Coco Chanel may have said it (albeit not in the context of thrifting); fashion comes and goes, yet style goes on forever.
We now live in a time where dressing our best does not equal following the latest trends or splurging on branded luxury since thanks to the rise of thrifting and second-hand fashion, our choices are practically limitless. There are flea markets, vintage stores and garage sales galore, not to mention that one can work to finetune fashion as they please single-handedly.
But how exactly can one thrift accordingly?
Choose What You Feel Comfortable In
Outfits give us the opportunity to tell the world who we are and share our emotional state, which is why if you feel comfortable, you better hope your fits convey it. For this to happen, your clothes must be, of course, comfortable. Slipping jeans, terrible heels, and a tight corset do nothing but guarantee suffering, and a desire to take off this thing as soon as possible (and no, we do not mean this as a sexual innuendo).
The lesson being, wherever one is, one should be relaxed, and whilst during a deadline that could very well mean getting help from a professional paper writer such as EssayPro, it could also come down to wearing jeans that don’t itch, or don’t fit too tightly.
Know What Suits You Best
Today, stylists talk a lot about color analysis and finding your type, and for good reason. The wrong tones and shades can throw off a perfectly put-together grey outfit, risking one looking like a mouse, for example.
A color type is a palette of natural appearance given to you by nature. It consists of the color of your hair, eyebrows, eyes, skin, and lips and the contrast between them. Said contrast is then used to determine what type of outfits you should be taking into consideration. Low contrast natural palettes work best with (surprise, surprise) low contrast outfits, and vice versa.
Here’s a simple example. By choosing the wrong color of clothes, you can make your aristocratic pale skin painfully blue and your bright eyes – ordinary-looking.
Check The Fabrics On The Label
Found a luxurious silk shirt for a ridiculous amount of money? Sounds too good to be true, and it probably is. This is not the skirt from your college dress code, which turned out to be only 2% silk, and the remaining 98% synthetic. Don’t rush and carefully read what your clothing’s materials consist of, and figure out what that means for your selected piece over time.
Pay Attention To The Seams
The mass market typically refers to ideas and silhouettes borrowed from luxury brands, but when adapted to the high street, there’s an inevitable quality loss. This is because budget brands can’t take the peculiarities of all figures into account to which visible seams only make matters worse. So, give preference to clothes with hidden flat ones that won’t ruin the silhouette.
Be Weary With Prints And Decor
Sequins, beads, pearls, and rhinestones certainly draw attention but may look relatively cheap. Therefore, if you’re thrifting it’s best to go for something more neutral and instead complement the piece with unusual accessories to your taste. Or you can experiment and replace buttons and furnishings yourself.
Isn’t it brilliant to feel like a fashion designer? By projecting enthusiasm and originality, you will add extra chic to your outfit.
Say “No” To Untidiness
This advice may sound obvious, but be sure to check any thrifting items before buying for stains, torn zippers, and protruding threads. Otherwise, dry cleaning and repairing will cost you more than the thing itself.
Anything can happen in fitting rooms: from the buyer smearing a blouse with the foundation to spilling coffee on trousers. Therefore, let your euphoria from finding something cool be replaced by attention to detail and looking for imperfections. Work smarter, not harder.
In fact, cleanliness should be pretty much a given. Think about your skin, for example, and your obsession with skincare and removing your makeup before bed. Wearing dirty clothes, is sort of the same thing, don’t you think?
Look For References
Style doesn’t develop overnight. That is why it’s vital to absorb a lot of quality content and draw conclusions about what you like and don’t like. Whether you’re watching “Gossip Girl,” reading about rising fashion designers, or scrolling your social media feed, pay attention to what people are wearing, and successful combinations of colors, silhouettes, and fabrics. Use your time fangirling time to take in some fashion content.
To begin with, think of those celebrities whose manner of dressing (in everyday life and on red carpets) fascinate you. You can also write down the names of characters from gorgeous movies or series where you liked the style. Save examples of outfits from outrageous parties, formal suits of TV presenters, or elegant casual looks of French bloggers. May every detail that interests you be on your Pinterest account, and you will probably find something similar next time you go shopping.
Another useful habit is to walk around the shops and fairs not only to buy items but to study what is sold. Feel the fabrics, try things on and observe what different brands offer and who they copy.
Don’t Limit The Geography Of Your Search
Many underestimate the fact of how cool second-hand thrifting is as an experience – there’s a reason vintage doesn’t lose its relevance.
Not to mention that vintage equals uniqueness much more than mass fast fashion does. The chances of meeting someone wearing the same vintage finds are always significantly reduced.
To Wrap It Up
And last but certainly not least, don’t buy new things until you make room for them in your closet. Sort out the ones that haven’t been worn last year. Let’s be honest: you don’t like many of them at all now anyway. Classify everything, and you will be one step closer to a capsule wardrobe.