By Sasha Moedt (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: September 18, 2013
Last week, I went thrift shopping. I have become a very recent thrift-shop cruiser, and I have a specific way of going about it.
Thrift shopping is very different from shopping elsewhere; here you can’t look for anything specific, but for anything that fits or that you can make fit. It sounds like a beggars can’t be choosers situation, and in a way it is – but in another way it isn’t.
I hit up the skirt section first, and tried on a good armful of them. One fit nicely and was in great condition, so I put that in my basket. Then came the fated moment where I thought I’d briefly check out the shoes.
I hit a goldmine. I am size 11, and either this place just recently got a whole box of shoes from a woman with size 11 feet, or women with feet my size never shop at this particular thrift shop. But I was in heaven. There were beautiful winter boots in great condition, some boot-cut, some knee-high; there was a gorgeous assortment of heels – vintage tweed, little red suede … Heaven. I ended up buying six pairs of shoes, four of which were winter boots.
They couldn’t have been worn for more than a year, and with a bit of buffing and polishing they look fantastic. A couple of them are Jessica, a couple Predictions, one is from Reitmans, and one from Ann Marino. Cheapest was $2.50, most expensive was $6. Icing on the cake: the brown knee-high winter boots match my skirt perfectly.
Don’t get me wrong. Thrift shopping is no walk in the park. But when you browse frequently enough, jackpots like mine come along. The key to thrift shopping is to not look for anything in particular. Things will get very frustrating very quickly if you need a very specific white unstained blouse to match your skirt, etc, etc. But, if for the past few months you’ve been picking through various thrift shops around town, chances are you’ve already found a white blouse that fits and matches your skirt.
Things tend to fall into place. Yes, you’ll probably need to head to a new clothes shop to get some staples in fashion now and then. But buy a $3.50 skirt once a week (or 6 pairs of shoes!) like I did for a few months, and your wardrobe will be well fleshed out with quirky, interesting things that you wouldn’t have thought to buy if you were shopping.
And for me, that’s the key. I have a hard time picking out clothes that I think will look good on me, and I have exactly zero style sense. Shopping at the Bibles for Missions is easy – only a few things fit, and if I like something, then there we go! With few options comes more willingness to try something new, to think outside the box.
It’s like a bookstore. With a huge selection, you tend to just end up in the same sections and genres time and time again. But if a bookstore only has three books to pick from, each from a genre you’ve never read – well, you’re going to try something new, aren’t you?
I’ve also learned to make things work. Things will more than likely not fit perfectly, but there is one foolproof way to work with what you’ve got: the belt. Sweater, shirt, or dress a bit too baggy? Put a belt on and boom: figure-hugging and no longer ill-fitting. Skirts can move up and down your waist depending on length and size. I’ve even worn a long, flowy skirt as a dress, with a belt round my waist.
So keep browsing. Your wardrobe will flesh out beautifully. Vintage is definitely in, and there are loads of grandparents’ clothing. Try on new things, even if you think it’ll never work. If it looks like it might fit you, try it on!
And, for the ladies with size 11 feet out there … Don’t bother going to the shoe section. Sorry.
