How To Thrift Like A Genius
Spoiler alert… it doesn’t take a genius to have a successful thrift adventure. In the spirit of our costume swap hosted by Parker and Scott this weekend, we want to dish our secrets.
In this post, we turn to the power of brainstorming and journaling to make you a thrift genius. So, if you’re in the middle of your style journey, grab a pen and paper for the first couple sections and dive in!
1. Thrift geniuses know their style.
How do you know your style? You probably already have some idea, or maybe your style is glaringly obvious. The best way to know your style is to ask yourself some simple questions (and journal your answers)!
What do you like? (Think of anything here! Do you like music and art? Do you like deadpan humor? Do you love romantasy? Do you like efficiency?)
What purpose do your clothes serve? (Are you a fitness influencer? Work a 9-5? Work in your pajamas? Do you go to expensive outings or do you spend a lot of time outside?) Brainstorm your 3 main activities.
What are the top 3 outfits you have or would like to wear for each main activity (total of nine outfits).
Do you have the best clothes for your top most common occasions? (Elaborate for best results!)
Once you better understand what you like and what you need, you’ll be able to see where preference and necessity come together to create the ideal wardrobe for your lifestyle.
2. Thrift geniuses know their wardrobe.
When it comes to successful thrifting, an item is a win when it fulfills a purpose in your wardrobe. To do this, you have to know what you have and what you still need.
Were you able to come up with any missing outfits/pieces from the earlier prompts? If so, great start!
Pick your TOP 10 MOST-WORN ITEMS from your wardrobe/laundry pile and lay them out on your bed or a sofa. Do they go together? If not, why not? Is it because of color, style, mismatched cuts, or do you only have one category (ie, your top ten wears are only shirts and there are no “outfits” in sight).
What do you notice looking at your favorite items? Why are these your favorites, and what purpose(s) do they serve?
Based on your 3 main activities from the previous section, do your top 10 items support all three activities or are you missing major pieces for that part of your life? (ie, if you only have white tees and jeans, but you go salsa dancing twice a week, perhaps you need some go-to salsa dance practice fits)
Hopefully once you’ve journaled and analyzed how your favorite clothes do (and don’t) serve you, you’ll see some areas for improvement…AKA a list for the thrift store!
3. Thrift geniuses are good hunters (of style).
Based on your findings above, you’ll be able to build a list of items that are missing from your main wardrobe. Here are some other things to keep in mind:
Bring your list shopping. Add any other details that can narrow your search (eg. if you need more leggings, perhaps choose a couple acceptable colors so you don’t have to try on the whole rainbow).
Try things on. Take some selfies in a changing room to see how the clothes fit from different angles. Sit down on that little bench—is it comfortable in a range of positions? Does the item feel strong or flimsy and cheap? Check for rips and stains, too!
Have fun while you’re thrifting, but if you have a problem avoiding certain clothes, try to steer clear of that aisle and focus on your goals.
Be prepared to strike out. Sometimes you don’t find what you’re looking for, and that’s okay! The great thing about thrifting is there’s always something new around the corner.
Now it’s time to rock what you bought! Make sure you snip off tags and add your new items to the wash and get them in your regular rotation ASAP!
We hope you find these exercises and tips helpful in pursuit of your best-ever wardrobe. We know that fashion and styling can feel like a rabbit hole (and we definitely aren’t through exploring it!) but these are some essential, tried-and-true ways to shop smart.
Still not digging your wardrobe, and feeling unsure if your declutter worked? Book a free phone consultation or decluttering session today!
Still looking for style guidance? Stay tuned, because we have just the right stuff coming your way ;)
