Thrift Finds

One of my favorite ways to shop for unique items is thrifting. Read on for my tips and tricks.

Thrift shopping has recently boomed, everyone is doing it now and little boutiques are popping up all over the place. I've always loved it, there's just something thrilling about the fact that nothing is alike and gems could be hidden among the racks. My mom always took us to Goodwill and thrift centers when we were young, she instilled in my brother and I very young that secondhand clothes were just as good as new. And that you could get way more for way less money. Not only that, it's better for the environment to reuse clothing instead of creating need for more new things to be produced.

While I've stepped away from bigger chains like the Salvation Army and Goodwill because of the sheer amount of clothes that aren't very good on their racks, I will look through them once in a while. Lately I've found myself going to smaller thrift stores that have better vintage options. I'm talking 1940's to the 80's kinds of vintage. The good stuff. It's not uncommon to find these in large chain thrift stores but you'll be better off going to shops that sell specifically vintage if you don't feel like taking on the momentous task of looking through a bunch of racks.

Vintage Jacket and Shoes

The people that run these shops have trained eyes for spotting good vintage and placing a decade on it. I've seen things from Victorian times in some shops, in particular a beautiful white silk blouse with lace detailing. The shop owner said it was her favorite find ever. Your chance for running into designer clothes is amazing too, like original Diane VonFurstenburg wrap dresses from the 70's or Christian Dior blouses and lingerie from all decades. On the hunt for perfect vintage Levi's? You'll have better luck with those too. The pricing is higher in these boutiques though. The people running them actively track down finds, they don't just fall into their hands. Luckily for us sometimes they are willing to barter and even better, spill some of their tips.

What I've learned is that finding vintage gems isn't easy. Thrift stores are often piled with the not-so-thrilling clothes like old t-shirts, pilled sweaters, and worn out shoes from the past decade or so. Things that no one actually wants or aren't in style. You know the look of sad square toed block-heel pumps and ratty college or high school shirts and pullovers. A lot of finding the good stuff is going through all of the bad stuff. I've found cashmere sweaters among racks of ugly outdated types. Among a rack of Arizona and early 2000's Hollister jeans (eww) I discovered a pair of discontinued Frame denim 'Le Boy' jeans that sold for ten times what I paid. You have to peruse each rack of ordinary clothes to find extraordinary things.

Vintage Top and Jewelry

Thrifted 7 For All Mankind Jeans

Another way to find your own vintage is Estate Sales. There are a lot of resources for Estate Sales, like websites and in the newspaper (if you still get that). Be picky about which ones you go to, look for higher income homes and neighborhoods. And get there early. Seriously. You want to be in line as soon as possible because everyone there has the same idea as you do and the best things sell fast. Bring cash, most Estate Sales don't take cards. If you are able, ask the person giving out tickets or running the sale where you might find the clothes in the house. Typically they'll be happy to answer where the best closet is and how to get there. If you can't get to the Estate sale on the first day it's not a big deal. There will still be things left and it will all most likely be 50% off the second day. I've found gorgeous gold and silver jewelry in already picked over Estate Sales on the last day. Once I even uncovered a bunch of designer silk scarves and went home with a Versace one and an Oscar de La Renta one for a dollar.

Vintage Jacket

Garage sales are also great. Again, look for higher income zipcodes and bring cash. Don't be afraid to barter. And, as with Estate Sales, the second day of garage sales usually means everything is 50% off.

Vintage Silk Scarf

If you don't think going through overcrowded racks in a Goodwill sounds fun or chasing down Estate Sales isn't feasible try locating small vintage shops instead. You'll be supporting small local businesses, doing the environment a favor, and getting unique, sometimes designer, clothes that very few people may have.

Thrifting clothes fills your closet with interesting pieces and gives you a well-rounded wardrobe. Most things are easy to wash and made of higher quality fabrics than fast-fashion retailers. If you like something but aren't sure about the style or fit it is really easy to update clothes with a few well placed stitches and tailoring. I'm currently in the process of turning a beautiful 1950's apron into a dress.

In Kalamazoo there is a really cool event that happens about once a month. It's called Vintage in the Zoo and it's basically a huge farmer's market for vintage goods. All different shops from around Michigan come to sell there. You can find 70's wicker Peacock chairs, mid-century modern furniture, vintage jewelry, and there are always a surplus of racks of unique vintage clothes. All of the businesses that vend there have their own shops, either brick and mortar or online. You can barter prices down at this event, so take advantage of that. There are also food trucks and picnic tables at the VITZ. Make a day of it. Just remember to bring a tote for all your finds and cash.

-Sam