Suzanna Wojnowski Thrift shopping is at an all time high for popularity right now- and I am so here for it.
While shopping second-hand has been on the rise, it doesn’t mean that it’s reached its full potential.
What I mean by that is when “beginner thrifters” start, they often times struggle to find pieces because it’s not as easy to find items compare to a normal clothing store.
Even for me, I found the process of sifting through racks and racks of clothes to be a lot of work only to find a handful of clothes.
But over the years I have developed a decent strategy to thrifting, or at least I think so myself, as my closet contains a plethora of thrifted items.
When I find a piece I like, I first picture if I could see myself ever wearing it. I find that this is a great way of thinking because if the answer is no then I know right away that it’s not worth buying.
But if the answer is yes, then I ask myself what I could wear it with. This is a very important question to consider because I have bought items that I thought were cool but then I never end up wearing because nothing in my closet goes with it.
That being said, when I think of how to style a potential item and I can immediately think of outfit to wear it with, then I am most likely going to buy it.
Like many other things in life, I like to listen to my gut when shopping.
If I find myself drawn to an article of clothing then there must be a reason as to why I am attracted to it.
One struggle I find myself encountering is when I am infatuated with a “unique” piece and I can’t seem to think of any reason why I would need it or how I would work with it.
However, more often times than not, when I thrift clothes that I am a little scared about, I usually get the most compliments on them because it’s something no one else has seen.
So don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone, because some of the best finds are ones that you are uncertain about.
On that note, I made a recent trip to the Salvation Army in Fredonia, NY (one of my fave spots to thrift while at school) and I had a pretty successful trip.
I ended up getting 7 items, some that I was a bit iffy on, but in any case I thought they could all work.
I found 6 shirts and one pair of jeans. The shirt light blue shirt on the left was definitely not something I would usually pick up, but I saw some potential. Whereas the red shirt t-shirt on the right, I knew I could pair with a lot of things in my closet.
The first outfit I came up with was including the blue blouse. Blouses on their own are professional and sleek pieces of clothing. However, there are ways to dress them up and down.
What I decided to do with the blouse was to style it as business-like but also casual. I did this by pairing it with a checkered skirt and vest but kept it relaxed by leaving the short untucked and adding in combat boots.
Another outfit that I curated included the green floral tank-top. This top at first was very “basic” to me so I was hesitant to buy it. However, I knew it would look nice in the summertime and could be paired with so many bottoms so I decided it would be a good addition.
The vibe I was going for in this outfit is springtime boho. Since it’s not quite warm enough outside, I chose to pair this summery top with a maxi jean skirt, chunky cardigan, and boston Birkenstocks.
This look is so simple and comfortable, yet it still looks very cute. Also, to elevate the boho look, hair accessories and jewelry are crucial.
I ended up creating fits for all of the finds from my thrift trip. So if you want to check out how I styled the rest of my pieces, makes sure to check out my TikTok and give it a follow @letmepyo2023!
