Thrifting can seem a bit overwhelming if you've never tried it before. Instead of shiny rows of polished fashion, there's rickety racks of clothing, shoes, bags and weird things that shouldn't be for sale... trust us, we get it. But amongst the chaos, there's bound to be a gem or two and we can help you find them with just a few helpful thrift tips.
Start Small
If the thought of hitting up a zillion aisles is a bit much, start with something simple like shoes or bags. They're usually a smaller section of the store and you can tell at a glance if you like the style and the size is right before going to the effort of trying them on.
Pro tip: For bags, check the lining and zips/fastenings are in working order. When it comes to shoes, a quick look at the soles will tell you how well they've been loved (and indicate how long they have left).
Material Matters
Unfortunately with the influx of fast fashion there are a lot of lower-quality garments in thrift shops. Typically, they don't wear well and won't last as long as well made fabrics do. If you're thrifting online (like here, on OppSpot - yay!), this is super easy to navigate as we have handy material filters and listings on each product so you don't have to wonder what something is made of.
In person, feeling the fabric of something will tell you a lot about it in an instant. If the fabric feels cool to touch, feels nice against the skin (not scratchy or itchy) and has little to no resistance when rubbed between your fingers it's most likely a natural fibre or blend. Natural fibres are things like wool, cotton, linen, hemp and bamboo.
If it feels grainy, rough or synthetic, it may be woven or knitted with a high portion of manmade fibres like polyester, rayon or elastane. These aren't necessarily a bad thing, in fact they can be great depending on the garment, but if the fabric is lower in quality they may not wear so well long term - and we're all about keeping our clothing for longer.
Be a Tag Dag
if you like the look of something scan the tag for the size, brand and care instructions. Cheap looking tags are pretty obvious to spot and vintage tags are a rare find indeed. Tags will indicate the age of the garment, how you can care for it and any questions you may have about the material itself.
Rack it Up
When you're ready to flex your thrifting muscles and dive into the clothing racks, remember to take the size and sex with a grain of salt. First up - there's a tonne of human error in physical stores, so cover your basis and check every section. Men's racks are generally smaller and easy to flick through anyway. Secondly - the fits can be better. For instance are you after an oversized blazer but can't find one in the women's section? Check menswear. Are you a guy after a fitted tee but can't spot them in the baggy menswear racks? Head to women's. Don't be hemmed in, hit every rack.
Pro tip: When looking at true vintage clothing, it's almost a guarantee that the size tag won't reflect current sizing measurements. If it looks like it might fit, go for it!