Style Tips from Debbie: Make Friends With Thrifting

Be A Thrifty Thrifter

Happy Monday, everyone! Today is #4 in my series; Style Tips from Debbie and today's tip may seem simple at first glance. Making friends with thrifting is something I learned long ago. I have always been a thrifty shopper and, in my opinion, being a thrifty thrifter goes far beyond simply shopping at Goodwill. Let me explain further in this post. 

Shopping at Goodwill or other thrift shops is certainly a tried and true method of thrifting. And while not all of my clothing is thrifted from Goodwill, several articles of clothing are from there. I wrote a post quite awhile ago giving hints on shopping at Goodwill. You can read or review that post here. The most important thing to remember when shopping at Goodwill is to give each article of clothing a really good look over before buying. I don't even want to spend $3-$4 on an article of clothing that is soiled, missing buttons or damaged in some way. I see shopping at Goodwill as having two purposes: I can find gently used garments which I can wear and enjoy for a cost effective price while at the same time helping out folks who gain employment and training through their work at Goodwill. It's a win-win situation! That's why I not only shop at Goodwill but also regularly take donations there. 

I'm also a thrifty thrifter in other ways, however. If you have read my blog for any length of time, you have noticed that I find clothing and jewelry in many different places and types of stores. I am absolutely fine with shopping at what some consider "low end" stores such as Walmart and K-Mart. When I was growing up, my Mom was a department head in Ladies Ready to Wear for the now closed Hills Department Store chain. She taught me how to look for quality in less expensive garments. Things like looking at the thickness/quality of the materials, making certain the hemming was straight and well done and looking at the quality of the accessories or embellishments on the garment. Her teaching has stayed with me and I use her training all the time when I look at clothing. If a less expensive garment does not look well made then I pass it by. But, if it is a cute garment, is well made and looks good on me, I'm not going to pass it up just because it comes from Walmart and doesn't have a fancy brand name. That is just not me. I have purchased clothing and accessories at Walmart, K-Mart, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, The Dollar Store and beauty salons that look good and I enjoy wearing. I have also passed on clothing/accessories in these same stores because they did not look well made. That's all part of being a thrifty thrifter! Take a look at the outfit that I'm wearing in the pictures you have seen so far. This outfit contains pieces that are quite inexpensive and some that are more expensive. Can you tell the difference just by looking? 

I feel that being a thrifty thrifter allows me to enjoy fashion without overspending. If I make a fashion mistake, I'm not out a lot of money. I can enjoy variety in my wardrobe. to me, being thrifty is a responsible way to shop. 

How about you? What is your opinion on being a thrifty shopper? Hope you'll leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers!

Until Next Time,
Debbie