There is nothing more fun than getting a friend addicted to thrifting–which is something I managed to do recently (yay for new thrift buddies!). I have been thrifting since I was a child, and remember with delight accompanying my mom on Saturday mornings to the local thrift shops and digging through the racks of $0.25 tees and exotic-looking vintage. (Little did I know that I’d grow up and wear some of those pretty frocks!) Although I’ve covered some of these tips in several of my thrifting videos, I thought I’d compile them into a post as I get asked these fairly frequently.

The internet is your friend. Sourcing thrift stores can be a case of just searching on Google with your zipcode/town name and the word “thrift store” (or charity shop–depending on the country you live in). I’ve found many of my favorites this way–along with spotting unlisted ones when I’m driving around town. I also love using the Thrift Shopper website as a jumping off point. It lists hundreds of thrift shops throughout the US, and many are rated for quality, selection and price.

Shop with a plan, but don’t stick to it. Thrifting isn’t like going into a department store: you never know what will be on the racks! Looking for a black pencil dress to wear this weekend? Be prepared to find something else, because stock changes daily at most thrifts. Even if you find a dress that fits your style criteria, it may not be the right size. A “general lookout list” is always a good idea (I keep my eyes peeled for things like vintage-style skirts, cardigans, and knit tops that would work with my aesthetic, just to name a few), but be prepared to shop based on what is in stock.

Ask about discount days or colors. Many thrift shops will run special discounts on certain days, or discounts for a certain demographic (senior, student or military seem to be most common), or even on a certain garment type/tag color. It’s worth asking when those discount days are, and save yourself a few dollars! Some of my favorite thrifts offer occasional discounts to military, and I definitely make an effort to shop on those days to get more bang for my buck.

Come prepared! I have a “thrifting kit” that I always take with me. My phone (for quick calls to family or friends if I spot something I think t hey’d like), hand sanitizer (a must), a tape measure (especially helpful if you’d rather not try on clothes), water and a list of local thrift store addresses. I never leave home to thrift without some combination of these items–they make thrifting a lot easier!

Shop the opposite season. Summertime where you are? Look for winter coats and wool skirts–they tend to be super cheap and not picked over when it’s warm outside. This winter has been incredibly mild, so warm clothing has been plentiful, and I’ve been stocking up. But I’m also keeping an eye out for summer clothes, since no one is thinking quite that far ahead yet. Most thrifts won’t put a ton of out-of-season garments on the sales floor, but it’s always worth checking for next season. Having a good handle on your personal style preferences and seasonal wardrobes is a great help for sifting through all the options too.

Be pennywise. One trend at thrift stores I’ve seen, and am more than a bit dismayed with, is the excessive pricing on “high street” garments. I’ve seen many pieces from popular mall brands like Forever 21, H&M and Zara marked close to half what you’d pay retail in the store for. It just makes no sense, since the quality tends to be less than desirable, and the condition of the garment is used. I tend to avoid these labels, and gravitate towards better quality brands I know. I recently found a beautiful, like-new boatneck French Connection tee for $1.99 (they retail for $45 and up) right next to a Forever 21 tee for $5! The French Connection tee is head and shoulders nicer than the other, and the $2 I spent was well worth it.

Train your eye to spot quality (or vintage). Many people ask me how I spot vintage when eying a rack, and honestly it’s just been years of experience. I know what are common colors, fabrics, style details and labels for various decades. The same goes for finding high-end RTW in a thrift store as well. Training your eyes to spot and fingers to know the feeling of quality materials makes a big difference in the thrifting experience.

Shop thoughtfully. Along the lines of the pennywise paragraph, shopping thoughtfully involves a sense of buying what you need. Not filling up your cart simply because it’s cheap. Consider quality, how the garment fits into your wardrobe and budget, and whether it needs special cleaning (I always try to consider this–especially for dry clean only pieces). Having a pile of beautiful clothes only makes sense if you’re going to wear them!

Look past the obvious for the potential. Sometimes a lot of what you find in thrift stores is a “diamond in the rough”. I find that shopping with an eye for what things could be altered to better suit me yields far more exciting finds than if I looked for things that perfectly fit my clothing wishlist. While I know this might not be possible for some, even simple alterations and adjustments can make that $0.99 find a real gem! Ask yourself this when you’re on the fence with a garment: can the hem be shortened? Can it be let out or taken in slightly? Can you redo the neckline? Can the sleeves be shortened or taken off completely? Even something as simple as adding a belt can transform a seemingly “dull” piece!

Always scout accessories! I have found the majority of my favorite costume jewelry at thrift shops–usually for no more than $5 and as little as $0.25. Not only is there the potential to find some lovely vintage pieces, but pieces that are a bit different for you (but you’d love to try wearing) are so cheap that it’s worth taking the plunge. I also always check out purses (be sure to look over thoroughly for signs of wear, sturdiness and stains), scarves and belts.

Be realistic about what you’re comfortable with. Thrift stores sell all sorts of things. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have preferences about what you will or won’t buy, and would rather purchase brand new. Be honest with yourself, and if you’d rather not own a certain piece that has been pre-owned, then don’t buy it just because it’s a bargain! (That will save you a trip back to the thrift store to re-donate it.)

Got any favorite thrifting tips and tricks you’d care to share?

Several readers have sweetly asked if I know whether my grandmother made up any of these patterns. Sadly, I do not–I don’t have a lot of photos of her, so I can’t dig through the family album and see if she sported any of these in family snapshots! (Though I may have to see if I can find some family photos at some point…) I suspect she did make a few of these; some have fairly obvious pin holes and notations on the pattern instructions.

I’m nearing the end of the pile with this post–I suspect there will only be one more next week. But I hope you enjoy looking through these gems as much as I did preparing this post!

This post is part of an ongoing series cataloging a collection of my grandmother’s patterns. To view previous posts, please click here.

Remember that 50s Simplicity pattern I posted recently? Well, curiosity got the better of me, and I just had to try it. Don’t mind the fact that it’s really too chilly for a short sleeve top (that’s what sweaters are for, anyway)–the simpliness of the top appealed to me. Would it look a flattering as the envelope illustration?

The pattern piece is just a large rectangle. For a size small you only need 5/8 yard of material, for a medium-large 3/4. The pattern calls for a jersey material, so I opted for a beautiful pink, wool-blend jersey I picked up on a recent fabric shopping trip. I love the drape, although 100% wool jersey is still far superior–though a bit too expensive for my pocket book at the moment!

The only seams on the top make up a T shape along the back. The two short ends of the rectangle are sewn together to about halfway to allow for the waist-split, and the one of the long edges is sewn together, leaving an opening at either fold for the arms to pass through. Super easy! The edges are turned under and hemmed with catchstitches and a hook and eye sewn at the waist. I serged all the raw edges just to keep things neat as well. The top took me less than an evening to complete from start to finish.

Putting the top on and arranging all the fullness that falls around the neckline is a bit tricky, which is why this top won’t go on my list of “favorite blouses I wear all the time”. Because it is a bit fiddly to wear. I could tack down the folds permanently with stitches, but too be honest, I’m on to other projects right now and just don’t feel like dealing with it. lol. It’s a sweet top, but will probably be relegated to occasions that I’m not engaged in a lot of movement (on most days I sprawl and flail about a lot)–so things like dinner out.

Also wearing: thrifted skirt and brooch | MAC Viva Glam I lipstick

On a humorous note, I only realized after taking these photos that I resemble a giant pink Valentine! It’s still a little too early for that… lol. (More photos here.)

Pattern: Simplicity #4538 (1950s vintage). I made the original size to fit a 30″ to 32″ bust.

Fabric: Wool jersey blend.

Alterations: None.

Techniques: Catchstitching and serging the edges (if that can be called a “technique”).

Make Again? Perhaps. Although I’d be curious to see this in a tshirt jersey, I’m not rushing out to make it right away. Maybe later in the year!

weekly visual moodboard be sure to click on the image to view image sources.

How is your weekend? My sister is here to pay a visit this weekend, and so it’s been full of lots of laughter, trips to the library (yes, we are fairly nerdy around here about books and libraries), homemade pizza, and enjoying the pretty weather. I feel really blessed that my sister and I are so close, as it wasn’t always that way. But especially after the past six months where life seems to have been throwing SH and I a lot of stressful and unexpected stuff, it’s nice to have a sister to lean on and who can listen when I’ve just needed to pour my frustrations and sorrows out. (And I can do the same for her.) Thank you, sis–you’re the best!

Hope you have a fantastic finish to your weekend!

My apologies for being a bit of a quiet, absent blogger this week… Things have been busy in these parts: first a weekend trip to see my family (including traipsing around one of my favorite old towns in Northern Virginia with my sister in law–despite it having just snowed!), falling down the steps at my parents house (twisting my ankle in the process–ouch!), and then a busy week of various things including getting ready for my sister to visit this weekend. So somehow, it got to be Friday long before I was expecting it–how does that happen? Next Monday I’ll show off the little sewn item I meant to post today (yes, I haven’t gotten the photos yet!). Today I’ll show you some more of those vintage patterns; there are only enough for a couple more posts, but I think each is worth taking a look at for the inspiration!

What details jumped out at you?

This post is part of an ongoing series cataloging a collection of my grandmother’s patterns. To view previous posts, please click here.