THRIFTING | Stylish Frugality

I recently met up with a friend met a friend for some delicious veggie smoothies and she brought up how she needs to make it to one of the swap shop events so that she could save on clothing and cash. She also asked me how was it that I found great stuff all the time. Answer: thrifting and big sales. As much as I would like to spend money on a really good set of clothing, I just dont have it in my budget.
The next day, on my hunt for all things grey, I happened to get a blazer, two sweaters, two button ups and a pair of pants for $20.

Say what?

Thats right and at Salvation Army. This all got me thinking about how to look great on a dime. I am not an Urban Outfitter girl, so when I go thrifting, I am looking for nice classic pieces not hodge podge things I wore in the eighties and nineties. And I always get at least two outfits out for less than $20. Here are some general rules I follow when styling second hand:

1. Even though I am going to as is store, doesn't mean I don't have a roadmap of what I want. As stated beforw, Pinterest is my inspiration guide as far as pieces I am looking for. Lookbook.nu and Polyvore are some other good places to get inspiration and to create your own look.

2. Get pieces that won't date. That means the basics. Blazers are good, just  make sure they are cut right. Button ups, certain pants. Make sure you are not getting stuff that is considered currently trending because the moment you buy it, you have lost about 5 seconds of trending value. Look for things that never go out of style.

3. Check the tags. Almost every thrift store I have been to had a colored tag special and certain days when all clothing is 50% off. This is where I get the bang for my buck.

4. If something is a little big or long, you can get it tailored! Remember you are paying change for these clothes and depending how much it is to tailor in your area you will still be paying less than at a retail store.

5. Don't imagine it looking better. You know what I mean. That pattern or style grabbed your heart but it looks somewhat off when you put it on. Do not buy it. It will only sit in your closet for-ev-errrr.

6. Mix and match old with new. Your entire wardrobe does not have to be second-hand. In fact i think its better to buy brand new pieces that you know you will wear A LOT.