How To Thrift Store Shop, Part 1
I received this comment on a post last week:
Before shopping
At some point, I learned to look at a garment on the rack and know with some certainty how it would fit me. This isn't a skill anyone needs unless they shop as obsessively as I do, but I think everyone should acquire a simpler one: know quality, instinctively. When you walk into your average Goodwill, there will be racks of hideous clothing obscuring your view of the gems within. You can scrutinize every single item, but it's exhausting and discouraging. If you learn the marks of a quality garment (which I will list), you can tell in a glance whether it's truly worth inspecting further.
Know Your Body, Know Your Lifestyle
I apologize for belaboring any obvious points here, but a thrift store can be a dangerous place. When you're in a store entirely full of items under $10, it can be easy to buy something you will never wear because "it's only four dollars!". Owning things that don't suit your body or your life will cause you at least $4 worth of pain, and another $4 of anxiety when you attempt to get dressed in an environment full of unsuitable garments.
The Mindset
Know that you can't go into a thrift shop with a specific need: "I need a dress for a date", "I need a fall jacket", etc. It might work sometimes, but for the most part it will leave you with items that aren't really what you wanted, and aren't really worth owning. Part of the fun of thrifting is the liberating serendipity of it all.
The Scan
"The scan" is what I call that critical gaze that will save you from inspecting every single garment, and thus save you hours of shopping time. Think of Adrian Monk, obsessive-compulsive detective, investigating a crime scene. If you don't watch Monk... I don't know what's wrong with you. I'll do this in categories.
Note that my tips are for thrift shops and not vintage shops (which are carefully curated, and need much less discerning of a "scan").
Sleeveless shirts & t-shirts: don't bother. I've not once found anything sleeveless or in t-shirt material worth owning; ironic slogan t-shirts are for assholes and highschoolers.
Jeans & pants: It sounds so unbearably snobbish, especially given my last comment on t-shirts, but I do not buy jeans or pants at thrift stores. Ever.
Jackets & coats: look for shoulder seems that are neat, and close to the rack from which they hang. Most jackets will be enormous. You can save yourself a lot of time by looking only at those that have neat shoulder seams (a mark of good workmanship) and that are high on the hanger, signifying a smaller size.
Blouses: here you want to look at two things simultaneously: the shoulder seams, and the material. Oftentimes it's hard to determine material by appearance alone, so you should look for colors and prints that appeal to you or jump out at you. Those items will receive your further attention.
Skirts: this is really a free-for-all... it depends on what you like in a skirt. Do you like long? short? knee-length? Me, I look for anything with tweed, houndstooth, pleating, and fun prints or unexpected colors. Those are simply the things I like to wear.
Belts & bags: look for details above all. A belt buckle with a nice curve; leather with a rich color; things you've never seen before. I shop at thrift stores to buy unique items, not basics. It's rare that I find a basic belt or bag at a thrift store that isn't made of cardboard, or otherwise of garbage quality.
Shoes: in my opinion, shoes are the easiest thing to shop for. It's easy to spot what's approximately your size, and a shoe with beautiful lines is obvious from a mile away. Once you find one in your size, trying it on takes seconds, and determining if it's comfortable doesn't take much longer. I always hit the shoe racks first!
If this all seems superficial and basic, it's because it is! And yet it's surprising how many people insist on looking at every single item on a rack. Unless the racks are small and sparsely packed, it's madness to try and look at everything. Trust me when I tell you you aren't missing anything by scanning and only scanning.
Tomorrow I'll go into the details of determining what's real, and determining what to buy. All comments and personal experiences welcome, as always, and especially for this!
- I'm planning a thrift-store shopping spree in the coming weeks, and I was wondering if you could do a post on some tips on how to shop amongst the chaos. How can you tell if a label is real? What is worth buying? That kind of stuff.
Before shopping
At some point, I learned to look at a garment on the rack and know with some certainty how it would fit me. This isn't a skill anyone needs unless they shop as obsessively as I do, but I think everyone should acquire a simpler one: know quality, instinctively. When you walk into your average Goodwill, there will be racks of hideous clothing obscuring your view of the gems within. You can scrutinize every single item, but it's exhausting and discouraging. If you learn the marks of a quality garment (which I will list), you can tell in a glance whether it's truly worth inspecting further.
Know Your Body, Know Your Lifestyle
I apologize for belaboring any obvious points here, but a thrift store can be a dangerous place. When you're in a store entirely full of items under $10, it can be easy to buy something you will never wear because "it's only four dollars!". Owning things that don't suit your body or your life will cause you at least $4 worth of pain, and another $4 of anxiety when you attempt to get dressed in an environment full of unsuitable garments.
The Mindset
Know that you can't go into a thrift shop with a specific need: "I need a dress for a date", "I need a fall jacket", etc. It might work sometimes, but for the most part it will leave you with items that aren't really what you wanted, and aren't really worth owning. Part of the fun of thrifting is the liberating serendipity of it all.
The Scan
"The scan" is what I call that critical gaze that will save you from inspecting every single garment, and thus save you hours of shopping time. Think of Adrian Monk, obsessive-compulsive detective, investigating a crime scene. If you don't watch Monk... I don't know what's wrong with you. I'll do this in categories.
Note that my tips are for thrift shops and not vintage shops (which are carefully curated, and need much less discerning of a "scan").
Sleeveless shirts & t-shirts: don't bother. I've not once found anything sleeveless or in t-shirt material worth owning; ironic slogan t-shirts are for assholes and highschoolers.
Jeans & pants: It sounds so unbearably snobbish, especially given my last comment on t-shirts, but I do not buy jeans or pants at thrift stores. Ever.
Jackets & coats: look for shoulder seems that are neat, and close to the rack from which they hang. Most jackets will be enormous. You can save yourself a lot of time by looking only at those that have neat shoulder seams (a mark of good workmanship) and that are high on the hanger, signifying a smaller size.
Blouses: here you want to look at two things simultaneously: the shoulder seams, and the material. Oftentimes it's hard to determine material by appearance alone, so you should look for colors and prints that appeal to you or jump out at you. Those items will receive your further attention.
Skirts: this is really a free-for-all... it depends on what you like in a skirt. Do you like long? short? knee-length? Me, I look for anything with tweed, houndstooth, pleating, and fun prints or unexpected colors. Those are simply the things I like to wear.
Belts & bags: look for details above all. A belt buckle with a nice curve; leather with a rich color; things you've never seen before. I shop at thrift stores to buy unique items, not basics. It's rare that I find a basic belt or bag at a thrift store that isn't made of cardboard, or otherwise of garbage quality.
Shoes: in my opinion, shoes are the easiest thing to shop for. It's easy to spot what's approximately your size, and a shoe with beautiful lines is obvious from a mile away. Once you find one in your size, trying it on takes seconds, and determining if it's comfortable doesn't take much longer. I always hit the shoe racks first!
If this all seems superficial and basic, it's because it is! And yet it's surprising how many people insist on looking at every single item on a rack. Unless the racks are small and sparsely packed, it's madness to try and look at everything. Trust me when I tell you you aren't missing anything by scanning and only scanning.
Tomorrow I'll go into the details of determining what's real, and determining what to buy. All comments and personal experiences welcome, as always, and especially for this!
posted by s, 7/23/2006 10:00:00 PM
4 Comments:
Haha, this is exactly how I shop at Forever 21
Good call, I use a lot of the same principles there too.
As a dedicated and experienced thrift store shopper, I'd like to add a few things:
First, I disagree about T-shirts. For women who wear up to size medium, it's always worth a cursory look at the little boy's Ts--the larger ones can have a good fit, and there are often adorable, little-worn polos and striped Ts. Also, if you have a sewing machine, plain men's Ts can be altered for cool off-the shoulder, body-skimming, tunic-y looks. But I agree: stay away from the stupid logos/softball teams/etc. One glance down the row for Ts in great colors and exceptional condition will do it.
I do agree about the pants, though. Maybe once in a million thrift store years will you find a pair of pants worth buying. It has never happened to me.
A sewing machine, by the way, transforms thrift store shopping! If you own one, the dress and skirt sections--and even the sheets and blankets--become a wonderland, not of wearable garments, but of cheap, cool fabric. I've made many an adorable sundress out of somebody's old muu muu.
The jewelry counter is always worth a look, for funky costume finds.
Typically, the best thrift stores are in run-down areas and third-tier cities. Everything's cheaper, and much less likely to be picked over. I've found my best gems in the vast suburban wasteland of the Inland Empire area of southern California, and in Cleveland, OH. Thrift stores in trendy neighborhoods in NY, SF, LA, etc. generally aren't worth it. (Vintage stores, on the other hand, are at their best, but not their cheapest, in these places.)
Oh yeah! Don't forget to look through the records, especially in places that were prosperous, say, in the 60s or 70s, but no longer are. Sad for them, good for your record collection!
First, I disagree about T-shirts. For women who wear up to size medium, it's always worth a cursory look at the little boy's Ts--the larger ones can have a good fit, and there are often adorable, little-worn polos and striped Ts. Also, if you have a sewing machine, plain men's Ts can be altered for cool off-the shoulder, body-skimming, tunic-y looks. But I agree: stay away from the stupid logos/softball teams/etc. One glance down the row for Ts in great colors and exceptional condition will do it.
I do agree about the pants, though. Maybe once in a million thrift store years will you find a pair of pants worth buying. It has never happened to me.
A sewing machine, by the way, transforms thrift store shopping! If you own one, the dress and skirt sections--and even the sheets and blankets--become a wonderland, not of wearable garments, but of cheap, cool fabric. I've made many an adorable sundress out of somebody's old muu muu.
The jewelry counter is always worth a look, for funky costume finds.
Typically, the best thrift stores are in run-down areas and third-tier cities. Everything's cheaper, and much less likely to be picked over. I've found my best gems in the vast suburban wasteland of the Inland Empire area of southern California, and in Cleveland, OH. Thrift stores in trendy neighborhoods in NY, SF, LA, etc. generally aren't worth it. (Vintage stores, on the other hand, are at their best, but not their cheapest, in these places.)
Oh yeah! Don't forget to look through the records, especially in places that were prosperous, say, in the 60s or 70s, but no longer are. Sad for them, good for your record collection!
, at 1:59 PM
Anonymous, I have to admit I'm biased against t-shirts in part because I almost never wear them.
Despite that, these are excellent excellent tips.
Not mentioning jewelry was a complete oversight. Almost 100% of my jewelry is secondhand!
Despite that, these are excellent excellent tips.
Not mentioning jewelry was a complete oversight. Almost 100% of my jewelry is secondhand!
