Thrifting Dos & Don’ts

Thrifting used to be taboo, unless you were a college student or hunting for a Halloween costume. Then, you had three options: a vintage store, Goodwill, or Army surplus.

Today’s thrifting market, estimated over $10 billion, annually, has endless online options like The Real Real, that authenticates items and handles the transaction from valuation to sale and payment. On Poshmark, sellers have independent “boutiques” and carryout direct buyer transactions. Online, however, you cannot feel a garment firsthand.

Overall, there are two philosophies when consigning, whether it’s online or a store:

• Splurge on what you normally can’t afford—think Valentino coat.

• Use thrifting for basics, saving money for other garments.

Regardless of philosophy, the tenets of thrifting are the same.

Dos: Verify the label, quality is key. Make sure items of heavy fabric, like coats, are sewn with appropriately weighted thread and properly anchored buttons. Pants and jackets should be partially lined. Consider lightly used items; you’re more likely to rewear them. Target items that add wardrobe panache.

Don’ts: Don’t buy misshaped garments, like a stretched sweater. If there’s a knife edge pleat, it should look like one. A curl in a leather lapel you cannot fix, so price is irrelevant. Don’t buy a garment requiring too much tailoring relative to its wear, staple vs one-time use. Don’t buy things making you feel frumpy.

There aren’t usually returns when consignment shopping, so be realistic about how the garment fits and if you’ll wear it. If you’re shopping for something specific, like replacing discontinued jeans, online is a fantastic, low risk option. Finally, accessories are also great finds at thrifting stores and online.

Tammy’s Truism: If a shop has stringent garment acceptance policies, then they likely carry higher quality items.