Creating a chic thrifted look has always been way out of my comfort zone. Unlike the Harajuku fashionistas, I struggle with the confidence to really go all out with thrift store pieces.
I mean it’s one thing to put together an outfit out of the brand new glistening clothes hanging in the malls, but it’s another thing entirely to create fresh looks out of old clothes hanging in musty thrift stores. But these Harajuku geniuses do it on the daily, so i know it’s possible! Plus I so want to push myself in my own personal style.
So I decided to hit up a local thrift store finally and start the searching process for a piece or two that might be up my alley. I imagined myself coming out of the store with bags full of 70s bell bottoms, 80s sweatshirts, 50s house dresses and 90s t-shirts. But instead I found worn out, 5 year old garb that had more pills and holes than was worth even looking at. But upon looking in the men’s section I did come across one thing I liked: this striped button down shirt.
I think it was $5 or under, and I thought I couldn’t go wrong at least taking it home to try playing with it. At checkout the cashier, a dude who looked like he spent every hour outside the thrift store at a gym, looked at the shirt then looked at me and chuckled. “This is…a little…big for you. Don’t you think?” I smirked some kind of quick response (I’m not good on my toes) and left without another glance behind me. I was already feeling like this shopping trip had been a bust. And the clerk’s remarks combined with the musty smell emanating from the plastic shopping bag sitting next to me in my car didn’t give me anymore boosts of confidence.
But back at home, after a good couple of cycles in the wash, I threw on the shirt with my Mom jeans and I suddenly felt inspired. “Ok,” I thought, “I actually love this!”
I guess the thing you have to have in order to rock thrift store clothing is self confidence and patience. You gotta be willing to pick your way through racks of clothing knowing full well you might find nothing, all the while however, believing when you finally do find something you like, you’ll be able to make it look positively fabulous. Because you are fabulous and your own point of view is really all that matters when it comes to your own personal style.
For those of you who shop thrift stores on the regular, do you have any sage advice for us thrifting noobs?
Outfit Details
-Striped Shirt (similar option here) — unnamed brand found at a thrift store
-Mom Jeans (similar option here) — BDG (Urband Outfitters)
-Belt (similar option here)– B-Low the Belt
-Studded Heels (here) — Steve Madden
-Fringe Earrings (similar option here) — Bauble Bar