Thrift Friday (again). The Ick Factor

When people react to thrifting with shock and a touch of fear or even disgust, it takes me right back to elementary school. While I grew up surrounded by other big Dutch families on a budget, I still have distinct memories of being teased for wearing second hand clothing. I was also teased for having a bowl cut, pink glasses and a massive accent... Basically, I wanted to be this girl instead when I was younger...

(This has nothing to do with thrifting but my parents brought over a box of my old school work and this is a classic that I had to share. My Grade 5 self drew this as the epitome of all that I wanted to be as a teenager. )

I grew up wearing a lot of second hand clothing, so thrifting has never phased me. In general, my 'ick' tolerance is pretty high, I can handle dirt under my fingernails like I can handle a man's popped collar... But I know that there are many people who have an aversion to the very idea of thrifting. I get a brief moment of understanding concerning this aversion when I walk into a particularly musty thrift store and a wall of that smell hits you. You know... that smell...

Thankfully, most thrift stores I frequent do not offend my olfactory senses and I merrily peruse the racks in complete comfort. I think most of the 'ick' factor of thrifting is a mental state and there will always be some people who find the idea abominable. There is room in the world for everyone, I just hope that if you don't thrift, you drop your closet purges off for us who do... For those who find thrifting only slightly questionable and need a little persuasion to get over the mental block and go to the dark side, here are some ideas to ease one into thrifting.

Start with Consignment. Consignment stores are filled with second hand clothing that has been selected not simply donated and sorted. The clothes are often higher-end merchandise that has been washed and carefully inspected. The prices are decent too, not grab the cashier in a wild hug kind of prices but definitely worth checking out. It's a small step to get one used to the idea of wearing previously worn clothing.

Look through accessories. I wrote a post previously, gushing over my rather embarrassing and extensive collection of thrifted belts. The best part about most accessories like belts, jewelry and purses is that they are often hung up or laid out on display in the thrift store; no scrounging or intensive searching is necessary. In fact you can even keep one hand free for a beverage... if you need one. Somehow wearing some one's necklace seems less intimidating then wearing their old sweater. Accessories are also super easy to clean (Lysol wipe or even just an old fashioned damp cloth )...

Have a cleaning routine. I used to thrift and leave bags of thrift greed all over the house. A bag with a dress that needed to be dry cleaned, a bag with a skirt that had a broken zipper and another bag with some sweaters waiting for a hand wash. And there was clutter in my brain and my room and my girly cat would eat the handles off the plastic bags because she's a crazy and it was all. just. bad. news. For a rather unorganized lady like myself, I proudly now have a rigid system in place whereby I clean and organize all my thrift finds. It makes a world of difference and I feel 100% comfortable with what I take home. And yes, I will share this little system of mine... next week... because I want to leave you hanging like a commercial break on Full House.

(...I will however entertain you with the close-up of my early fashion icon. The bangs, the blush, the heart patches... clearly fashion has always been my calling.)

Does any part of thrifting ick you out? Do you avoid any items or is all fair in love and thrifting?