How To Thrift Shop For Clothes – Essential Tips
How To Thrift Shop For Clothes
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed, it’s the fact that everybody wants to first know where to thrift shop for clothes. No judgment here, but if you allow me to share some thrifting wisdom, I’d recommend for you to first discover the ‘why’. Why do you want to start thrifting? Just because it’s a “trend” right now? Just because everybody is doing it and you want to hop on the thrift train?
Why thrifting?
Or is it because you really want to explore the thrift world for yourself? This will make things a lot easier for you. Why? Well, just because the “where” will not always be pretty or as you imagined or expected. People who only do it for the “trend” tend to quit along the way when they realize that the process is not as glamorous as they thought nor do they always find something right away. In some form or way, it simply is not what they expected. As for people who are there because they genuinely have an interest, they wouldn’t mind the process, because they are there to explore. So yeah. What’s your why?
I’ve always been the one to repurpose an old piece of clothing, switch it up and make it exciting to wear again. It’s like wearing your own creation and making it look good! It’s kind of the same thing when it comes to thrifting for me. It’s like tapping into my creative side when I find something unique and I already, in my head, piece it with something else I have in my closet. The thrill for me is making it work when everyone else thought it was trash. It also brings out my personality which I think is fantastic! When you know why you wish to thrift, you will be open to anything.
Where to thrift for clothing
We discussed a little about the how and why to thrift shop for clothing. Now, let’s discuss where to start. You can start basically anywhere. I started thrifting through my mother’s clothes when I didn’t even know thrifting was a thing. You can also call that auntie, cousin, or uncle with the dope wardrobe and ask them to come to you first before giving the clothes away. You can also visit a thrift shop, making it a fun trip. You also have the option to shop for second-hand clothing, online. The possibilities are endless when your “why” is in the right place!
What’s your budget?
Nowadays, there are a lot of thrift shops popping up. Before you start looking for places to thrift, you should start by sorting out what you want budget-wise. Thrifting can be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be. Ya girl loves to save coins so I go for cheap. Do you want to know what the best part is?? When it comes to thrifting, cheap doesn’t necessarily mean cheap.. get it?? Just because the pricing is cheap, doesn’t mean the quality is cheap, now there’s a win-win situation right there *wink wink* !!
Thrift shops
You should also figure out what you want when it comes to the state of the clothes. You can go from “never worn” to a worn dress with a broken zipper. These, most definitely, are things to consider. I love making trips to Kringloop Rijswijk, Leger des Heils, or Pakkie Deftig. They have amazing stuff. Keep in mind tho, with these shops, there’s a 99% chance that these pieces have been worn already. But the great thing is, you can see and feel the clothes for yourself and you can try them on as well. Keep in mind that you won’t always find something, so this journey requires patience.
Online thrifting
For my online shopping lovers, there is always Vinted. It’s a thrift app and it’s actually amazing! The great thing about Vinted is they are also available for people in France, Belgium, Spain, and Denmark. So you get different styles from different countries (Oh la la) You also have filters so you select what you want to see. The downside with this app is, that for every item you buy, you will have to pay for shipping. It’s a small price to pay, considering you’ll get a unique vintage gem!
I’ve grown to love these shops so much and some of my favorite pieces of clothing are thrifted. So don’t be scared to try it out for yourself and most definitely, don’t let the opinions of others stop you from discovering something fun and new.
Try it out and decide for yourself afterward if it’s something for you or not! Our upcoming clothing swap party is a great way to start don’t you think? May the thrift odds be forever in your favor!
