5 Items You Should Thrift
I have been talking about thrifting for years and have yet to convince some of you that thrifting is THE answer to all of your closet problems LOL The thrift shop is where all cultures collide. It’s also the birthplace of some of the most creative looks you will EVER see walking down the runway. Where do you think all of the designers get their inspiration? The archives, their own private libraries and yes, the thrift shop. So what’s stopping you? The smell maybe? Well, get over it! LOL
Today, I’m going to share with you some staple items that you should consider thrifting. Now this is not a hard and fast rule. You can absolutely purchase these items at your mainline stores. However, once you see the variety of professional dress offerings at your local thrift store, you’d be hard-pressed to shop anywhere else
Black pants-The thrift store is one of the best places to buy dress pants in general, but particularly black dress pants. If you have a hard-to- fit figure (like I have with these Jamaican thighs), you can spend a minimal amount of money on some barely worn black pants and use the cash that you save on a good tailor. Many times (and my expert thrifters can attest to this), you’ll find black dress pants with the label still attached. Many a time, I’ve paid $5 for a pair of brand new pair of black dress pants, originally priced at 100 bucks. Who can pass that up? Even if it doesn’t fit, I’ll take it to my tailor and have them fix me up for $15-$20. I still made out $75 cheaper than if I would’ve gone to my nearest mall.
Blouses- This may not be true for all thrift stores, but some of your thrift superstores will have rows and rows of basic color blouses, black and white specifically. However, I’ve been to a few thrift stores that have multiple rows of blues, red, yellows…every color in the rainbow. Also, since you’re thrifting and not spending a guap at the department store, you can absolutely splurge on a trendy floral piece or seasonal top. This is the perfect place to do it.
Belts Belts are the essential non-essential. I mean, has anyone ever commented on how beautiful your belt is or how they love the detail on your belt? Belt buckle, maybe, but I don’t see people oohing and awing over that strip of leather that holds your look together...I take that back...an Hermes belt is kinda major. Anyhoo, go to the belt section of your local Goodwill or Salvation Army and thrift your heart away. You’ll have loads of options to choose from for about $1 a piece. Also, peruse the men’s section. They have a better selection and you may end up with a really great quality leather belt for a minimal price.
Jeans- If you’ve ever been to a thrift store, you know this to be true; there are rows and rows of jeans at the thrift store. Blame it on our quest to find the perfect jean, but there are literally dozens of jeans, if not hundreds of nearly new jeans at your local thrift store. If you’re aiming to follow the summer distressed jean trend, buy a couple and try your hand at distressing them yourself. YouTube is chock full of do-it-yourself videos.
Costume jewelry Yawl know I love my accessories. I think 95% of my jewelry collection has been thrifted. Call it my penchant for vintage, but the jewelry section at the thrift store is amazing. This is doubley (is that a word?) true if you’re a clip-on type of gal. In some of the thrift megastores, they basically have a jewelry counter full of vintage earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches…etc. And don’t think it’s all costume jewelry either. A good percentage of the jewelry is real 18-24K gold or sterling silver. You’ll come up on some very rare and very expensive pieces if you have the patience to look through it all.
Well my dears…are you convinced? There are soooooo many possibilities once you thrift your basic items. You can then spend the money you save on a fabulous new leather handbag or to-die-for shoe. Seems like a win-win situation if you ask me ;-) So, do me a favor. Go to your local thrift store this weekend and shop around for these 5 basics. Tag me on Instagram with a few of your finds at @IamDionneDean. I wanna see what hot new look you put together with your new finds ;-) Oh, and check out my 'Thrift in the City' Pinterest Board as well. I'm anxious to see what goodies you find!
Besos,
Dionne