To Be Thrifty or Not To Be...

"Ew, you wear other people's clothes?"... "Isn't that unsanitary?"... "I can't even imagine wearing something someone else has been in."... "No way. I prefer my clothes new. Not dirty and worn."

These are just a snippet of the comments and reactions I've heard in response to thrift and charity shopping. These people are, what I like to call, retail junkies. People who cringe at the mere thought of buying vintage, hand-me-down, and used items. These people are simply unaware to say the least. What they don't realize is, most, if not all of the items you purchase in retail have been touched, tried on, used and returned by hundreds of people... But I digress. If you're one of these people, then maybe after reading this blog, you'd actually bring up the courage to dip a toe into the wonderful world of thrifting!

Now, I must say, first and foremost: Thrifting is NOT for everyone, obviously.

Some may like the idea, but can never find anything good.

Some may have tried it, but overall prefer retail.

And some may have never tried it because of their intense fear of anything used.

I myself, LOVE it. (Hence the blog). I've acquired a knack for it and and have built my entire wardrobe out of the amazing pieces I've found.


So, what makes thrifting so great?

• Cheap prices for designer, never worn, gently worn & unique clothes: I cannot stress enough how many designer things I own that I would never have if I'd never gotten into thrifting.
• More bang for your buck: Go to a good thrift store (Salvation Army, Goodwill, Flea Market...) with 20 bucks and see how many items you score. I dare you.
• More money in your pocket: You will find yourself saving so much money on things that are sold in stores for 10x the price.
• Grandmas!: They love to give their awesome vintage and expensive stuff away.
• The rush: Believe it or not, the more you find, the more addictive it becomes.
• DIY: Everything is cheap, so you never feel too afraid to make some alterations, throw on some studs, or bleach it up if you want!
• Good Quality: A lot of the things you find thrifting are/were quite expensive. And if your lucky, is still in great condition. So you don't have to worry about janky jewelry breaking or shotty clothing falling apart.
• Vintage!: Vintage is just oh so much better!


I can go on and on... but let's be realistic and go ahead to the cons of thrifting:

• It's not for everyone: Like I said before, some people just aren't lucky with thrifting, or have a good eye.
• Sanitation: Let's be real. Nothing is going to be brand spanking new. Even items with tags still on them need to be washed. It's all been previously owned.
• Stains: Sometimes you find that one thing that was SOOO perfect until you spotted that HUGE stain or hole in it.
• Previously owned shoes: Some are just such Once-In-A-Lifetime great finds that you just have to go for it. But shoes can really be impossible to sanitize... So either you deal with it, or you don't.
• Crazy Crowds: Depending on where you go, the crowds can be insane... So I'd suggest going thrifting on slow days or finding some small unique thrift stores in your area.

Not much more bad I can say about thrifting, since I've had such good experience with it. But the next time you're thinking about buying that 50 dollar denim jacket, chiffon/silk blouse, blazer, or whatever, take a trip to a thrift store and see what you find. You might be surprised.
I hope I have gotten through to some of you Nay Sayers. And to my thrifty gals and guys out there, let me know some of the amazing things you've discovered. I'd like to hear from you!

♥
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