How to Find the Best Clothes When Thrifting

This post shows you the top things to look out for when thrifting clothes!

Thrifting has become more popular than ever, as people are looking for find high-quality clothes at a budget-friendly price.

Fast fashion might seem like a good idea at first, given the extremely low price.

But after the pieces fall apart or the color/shape is no longer trendy, you’re back to finding the next “in” piece, which can be quite expensive over time.

Not only to your wallet, but the planet!

As someone who likes to switch up my style, thrifting is my favorite way to save money while curating new outfits on the regular.

But being intentional by focusing on high-quality clothing will keep you from making wasteful purchases, even if the item is only $3.

While thrifting is fun, it’s easy for beginners to get overwhelmed or end up purchasing items that they don’t 100% love.

This is where I come in. I’ve made all the rookie thrifting mistakes so you don’t have to.

This post shows you 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 price.

Your Journey Starts Before You Step Out of Your Front Door

Before you go to a thrift store, make sure you are dressed in light and comfortable clothes that can easily be put on and off.

My go-to thrifting outfit is black leggings, a white cami undershirt, and a black zip-up hoodie.

Beginner Thrifting Tips:

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/color tag sales though because stores do have special deal days where you can save even more!

Shop With Your Hands. The best way to learn high-quality fabric is by touching it. I make it a game by the touching clothes to guess the material before looking at the tag. This does get grimy though, so 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. If you’re looking for specifics, it helps to get to know the workers as well!

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 High-Quality Pieces at Thrift Stores

1. Go Through Everything (And I Mean Everything!)

Thrifting can be overwhelming if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.

If I’m looking for something specific, I’ll go to a section and start deep digging.

For example, if I’m searching dresses, I’ll go to the rack and push a group of them to one side and then inspect every dress, one by one.

Places to check for hidden gems:

Men’s sections for jackets and vests

Every size section, regardless of yours

Return rack for more options!

Blankets and sheets for DIY projects

Be intentional about finding high-quality fabrics. Natural fabrics like cotton, wool, silk, and knits are more breathable and last a lot longer.

Always check the tag to become familiar with the differences. After some time, you will start to notice how natural fibers feel in comparison to synthetic ones.

You will also be shocked at how just many things are made from polyester!

2. Don’t Blindly Trust Brand Names

Your favorite brands are a good starting guide for thrifting but it shouldn’t be the case for everything you buy.

Brand matters less than fabric and garment construction, which is why I’m so obsessed with checking seams and not labels!

That said, I do have brands that I gravitate to at thrift stores including:

Loft: Cute and original feminine pieces

Calvin Klein: Classic and timeless

Ann Taylor: Simple, sophisticated basics

Talbots: Tailored clothing that looks good

Remember, if you’re only looking for labels you recognize, you will mistakenly overlook higher quality international clothes or brands that may be out of your tax bracket!

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

The best way to tell if something is quality is through 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.

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, forget it.

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? Tacky and they didn’t care about quality.

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’m always suspicious of any all-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.

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.