Thrift Shopping 101

So. Here we are.  I have been meaning to start this blog for a long time, but, as per usual, I just haven’t gotten to it until now because of [insert literally a million cliche things].  This isn't really much of an excuse because everyone has crazy lives and not enough hours in the day.
Anyways, there are so many blogs out there, and it’s totally impossible to sift through them all. Some talk about travel, some about dream jobs, and some explain the beautiful and the stressful moments that come with being a parent.  This one will not talk about any of those things.  My goal is not to write about particularly mind-blowing,  Earth-shattering things, but I do believe I have something worthwhile to say.     

I love shopping, fashion, and having a purposeful sense of style.  I do not, however, love spending money and looking at the same style of shirt in the same type of store over and over again.  So, here I will attempt to explain that, in terms of your wardrobe, you can have your cake and eat it too, IF you are willing to put in a little effort. "How?," you may ask. The answer, of course, is thrift shopping. 

I think everyone has had some type of exposure to thrift shopping, though it may have come with visions of frumpy ladies or too-cool-for-school hipsters.  But, the good news is you don't have to be either one to be a thrift shopper.  Everyone can and should look into thrifting.  I may just be making this up, but it seems to me that thrifting is becoming more popular (we may need to partially thank Maklemore..) as more “upscale” resale stores pop up in addition to the bigger stores, like Goodwill. People are realizing that you do not need to spend $2,858 on a Dolce and Gabbana evening bag (yes, that is definitely a real, granted extreme, price).  I have found entire outfits, made up of totally designer items, for less than 20 dollars.  Though sometimes the most interesting finds aren’t by fancy brands at all; they are those unique pieces that give life to your wardrobe.  Yes, thrift shopping can be hard and frustrating at times, but I hope by sharing my experiences I can help others start seeing what great things they can find and how much money they can save by going on the adventure that is thrifting.   

Ok, so as a basic introduction to the wonders you can come across, here is an outfit composed entirely of pieces I got at thrift shops.  I'll explain more about finding them and finding the thrift shops themselves later, but this is just to give some concrete examples of things I have found.  I’ll tell a little about where each piece came from, the price I paid, and, if available, a comparable retail price.  

This is a kind of vintage sweater that I got at an Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners resale store.  Another nice thing about thrift shopping is that sometimes the proceeds from the stores/sales/events benefit charitable organizations. So, the proceeds go to a good cause, and I can literally see this store from my apartment window.  This is probably not a good thing.... It's by Burberrys (apparently the brand became Burberry in 1999), is all wool, was made in Scotland, and is in really good condition. Just for fun, I tried to find one online and actually succeeded. There is my exact sweater on eBay right now for $89.95. So, I'm not sure how much it retailed for, but it was probably a lot. I believe I got it for $9, but I could be wrong. I got it a while ago before I kept better track of the prices.    

Note: I used a scarf (that I got for $3 at a rummage sale, obviously) as a background for most of these because all the potential backgrounds in my apartment are horrible...).  

These are a pair of James Jeans from a shop called The Hope Chest.  All of their proceeds benefit breast cancer research.  They take clothes that are going out of season from some local shops, so these were brand new when I got them.  They retailed at $158, but I got them for about $20.  Again, I am not totally positive of the price, but it was right around there.

Here is a pair of shoes that are from Goodwill.  Goodwill can be harder to navigate than some other thrift stores, but it can really pay off.  Especially when they mark all of a certain color tag down to $1.99!  I'll talk more about Goodwill, and other huge and overwhelming places, in another post.  Stay tuned.  Anyways, these flats are originally from Target (who doesn't love Target??).  The studs on the back are my favorite part.  They retailed at $19.99, but I got them for $4.99.     

I like these earring a lot, so I'm just going to throw a picture of them in here. I got them at the Interfaith Outreach store for a dollar.  I have no idea what brand they are or how much they would have retailed for- I just love the fun, nautical vibe!  

The shirt I am wearing with this is pretty nondescript, but everyone needs basic black t-shirts.  I probably have too many black pieces of clothing. Oh well... I just love black. So classic. This is also from The Hope Chest and was actually free because the lady forgot to ring it up (which I promise I did not realize until AFTER I had left the store).  

Here's the whole thing, though, again, my lighting and backgrounds all are very non-conducive to taking good photos.  I am fully aware of the fact that this a mirror selfie, and I apologize.  I'll take a better one outside and add it on later.   

So, there you go.  This is just a starting point to illustrate the benefits of thrifting.  I have a ton more outfits that I could do this with, but this is just an example to show that you can spend about $35, not $350, and get some really quality items.  You end up having more fun shopping and way more money in your pocket!