To start, why would someone want to thrift? Some people find the concept of wearing used clothes strange, but there are a lot of benefits. First of all, it is much cheaper than new clothing, and who doesn’t want to save money? This is not the main reason I thrift, though. Fast fashion is terrible for the environment and for human rights. Characterized by the rapid design, production, and marketing of clothing, fast fashion is the second biggest user of water and is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. The rise of synthetic fibers has caused microplastics to leech into waterways. Our world simply has more clothes than there is space; there are entire beaches in Africa covered in clothes! Additionally, slave and child labor are not uncommon practices for fast fashion companies. I highly recommend the podcast Conscious Style, which really opened my eyes towards becoming a more sustainable fashion consumer. A few months ago, I decided that the fast fashion industry is just not something I can morally support. That’s where thrifting comes from!
ThredUp, an online platform, is the first thing I would recommend to beginners. If you are intimidated by the prospect of sorting through rack after rack, this app is just like online shopping. ThredUp has truly transformed thrifting and is an incredibly innovative company. They have one of the largest automated clothing storehouses in the country! (link to video:). They have so many cool features like search by image, AI style chat, Pinterest linking, shopping by brands, a personalized daily edit, and “shop similar” features. It also lets you favorite items and save them to collections. You can literally upload a picture of any piece you want, and it will sort through thousands of clothes in your size to find ones that look similar.
I think ThredUp is more useful than in-person thrift stores for finding specific items because of this feature, rather than sorting through an entire store. However, though pieces are a fraction of the original price, ThredUp is still pretty expensive compared to in-person thrifting. I started getting into thrifting through ThredUp, but I have shifted to more in-person shopping as I become more experienced.
Before I reccommend specific thrift stores in this area, I would like to give tips for shopping/how I generally approach a thrift store. First, if the thrift store you are going to doesn’t have a changing room, make sure to dress in tight clothing like leggings and a tank top. Upon entering the store, I usually go to the women’s section closest to the front or the section I am most excited for. Then, I just go by the aisle and flip through every piece on the rack. I do it pretty quickly, as most of the stuff I am not interested in buying. If something catches my eye, I stop and pull it out. After seeing the full piece, I will either put it back or bring it with me. From there, I will choose what I want to take home or not.
Additionally, one tip many experienced thrifters give is to go on days when the stores restock so that you get the best items before the store is picked over. Some people even wait in line outside at 5:30 AM to enter the store! I personally don’t find this tip necessary, as I have still found great pieces even when going on the weekends, which is when it’s the most crowded. It’s a big commitment to go to a thrift store on a certain day at a certain time, but this is a hardcore tip that I wanted to mention.
In terms of specific thrift store recommendations, the most basic is regular Goodwill. It is generally harder to find cute pieces (at least for my style), but it isn’t impossible, and I have picked up a few things. The smaller store size is more suitable for beginners, but it can be discouraging to find pieces you don’t like and may deter you from thrifting.
One of the best thrift stores in this area is Unique. It is the largest thrift store I have ever been to; it’s the size of a Target! The sheer amount of clothes can be overwhelming for beginners, but it also increases the chances of finding pieces you like. It can get very crowded on the weekends, though, so keep that in mind when choosing a time to go.
By far my favorite thrift store is Plato’s Closet! They are specifically geared to teens and young adults, which means they are more selective in the items they accept. You won’t have to sort through hundreds of pieces that look like something your grandma would wear (no offense, I mean, I love granny core, but you know what I mean). I went when I was in Pittsburgh, and it was the most successful thrift trip I’ve ever had! However, the closest one in the area is about 40 minutes from my house, and though it will vary depending on where you live, it is not exactly local. It is so worth it, though, and I would highly recommend making a trip there, especially if you don’t think thrifted things can be cute.
I used to be discouraged by thrifting, believing that I “couldn’t find cute clothes there.” Now I am the person whom other people say that to! To be honest, I can’t pinpoint an exact hack that makes you “lucky” at the thrift store, but I honestly think the key is perseverance and vision. If you believe you never find good clothes at the thrift, confirmation bias will cause you to hold this opinion as a fact. Because your thoughts create your reality, believing this will truly cause you not to find cute clothes thrifting. Rather, if you have an abundance mindset towards thrifting and see each store as an oyster filled with jewels for you to find, you will attract the pieces waiting for you to buy.
