Two-thirds of my closet was purchased at a thrift store.  Surprised?  If you follow my Instagram, you’re probably not shocked, but if you are, well now you know!  My avid thrift shopping is a product of my attempt to be a more conscious shopper (full blog post coming on this topic soon), and not trying to be dramatic or anything, but it has changed my life.  Second-hand shopping has enabled me to establish the unique and funky personal style that I proudly call my own and share with you all.

I’ve had people tell me on more than a few occasions that they “don’t know how to thrift.”  This always hurts my heart because if I’ve come to know and love the treasure of second-hand shopping, then I want you all to know it and love it too!  Per you all’s request, I wrote a Thrifting Tips blog post this past spring, and today I’ve decided to delve deeper into the thrift process with a Thrift with Me.  Let’s get into it!

Step 1 in my typical thrift process is deciding which store to go to.  Where I live, there are more than a few choices, and each has its own pros and cons.  I have a Goodwill, which is a chain that can be found throughout America, and a few smaller, more local second-hand shops as well.  Goodwill has clothing items for days, but can be extremely hit or miss and takes awhile to go through.  Smaller thrift shops typically take less time to search through, and may contain more modern and trendy clothing.  How much time you’re willing to devote to the clothing hunt and/or what type of clothes you’re looking for can quickly narrow down which store you should shop at for the day.

This day’s thrift store stop was Sid & Nancy. It’s near a university, so I can always count on it to have newer, trendier clothes since mostly college kids are donating to it.  This store has everything from skirts to jumpsuits to pants to jackets to shoes, yet has a smaller selection than thrift stores nearby making it quicker to sift through.

Here’s a peek inside:

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Side note: thrifting is better with friends!  This past thrift trip I spent with my gal, Lindsay, and needless to say, it was a good time 😉  Sifting through racks and racks of clothes can be monotonous and boring, but having a great conversation with an even better friend while doing so, makes it all the worthwhile.

One of my favorite parts about local thrift stores is the cute and quirky set-ups you can find.  This straight-out-of-the-70s chair and feature wall had me heart.  It makes thrifting more exciting and aesthetically pleasing when there are little feature areas in the store.  Now, if only I could move all this stuff to my room…

Step 2 of my thrift shopping ventures is to look for clothes, of course!  Typically, I start searching through the first rack I see then gradually gravitate towards the racks that hold types of clothing I’m trying to find.  At thrift shops, I normally look for unique dresses, jackets, skirts, and pants because this is where you can find the most exciting pieces.  Personally, I find it a waste of time looking through tops and blouses because there are just so! many! (unless I’m looking for a funky graphic tee).  Since I know I can get basics elsewhere, finding unique pieces is what it’s all about for me in the thrift world.  

Also, always make sure to check every nook and cranny of a thrift store!  A lot of times the best pieces are found in the back or behind a bunch of clothes, like the vintage jumpsuit pictured in my try-on haul later in this post.  Speaking of trying on, that is a must for me when shopping.  Sizes are super weird when shopping second-hand, mainly because the clothes come from all different places and times; you can never really know what to expect.  I’d rather not drop $25 on a vintage piece until I know for sure that the size 4 tag is true information 🙂

Here are the pieces I found on this trip:

Okay, look how cute this mirror is!  I’ll take confidence-boosting pick-up lines on my mirror any day.

The first two pieces I tried on were a gray cropped half-zip top with a garnet button-up skirt.  Surprisingly, both items fit well, but I decided the top was too tight when it came to my ability to breathe in it.  The skirt was super cute, but I ended up leaving both items on the rack.  Why?  Ya girl is broke, trying to save her money, and the items were $12 which thanks to cheaper thrift stores is seen as expensive by me.  The struggle, am I right? 😎

The third item I tried on was this GORGEOUS vintage jumpsuit with a built-in belt.  It had shoulder pads (which I’m actually strongly tempted to keep in) and is perfect for an exciting trip I’m going on this coming summer!  Before even putting it on, I knew that if it fit I would buy it.  Luckily, it fit; although, I am going to have to take it to an alterations place to get the pants taken up.  Sometimes getting alterations done is a sacrifice you have to be willing to make when buying thrift store clothes; it all comes down to whether you love the piece enough to do so.  Needless to say, this hot number was swinging in my bag as I walked out of the shop door that evening!

Thrift stores are the establishments that keep me in the fashion blogger business, without them I wouldn’t be able to afford my personal style.  I highly recommend checking out your own local shops, and you’ll be surprised by the cute pieces you can find for any and every occasion!  I hope you all enjoyed this thrift with me.  Don’t forget to check out my Thrifting Tips post for more on how to thrift efficiently and successfully.  Thanks so much for reading!

💜Love, Olivia

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