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2011-01-06

Thrift Thursday. UpGrade You

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All thrift finds (except the jeans).

I have been holding unto this post for a while; I think today's post is one of the most fundamental parts of thrifting and with an inflated sense of self importance, I didn't want this post to be lost in the holiday mayhem of the last weeks. I have also had the title picked out for a long time and predictably, this song has been running through my head incessantly. Listen to it and share my misery.

But this is about upgrading not misery... Thrifting gives you the opportunity to try some finer things in life that you might not ordinarily be able to afford. I am not a food snob, I am not a wine snob but I am a clothing snob. And I would never have been able to enjoy clothes to the extend that I do, without the power of thrift. There are a few ways to optimize your upgrading in a thrift store...

Better Brands. If someone is new to thrifting, it may feel more comfortable to look for the brands that they recognize and often shop for. But this is your chance to get much higher quality garments for a better price. Hence the upgrade. On the thrift hunt I often avoid labels like h&m, F21, Old Navy and any Target brands, not that these places don't have cute clothes, but because the quality usually isn't worth the thrift price tag. We've all bitched that a lot of thrift stores, especially the bigger ones, have been raising the prices lately (yesterday I even posted on The Twitter that I think I may be breaking up with Value Village), and I notice that it is the mall brands that are marked-up the highest. If you find something from a fast fashion label and it is more expensive then you would find it at the end-of-season clearance, then perhaps that sweet deal isn't so good after all. However, I will spring for brands like Gap, Club Monaco and Banana Republic if they are in perfect condition... Of course I have a soft spot for my #1 highschool brand, Gap, but their pieces do hold up really well. And then, finding high end treats from Kate Spade (see shoes above), Tory Burch or Marni are great reasons to dance in the aisles.. You may not always recognize a label (and lucky for you, the person pricing them might not either) but you can often see better quality based on fabric content, finishing and fit. For the sake of your attention span, I plan on doing a post on quick quality checks next week.

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Location, location, location. This overused phrase is not just for real estate anymore... In small thrift stores where everything is mish mashed together, I usually take the time to go through all the racks but in large thrift stores I choose carefully where to look. Hard to believe but I can't shop forever (though it might be fun to try), so I need to use my time wisely... I rarely look through the tanks, tees and long sleeve shirts... yes, I give the rack the quick once over (Ha, I am rereading it and that sounds like a Jersey Shore line but I'm keeping it in...) but I don't go through every piece. T-shirts for example, get worn a lot and so why spend time going through racks of washed out and twisted seamed jersey? Even worse then wasting time? Wasting $4 on this washed out jersey... I rarely say this... but buy a fancy Starbucks drink instead... one with fancy, foreign words. The best racks to get good value are the dress, skirt, jacket and sweater section. You can find items on these racks that have rarely been worn and are of greater quality. There are plenty of people who bought that fancy dress and never wore it, waiting for the right moment, only to grow out of it and donate it... Buy that dress! Don't wait for the perfect timing; wear it to the corner store to pick up smokes and some pepperettes. Well, leave the smokes, I heard a rumour that they are bad for you...

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Shop vintage. It is impossible to find a well-priced wool blazer anywhere new but at the thrift store there are a plethora of vintage ones. Same goes for sweaters. Wool, cashmere, angora thrifted for $5... or $40 for some acrylic blend bought new... Tough choice, right? And the best vintage finds are the handmade dresses. I have made some dresses and know how much work it can be, so it boggles my mind that people are likely donating the dresses that their mothers or grandmothers made by hand. These vintage dresses are often well constructed and they are unique... which is so much cooler then showing up to the prom in the same dress! I know in more urban areas these dresses are sought after and expensive but I find them here in Hamilton for less then that thrifted h&m dress. High five!

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As always, happy thrifting!

73 comments :

upatreecupatea said...

Love love this post.
I totally agree with the tee part...definitely better to buy something at SBUX or Dunkin'!
I look in places where I think I wouldn't find another a lot of the time...the granny dress section has been particularly great! :)

Delane said...

I admire people who thrift. I just don't like wearing other peoples stuff. I have thought of clothing having bad juju. I really wish I could get over it.

That being said, I have scored some incredible scarves and home goods.

Erin said...

Great tips! While Winners might be worth the tee and long-sleeve sections, the thrift store definitely is not! Those ratty, stretched out t-shirts make me want to walk right out the door.

Any chance you'll offer up your favourite local thrift shops one of these Thursdays?

amanda said...

LOVE IT! of course i am a thrifting crazy person, but you write way better than i do. love these posts :)

Anonymous said...

I've been reading your blog forever (well, since the summer - but in internet time, it's pretty much eternity) and found these thrift Thursdays posts so helpful. I was just at a thrift store today today, which just re-opened after being closed for the holidays - meaning I got some really really good stuff after the holiday donations! I do have to say though, sometimes you have to break the "buy no t-shirts" rule for an amazing T-shirt with a detailed moose graphic. Or that's just me...

myedit said...

Erin-yup, I'll share them!
jroselkim- detailed moose graphic is ok. I got a 'This is what a Feminist looks like'tee from talize that thrills me. haha

Anonymous said...

Sound advice. I look forward to next Thursday's post on how to check for quality.

Artfully Awear said...

I agree with everything you said here. My favorite sections at the thrift store are the pajamas (I almost always find gorgeous vintage caftans mixed in) and the children's section (for little boys' shrunken blazers and tees). Thanks for the tips!

Jessica Marie said...

This is a wonderful post filled with great tips! I love thrifting as well, and I'm always drawn to the belt section. Sometimes you can find some marvelous items! Check out the vintage belt I found on my most recent blog...

splendiferousinclinations.blogspot.com

The Suburb Experiment said...

I'm a major clothing snob. . . at a thrift store. I'll happily buy $5 shirts at Target on clearance, but $5 at the thrift store? NO WAY. It's a weird mental block. And I'll only buy clothing made of cotton, silk, or wool at thrift stores. I can't handle "fake" fabrics worn by someone else. Another weird mental block. Luckily, this leads to a lot of good finds!

What Would a Nerd Wear said...

this is a genuinely useful post even for serious thrifters like myself--i rarely go into dresses, and i've never thought to look for great handmade things. plus i totally neglect sweaters. WHAT HAVE I BEEN THINKING?
and why aren't you a traveling thrift consultant already?

Linda W said...

This is all fine and good, but can't you just come here and shop with me? It would be much easier that way.
The Auspicious Life

Em-Jae said...

Yay, I love this post! Excellent tips -- I agree with each and every one.

I'm also going to add that thrusting varies greatly by location... I've lived in NY and currently reside in California, and let me tell you: pretty vintage prices that are marked up well beyond the price of a gorgeous new dress on the west coast are like a dime a dozen on the east. Also, there seems to be much more handmade items in the south...

So, my tip to add is: squeeze in a little thrift when you travel because different geographic areas really gave different selections :]

liz said...

I love your tips! I'm really going to try and look for better quality vintage pieces! I can't wait for the summer to wear the first vintage dress i found! I think it's handmade, are there any tell-tale signs?

Jen said...

Great post Jentine!! I definitely have to start thrifting more. Thanks for sharing your secrets!

Holly said...

This post is fantastic! I love the idea of upgrading my wardrobe with labels that I wouldn't normally be able to afford! It's time to treat myself!

Secondhand Stella said...

I agree! I refuse to buy Old Navy, Forever21, etc at thrift or consignment stores either b/c of the pricing. I usually hit consignment stores for better brands. One of my favorites is Second Time Around.

Farm Girl Fashionista said...

These are some fabulous looks!! Great job!! I hit the same racks...not many higher end brands in my area...so I try to hit thrift stores when I'm traveling.

http://thefarmgrilfashionista.blogspot.com/

Emily (tomorrow never knows) said...

I need to move to hamilton STAT. I just google map-ed it and it's even further than Toronto. Google says it's a 7-8 hour drive... however since I have no car (or license...) I think I'm stuck here.
K ready for a novel?
I think small towns are GREAT for thrifting because most small town inhabitants (at least around here) dress in local area stores. So there isn't a HUGE demand for vintage. Nobody wants to look like a crazy (other than us). Now since I live right outside Montreal, I feel there is a bigger demand/competition for those vintage gems. There are several vitnage boutiques in Montreal. Not to be confused with thrift stores becuase these are usually priced more "appropriately" (not to be confused with priced AWESOMELY by old ladies who don't know what gucci is) sooo my point is... go to tiny little sketchy places, that's where the gold usually is!
I feel like I had more to add but I probably should get back to work now... I love your thrifting posts... is it bad of me to not want to share thrifting secrets? I feel like everyone is gonna raid my secret locations. K I'm paranoid, I know!!

Ana said...

You are SO RIGHT, I can't believe I hadn't thought about it like that before. I've been itching to go thrifting for weeks but I've been so busy it's starting to drive me nuts! Funny how it becomes an addition.

Anonymous said...

This is so spot-on, I'm wishing I'd written it myself. You rule, Jentine.

Jo said...

These are great tips. I've only attempted thrifting a handful of times, all with limited success. I look forward to more articles to give me the confidence I need to get in there and score me a designer steal!

Stella said...

Couldn't agree more! When I go to a thrift store, I usually just glance at the shirts/tops with a promise to come back later and go straight to the blazers, skirts, and dresses. Like you said, people toss some amazing dresses! My favorites right now are a couple of flower print, clearly home made, dresses that I wear with tights and boots. Also, I found a YSL blazer for a dollar once. WEE!

But, I do occasionally buy a t-shirt that has a print that catches my eye. And, often, they turn out to be Gap! And for a dollar (or .25 at the SA sales), I'm not complaining.

That said. This is making me itch for thrifting so bad. But I'm on a shopping ban! Despair...

Nana Erin said...

A++ Jentine! <3

those tricks said...

I used to avoid the knits sections, too, until one day I looked and found a few good items.

So, as a fellow avid, weekly thrifter, I have to humbly disagree with that advice.
For two reasons :
(1) Oftentimes things are on the wrong rack
(2) Oftentimes there are brand new, unworn, tag-still-on knits hanging with the old T-shirts.
oh and (3) sometimes there's nothing better than a good quality cotton that someone else went to the trouble to wear into perfect softness

:))))
stephanie

BESOS LYNN said...

Great pieces! Thrifting is a sport for sure! I love it, thanks for the great tips!

Unknown said...

This is SUCH a great post! Thank you for taking the time to dispense your thrifting wisdom - I now feel more confident to walk into some of the thrift and vintage stores around here and know what to look for - REALLY looking forward to your post on tips on looking for quality!

Small Time Style

Looks and Books said...

These are really great tips. Thrifting can be incredibly overwhelming, especially if you don't have a lot of time, and so much of this rings true. Thanks for sharing!

Laura said...

Love this post, I think you're a bit of a pro thrifter :P You have found some of the most awesome items.

L x

Lorena said...

Super post.
I'd LOVEEE to go thrifting with you, you seem like a PRO!
I agree with you, why go for the mall brands? I usually look for old labels and names I do not know.
Another thing I look for are those thick brassy zippers....

Katie, Interrobangs Anonymous said...

Hmmm. My technique is to let other people do the looking, and then snatch the good pieces from their carts right before they check out. You might be breaking up with Value Village; I just get banned...

Anonymous said...

Everything you said is so true!! Many times I go in search for labels that aren't big fast fashion brands and luck out with designer items for a great price. btw: I love your style!


ps. I once got a Liz Claiborne purple wrap dress for $5, while the Target dress was marked $9 (NEW)..hehe

brittney said...

i'm new to your blog (found through heidiluxe) and am totally inspired. i've always been wary of thrifting b/c seems so overwhelming. this post really helps. and i'm for sure tuning into your next-week's post for more advice.
-brittney
http://adayinlifetoo.blogspot.com
p.s. i added you to my bloglist...hope that's okay?

Sally said...

Great finds, especially the 2 pairs of shoes. Nice tips as well!

mitukatie said...

what a great post! you've got some tidbits in here that even i didn't know! i bow down to you, thifting goddess!

Sidewalk Chic said...

Awesome post. I still marvel at your story of finding those Marni pants in a thrift store...

I spend a lot of my thrift store time in the dress section (surprise, surprise), but you're right, the best finds are the handmade pieces.

I was wondering how you thrift-shop for things that do get a lot of wear from the previous owner, like shoes and hats, and how to properly clean them?
I have had a difficult time finding hats I'd want to take home with me (they're usually in a giant pile of lots of hats and scarves, and I guess I get a little icked out for sanitary purposes).

minnja said...

Amazing stuff !!!!!!

LOVE
minnja

http://minnja.blogspot.com/

Shannon said...

So true...also, I've found some great coats at thrift stores in Boston...Milly coat for $10 and a John Varvatos for Converse trench for $7. Meanwhile, that same thrift store prices up H&M and F21 and [obviously] fake "Burberry" coats.

Ms. Falcon said...

thanks for sharing! love tis post!

your finds are so awesome!

http://wardrobexperience.blogspot.com

Louise (Fifth Sparrow) said...

This is an awesome, awesome guide. Yes. It deserves two awesomes. I love thrifting but my little town has 2 thrift stores and no one here seems to donate much (other than 5 years old Ricki's sweaters...). But when I move to Vancouver next month I'll have to step up the thrifting!
Thanks for all the tips, I always marvel at the finds you have. Hopefully I can get that lucky too! xx

Laura said...

This is one of the most useful posts I have ever read!! Thanks!

Cory Ellen said...

Great tips - I definitely agree with your stance on t-shirts. I've been really surprised by how many handmade dresses I've found, at both bigger thrift stores and smaller vintage boutiques. I actually found two dresses that seem to have been made from the same '50s era pattern; they were both nice materials and construction, but one was near Cleveland for $50, and one was at a shop in Kyoto for over $300!

Christine Bongiovanni said...

Great tips for a beginner, me, thank you!

Anonymous said...

The only reason I have any Marni in my closet is b/c of the Goodwill. Love that brand, but can't afford it (and never would have known about it).

Anonymous said...

great post! i have a list of 10 rules i follow when it comes to thrifting... feel free to check
em out :) - {http://simplychicforcheap.wordpress.com/thrift-tips/}

xo jeanette

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Gangway