I have to say, I am hooked! Thrifting is one of my favorite hobbies, but until now I've limited it to home decor and furniture. The idea of wearing a strangers used clothes always turned me off ( I am borderline OCD). Today however, I put that aside and took a dive into fashion thrifting. Feeling frustrated the Salvation Army I was at didn't have any good deals in the home department, I wandered off into the clothing section. I don't know how else to describe it, but I hit a gold mine. I walked out with 8 items, all for less than $40! And these weren't tattered, smelly, or old finds! Everything was in great condition, most of them were even name brands. 

THE LOOT:

1. Michael Kors cable knit wool sweater.............$5
2. JCrew wool oversized sweater........................$5
3. JCrew wool sweater........................................$5
4. Gap Ikat print button down shirt......................$2
5. Real leather skirt..............................................$9
6. Black and white skirt.......................................$4
7. White pleated midi skirt...................................$4
8. Furla purse/clutch............................................$2

GRAND TOTAL $36

Seriously! It's practically a whole new wardrobe all for less than what one item would cost full-price!

So here are just a few of the reasons why I think we all should thrift once in a while:
1. It's good for the environment and you are contributing to charity (depends on where you shop)
2. Needless to say, you save money and leave more room for big ticket investment pieces.
3. It forces us to be extra creative.
4. The high you get out of finding these gems is worth all the effort! It's FUN.

MY TIPS FOR FASHION THRIFTING:
1. Don't expect much. Don't expect anything for that matter. 
2. Successful thrifting happens when you do it often because it's always a hit or miss.
3. Take your allergy meds.
4. Wear leggings and a fitted top so you can try things on without having the clothes actually touch your skin ( I told you, OCD).
5. Inspect items for tears, odor, and other things that you think won't be easily fixed.
6. Stores like the Salvation Army or Goodwill tend to have better prices than those shops that buy and sell used items.
7. Check to see when they have their best sales. (I just happened to come in during their month-end clearance, everything was fifty percent off!)
8. Typically, Mondays and Tuesdays and the Spring months are the best time to thrift for anything. People tend to donate items on the weekends and when the weather is good. 
9. It's a good idea to have all your items professionally cleaned if you don't own a washer with a sanitary/steam setting (OCD once again). For health purposes, specially if you are highly allergic to animal dander and dust like me. 
10. Look beyond your size. If you are a small, something nice in a medium or large could look great on you in a slouchy, over sized kinda way.
11. Explore the men's and boy's section! You'll be surprised with all the on-trend items you can find here (think boyfriend jeans and shorts, boxy coats and jackets..).
12.Don't reject something because it doesn't fit. For a few bucks you can get it tailored.  Be creative! If you like the fabric, you can repurpose it into something else.
13. Don't buy because it's cheap, and look past the labels. Buy it because you love it and have ideas on how to style it.
14. Be adventurous! It's the best place to try and buy trendy items without the huge price tag. 
15. I've discovered that some retailers that have too much of something, or those who have had no luck getting rid of inventory in their sale sections just end up donating their items. You could score brand new items with their tags still on if you look hard enough! I've seen brand new shoes from Target, and sample designer decor from Williams-Sonoma!

And the last but not least - the biggest tip I can give..... I get a lot of "I never find anything good" from friends that have given thrifting a shot. The best thing you can do is do some research before you do any kind of bargain hunting (be it thrift stores,  discount stores, etc). It's a good idea to browse through magazines, online, and racks at high end boutiques to get an idea of what the latest trends are. Examine the details of a product and take notes on the color, cut, and details that make it look expensive and interesting. Once you are armed with information, it will be much easier to spot the gems on a thrift store rack!

One thing I will have to warm up to though, is the shoe department. Just not so sure about that yet. 

I'm really excited to style all these pieces! They pretty much mix and match effortlessly with each other and the rest of the items in my closet. I'll be sure to post some outfits real soon! 

Do you thrift? What were your best finds? 

All photos taken by me!