THRIFT STORE SHOPPING {for clothing}

THRIFT STORE SHOPPING

One topic we often receive questions about is clothing- specifically where we find modest and feminine options for girls at an affordable price.

I know, it can be tough. And sewing is not always an option. Even if you have the skill, quite honestly sewing has become cost prohibitive for many. Especially if you have to buy the fabric, pattern, thread and notions. You'd often be better off, from a budget perspective, buying new.

Personally, we rely heavily on our local thrift stores for both clothing and household items. Especially for dresses, you will do well in a thrift environment. Many girls just don't wear skirts or dresses often enough to keep them in their closets. They often seem to be purchased for special occasions, so they remain in good shape.

When I first began to explore thrift stores I thought that I just didn't have good stores in my area, but as I learned more about thrift store shopping, I began to find both where to find the good stores were as well as what to buy (and not buy) used.

FROM THE CLOSET


To give you a real idea about the prices I am willing to pay, I went into the girl's closet and pulled a few things out. These were all purchased second hand.

From left to right:

Toddler Circo Top $2.50 and Kids Headquarters Skirt $2.50
Bright Blue Cherokee Dress $1.47
Hanna Anderson Tier Dress $1.97
Ralph Lauren Polo Dress $2.47



PURCHASING GUIDELINES




I have certain guidelines for myself when buying second hand.

1. I prefer the item to be a one piece outfit (preferably a dress). I think that dresses just make life easier overall- you won't have half the outfit hanging in the closet and the other half in the wash- with nothing matching to wear. Also, when buying second hand, dresses are usually less expensive than buying two pieces. Of course, there are times when I just fall in love with a skirt (see that cute little number above on the left with flowers and black tule underneath- oh my!) then I just make myself find something that makes it an outfit before I leave the store. I don't want a lone skirt hanging in the closet forever and not being used.

2. The item cannot be faded or stained. Even second hand items should not be in poor condition. The outfit can be slightly faded, but it generally needs to be church quality when I buy it. That is just me. In my thinking, if I buy four poor quality items, I may as well save the money and buy a new dress on clearance at Land's End. Even second hand price tags add up. But on the other hand, if I buy wisely I can obtain all we need for far under the price of buying new.
3. The item must be very usable. When I first began thrift store shopping I'd just buy up everything denim to be safe- all the denim dresses and skirts went home with me and then I would buy inexpensive t-shirts at Walmart or Target. And still, denim is a really safe bet. Dark denim is not only very durable it also hides spills- a great option if we are planning a long day away from home.
4. Know what I want before I shop. I want to be sure I am caught up on laundry (I use that phrase loosely...) and check in the girl's closets before I shop. I want to identify exactly what we need and don't need before I go.
5. Not t-shirts. I rarely buy plain t-shirts second hand. We wear little white t-shirts under spaghetti straps and such, but they are too similar in price with Walmart or Target not to just buy them new. T-shirts need to have special detailing (like applique flowers) to be a consideration for us to buy them second hand.
More clothing below, again from left to right:


Orange Flower Cherokee Top $2.50, Orange ellemeno Walking Shorts $5.50
Green April Cornell Dress $2.50
Blue Cherokee Polka Dot Dress $2.47
Tan Paris Blues Jacket $3.00 (skirt was a hand down)






NOT ALL STORES ARE CREATED EQUAL


GOODWILL
Like I mentioned before, I used to think that I just didn't have any good thrift stores in my area, but that wasn't completely true. I only knew about Goodwill and Salvation Army and really- those are rarely the best stores for selection or price in my experience. You'll do okay buying denim items or jackets there, but that is about it.
The only exception to that is if you find a Goodwill in town down the street from a Target. I often find that Target will donate the items that don't sell at clearance prices. I presume they can make more with the write off than going lower than their clearance price (and then there is the marketing impact of reducing the price too low in the store as well). Of course, that is just my theory.
We've often found Target household items, still in their original packaging, or new matching dresses from Target at Goodwill for a fraction of their original cost. But overall, your shopping trip will be more expensive at Goodwill than finding a large thrift store that is seeking to be competitive with other thrift stores.


HOW TO FIND A STORE


You will want to search THRIFT on line to find something in your area. Do not limit yourself to the tiny stores or Goodwills. You will likely need to shop in a city- downtown. You are looking for the larger stores that offer daily half off specials, where frequent purchases earn gift certificates. I have yet to find a Goodwill that offers these types of promotions.
For real reviews before you try a new location, try Yelp!
For those of you who are interested in second hand, but want more consistent and newer looking results, try finding a Once Upon a Child in your area. My sister in law jokes that it is named that because each item was worn only once upon a child. In my experience, the quality and price are both good. They have maternity items and children's items up to about age 10.
Buying second hand can be a lot of fun! The kids love finding a purse for 94 cents, new shoes for $2.50 or a new dress for $1.97. It's always an adventure.


DEALS ON NEW
If buying items second hand just doesn't seem like your thing, the following avenues have also been helpful to us.
1. Lands End Clearance
2. Laura Ashley dresses at Costco (Spring time- only to size 6X I believe). This link is old, but you can see what the dresses look like.
3. After Easter sales- Target and Burlington Coat Factory

Do you have a favorite place to shop for good deals on modest and feminine clothes at affordable prices? If so, feel free to share!


May you be blessed!