. Other ones sort by size and color.

I also try looking one size up. Since what a medium or a large is seems to vary I do find things that are more of a medium in the larges or someone mis-racked it. I look for stains and damage first. I find damage on really nice clothes frequently. Some are obviously easy to get out and other ones I just won’t touch. Slight neck stains on a shirt usually will come out. Heavy arm pit stains usually won’t.