Thrift Store Shopping- Is Goodwill The New Nordstroms?
Thrift Store Shopping- Is Goodwill The New Nordstroms?
I have a confession to make.
My closet is full of thrift store clothing.
The truth is that I am more comfortable at Goodwill than at Nordstroms.
And I am not alone.
Most of my friends are very fashionably thrift store attired. It is no secret, as they all happily share their scores (and their savings).
So is Goodwill the new Nordstroms?
Shopping with thrift store style is the thing now. Teens and young adults crowd the aisles.
How cool is it that, what used to be embarrassing (let’s be honest here, you KNOW you hoped no one saw you go in 20 years ago) is totally hip!
The drawback to thrift store shopping? There is a risk of becoming extraordinarily, well, cheap.
I passed an end cap at a store recently. They were advertising clearance as 15% off. Puh-lease. That isn’t even a good sale!
My daughter said to me, “You are sort of a clearance snob. You know, some people actually pay full price!”
To which I replied, I am so sorry for them
A clearance snob? Ha ha, that makes me chuckle. Two words that don’t seem to go together.
That is the result of having to live so tight for so long. And I wouldn’t trade that. Not for anything.
It is time to branch out though… you have to be a hunter to take on thrift store fashion. My daughter can find an entire seasonal wardrobe that is cute, stylish, and often still new with tags for about $20-$40.
But for me?
My cute clothes board on Pinterest remains a dream more than a reality. So far it doesn’t seem to mesh with my homeschooling and writing life.
Glittery high heels and lacy 40’s style dresses aren’t really necessary for my current world.
That said, piece by piece it is coming back to me.
(listen to the clean version here)
Here is a fact you probably didn’t know about me…after graduating high school (I’ll let you guess the year by the style), I wanted badly to go to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
It was way, way out of my price range. So my fashion designing dreams faded away into working and living and eventually shifting into new directions.
She is still in me, however, waiting.
What about you, are you a fashionista? Or fashionistically challenged?
BTW, if you are thrift shopping because money is tight? You might enjoy this post about Some Surprising Benefits Of Being Broke
If you want to develop your own style, check out dressing simple but stylish
I don’t really thrift store shop because it’s a necessity, but I do because its just plain FUN!! And you can find unique pieces that you won’t see on every friend you run into. I don’t look like everyone else. I spent $36 on 23 items yesterday, at the Salvation Army’s 50% off all clothing sale. You do the math!!
I get compliments constantly on my fashion sense. I blog about it too. I can buy all of the clothes I want and save my $$$ for those items that I find I HAVE to try on, like jeans. If I don’t LOVE an item, I can re-donate it and…what did I really lose? $2?
Thankfully I have a large closet!
You are my clothing hero! What a rush it is to get a big bag of great clothing so cheap! Thanks for inspiring me to revisit thrift stores FIRST for a spring wardrobe update 🙂
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who feels this way! I sometimes look at the sales in a regular store and think, “No way!” There is something exhilarating about walking out of the store with a bagful of clothes for maybe $20. 🙂
There is almost a sort of euphoria when you know you got decent clothes to provide for a job, or a family, or a nicely dressed life. Heidi, do you hit up half price day?
I totally agree! I buy almost everything (furniture, small appliances, shoes, flower pots, plants, you name it) at thrift stores or garage/estate sales. I get way nicer things than I’d ever be able to buy at a retail store for literally pennies on the dollar. And you are so right, it is waaaay more fun.
Hey Ginger! What are some of your funnest scores? Have you gone on half price day for those larger items? We need to downsize and this part is so silly…the stuff I got at Goodwill is harder to part with because it was such a good deal haha!
I actually shop at the Goodwill Pound Store. I buy all the high end items. Keep the items I love, put the other items up for sale, then finally donate the items that don’t sell to a women’s shelter. Everyone wins, and I wind up getting free clothes and extra cash. I love the thrift store!
You are one lucky lady to have one close by! That is a wonderful routine you have, love that even the shelter benefits from your hunt. Our daughter has one near her, and has even been able to create a pop up online shop based on some of the great finds!