How to Successfully Shop for Clothes in Thrift Stores

Member

By aedwards817
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating:

(11 Ratings)

Successfully Shop for Clothes in Thrift Stores

Thrift stores are the secret of many fashionistas on a budget. With a bit of luck you can often find nearly new and beautiful vintage items that you can take home without putting down the plastic.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Cash
Measuring Tape

Step 1

Make a list of the items that you need. Thrift stores can often seem very cluttered, if you put the items down on paper that you are looking for, it can help you feel more organized and keep you from being overwhelmed.
Step 2

Take measurements of your best fitting clothes, some thrift stores do not offer you the option of trying clothes on, and in these cases these measurements will come in quite handy. You may consider taking such important measurements as the waist and inseam of your favorite pants, and the measurement from underarm to underarm of your favorite top. Take your measuring tape with you to the store, in the case that you are unable to try on the items of your choosing, compare the measurements of the item with those of your own clothing, this will give you an idea of how a certain garment will fit.
Step 3

Set a budget. When we decide to venture into thrift stores we often forget the importance of watching the amount of money that we spend, becoming the sudden spendthrift can cause you to take home many items that you don’t need and cause a terrible case of buyers remorse. When shopping in thrift stores stick to your budget as if you would if you were shopping in a retail store.
Step 4

Allow yourself plenty of time to look. Thrift stores will often have a large selection of items that you will wish to look through in order to find that perfect treasure for you to take home. By allowing yourself plenty of time you wont go home wondering if you overlooked something while you were in the store.
Step 5

Shop often. New items are often arriving in these stores everyday through new consignments or donations, and in this game the early bird truly does get the worm, in order to get the best finds, you must be there and ready to pounce.

Comments

40skydiver said

Flag This Comment

on 11/19/2008 Good article, thrift store shopping can be so much fun.

on 11/14/2008 I love thrift stores. I find a lot of the mainstream ones to be a little overpriced, so I like the independent type places and yard sales a little better. However, chain thrift stores are still cheaper than buying new, and, sometimes the tags are still attached!