This post shows you the things to look out for when thrifting clothes!
Thrifting has become more popular than ever, with people looking to save money and shop sustainably.
As someone who likes to experiment with different clothes, thrifting is my favorite way to save money while still having a quality sense of style.
Read: How to Look Expensive On a Budget
But being intentional and knowing what to keep an eye out for will keep you from making wasteful purchases, even if the item is only $3.
While thrifting is a great way to find unique pieces and save money, it’s also easy for beginners to get overwhelmed or end up purchasing items that they don’t love.
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If you need guidance, this post gives tips on the most important things to look for when thrifting clothes, common mistakes to avoid, and what to look for to ensure you’re always getting quality vintage at the best value.
Your Journey Starts Before You Step Out of Your Front Door
Before you go thrifting, make sure you are dressed in light, neutral, and comfortable clothes that can easily be put on and off.
My go-to thrifting outfit is black leggings, a white undershirt, and a black hoodie that zips up.
How to Thrift:
- Go During the Week. I don’t like shopping on weekends with vintage resellers, serious thrifters, etc. It’s overstimulating and kills the vibe. Double-check the schedule though because stores do have special deal days where you can save even more!
- Shop With Your Hands. The best way to learn if fabric is high-quality is by touching it. I make a game out of it by touching clothes and guessing the material before looking at the tag. This does get grimy though, be sure to bring hand sanitizer and do not touch your face!
- Buy Less, More Often. Thrifting does take time and sometimes multiple trips are needed to find the best items. Don’t be discouraged or pressured to leave with something. Consider going on different days when new stock arrives.
Read: How Do I Stop Impulse Buying? 10 Powerful Tips
You want to be picky and intentional about your choices, not just buying for today and throwing out tomorrow. High consumption can lead to impulse buying, hoarding, debt, and depression. Eek!
How to Find the Best Vintage Clothes at Thrift Stores: 8 Tips for Beginners
1. Inspect the Fabric Quality
To start your search, simply find a coat rack and push the clothes all the way to one side. Then start going through each clothing item, one by one.
Be intentional about finding quality fabrics. 100% cotton, wool, silk, cashmere, and knits tend to last a lot longer. Always check the tag to become familiar with the differences and look for pieces that say 100% natural fibers.
Also, pay attention to the details when checking the tag. If the tag is thick and a cloth one, typically the clothes tend to be a higher standard than the thinner and cheap clothing tags!
2. Don’t Blindly Trust Brand Names
Disclaimer here: Brand matters less than fabric and construction, which is why I’m so obsessed with checking seams and not labels!
Unless you have a good eye to check the slight differences in brand labels, you can’t always guarantee clothes are vintage.
The reason you cannot purely rely on labels is due to recently produced items not being the same quality as vintage items.
That said, I do have brands that I gravitate to at thrift stores that I have never bought from an actual brick-and-mortar store. Some of my favorites include Loft, Calvin Klein, Talbots, White House Black Market, Banana Republic, White Stag Clothing, J Crew, and Liz Claiborne.
3. Make Sure the Garment Has Been Washed
Sometimes it’s a score to find a brand new dress that still has the original store tags on.
But other times, it’s a huge benefit to see how clothing items hold up after washing. I once thought I found a great batch of super soft shirts that were brand new.
Thought I hit the jackpot until I saw the same shirt, but washed.
It went from bright and fresh to thin and cheap-looking with tons of tiny cotton pills. Now we know why they threw out the entire batch in the first place!
4. Check the Seams and Stitching
A good way to tell if something is quality is garment construction.
- Look at the seams. If you gently pull at them and see a bunch of light coming through, then it’s poor-quality construction. Put it back!
- Inspect the stitching. Look at the inside of the clothes. If you see a bunch of loose threads, frayed ends, or weird stitching that’s not in straight lines, it’s trash!
- Does the pattern match? Now we love a bold and intricate design pattern. But if said pattern doesn’t line up and match at the seams? Then it’s tacky and they didn’t care about quality. Next!
These are the basics of things to look for when thrifting clothes. Construction is everything!
5. Look for Wear and Tear, Stains, Defects
Now as much as I love being frugal, the reality here is that we are browsing through pre-owned clothes which means they have been worn by other people!
Inspect the collars and cuffs of shirts and dresses for weird stains. Make-up is a huge offender. Armpit sweat stains are also super common. I don’t even go for white clothes for this reason.
Always do a thorough inspection because you have to keep an eye out for those signs of wear and tear that will ruin the piece entirely before you fall too much in love with it.
6. Gently Pull on Buttons, Zippers, and Fasteners
These are the small details that you have to look out for!
There’s nothing worse than finding a cute pair of shorts that fit you just right and then finding out the front zipper is broken.
If you can sew, that’s great but we don’t want to shop and spend money on too many projects.
Always check how secure the buttons and fasteners are. If they are loose, that’s a red flag.
7. Find Clothes That Complement Your Style
I would describe my overall as feminine, classic, and sophisticated but this doesn’t mean this is only what I look for and stick to.
When I see a piece that I like, ask myself, is the style vintage? Classic? It’s fun to experiment with different styles that you may have never considered before and can incorporate into your wardrobe for a new unique look.
For example, I found a color-blocked Tommy Hilfiger shirt that gives me the cutest 90s vintage vibe that I’ve never worn before but it took me right back to my childhood and nostalgic! Creativity is key!
8. Don’t Be Afraid of Color
If I like the color of something I bought, I keep in mind to try and look for others in the same hue. I discovered I love the color mauve and the different shades of it look amazing.
I also gravitate toward yellows, golds, oranges, and bright warm colors for summer while wearing burgundy, plum, and olives for fall and winter.
If you’re not sure what color looks good on you, start in your closet. There are also online color theory tests that can help you.
