I have spent another Winter wearing a very limited wardrobe and I’ve had it. As you know I’ve been trying to lose weight and I’ve had my ups and downs. I don’t want to donate my old clothes, but yet I don’t want to buy new ones. I want to look good, but since I’m unsatisfied with my body right now I don’t want to make that investment. So, I’ve found a solution in thrift store shopping. Lots of people look down at thrift store shopping. They tell me that lots of deals are available at stores during clearance and using coupons. I get it. I worked retail for years. While that is true, the fact is clearance clothes are great for next season usually not this one. Also I can buy higher end clothes at a thrift store for a few dollars. Quality clothes last a long time and worth buying second hand. Another plus to shopping second hand is that you can buy some trendier pieces at low costs. Then donate them back when the season has past. I’m on the look out for red or blue pants because bright bottoms are hot this Spring, but I know I’ll never wear them again.
My mission this Spring is to buy an outfit every week for under $10. Every Wednesday the Salvation army has Family Day in which you can buy certain tagged clothing for 50% off. This outfit I’m wearing was purchased last week. I wore it to a blogger event in the city. I felt stylish and confident. It did help that my son asked me why I looked so fancy when I left in the morning. Total cost: $5.50 Not bad considering I gave myself a $10 budget. The sweater was a no name label, but I loved the bright colorful stripes, also big this Spring. The pants are from The Limited and a size smaller than what I have been wearing, but not yet back to my original size. This makes these pants a great transition piece. I can wear the khaki’s right through the Summer.
Another complaint about thrift store shopping is that it takes more time because you have to dig through piles of stuff. Although that’s true, if you have a mission and are focused you can get in and get out. My total time shopping for this outfit was 40 minutes. That includes from the time I walked in the door, shopped, used the fitting room, paid and left the building. I also bought 3 other pieces while I was there, but you’ll have to wait to see those! I will tell you however that a total of 5 pieces of clothing were purchased and one book. Total Trip: $12.44
One last thing about thrifting: it’s green! I donate my clothes and I get to have “new” clothes. I’m in a constant state of closet recycling while saving money I’m also saving the environment. Give it a try if you haven’t. Stay tuned for next week’s fabulous outfit!
I, too, am in the process of losing weight and not willing, or able, to spend money for new clothes. I have always shopped thrift stores for all the reasons you note.
I live in Canada and my city has a wonderful group called WEST of Windsor (Women’s Enterprise Skills Training); they also help men. They have 2 mandates – to help people find jobs and to teach people English as a second language. (Windsor, Ontario, has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in Canada.) They also have free clothing that has been donated for interviews and the workplace. After losing 40 pounds, none of my work/interview clothes fit. I brought in some of my ‘big’ clothes, including a beautiful off-white suit, although that was not required. (Is that paying it forward in the present?) I took home about the same amount of clothes, including a black linen suit. The group has a dry cleaner willing to clean and repair clothing as required.
The manager told me that she had a woman come in but nothing was big enough for her. My clothes fit her!
I love that they do that. There is a place in NYC that offers the same service. I’ve actually had people turn their noses at me as if I’m less because of the thrift store thing. It’s so annoying. Good luck on your weight loss journey, it’s so great that you were able to help someone out along the way. It does qualify as paying it forward.
I know what you mean about people looking down their nose at you for thrift shopping. One of my sisters won’t even live in a second-hand house! She recently had a house built in Connecticut where her husband works (when he is not traveling) and a condo built in London, Ontario, to stay near our mother when her husband is traveling.