We Found Love in a Hopeless Place
The cornerstone of my lifelong pursuit of developing my personal style is Tunkhannock’s “Family Sto.” Letters “r” and “e” have since parted ways with the Salvation Army. There felt like little to do on weekdays after high school, but there was always a thrift store within a 2-minute drive, housing hidden gems begging to be uncovered, jazzed up, and given a new fabulous adventure. For the love of the game and a deal, I’ve built a wardrobe that, for the majority, is thrifted and supplemented with a Bimba y Lola sneaker here and a LOT of Angie Burke looted items there.
In discussing style, there would be no discussion without mention of my fabulously embellished mother, Angie. If the Salvation Army is the cornerstone of my style, then my mother is a kind of bedrock. Architectural integrity of that statement aside, the crux of what I’m getting at here is that without my mother, I wouldn’t be able to put my clothes on right-side-in, let alone know the first thing about pattern play, layered mixed metals, or a good suede boot.
I’ve shied away from writing about fashion and throwing my two cents into the it’s-a-small-world river of commentary thanks to the perception that there will always be someone with more refined taste, inquisitive opinions and, frankly, way deeper pockets. But what keeps me hooked is that fashion is for EVERYONE, whether you believe to care or not! Not caring is an awesome avenue too, and can lead to laid-back leisurewear or a trusty perfectly worn-in tee that attracts unnoticed envious eyes. Like any good English teacher’s daughter, in writing, I keep my ethos in check, and we all possess fashion ethos in plenty because we all get dressed every day (unsexy headcold week aside). I’ve been a get-dressed-upper more times than I’ve been a marketer, driver, bedmaker, dancer, *not eater, I’ve eaten more times, so this is also my PSA that anyone can also be a foodie*, writer, you get it. A curious voice is a refreshing voice, and I’m putting my intimidation aside and throwing in my coins!
Stepping off of my soapbox, there is much to be written about the Woman Who Shaped my Style, my sleuthing of Kate Young’s styling work and admiration of Emily Bode, but I want to first dissect the thrill of a find and the trials and tribulations of building a personal style under fluorescent lighting and in dusty fitting rooms. With a friendly budget, I bring you:
Lou’s Unofficial and Unfinished Principles of Thrifting…
Trust your Taste:
Free from the crutch of branding, labels, and mannequins styled from boardroom meeting blueprints, thrift stores are the playground for personal style to run wild.The crumpled-up gold statin top sandwiched between men’s plus-size jeans caught my attention because I liked it, not because it was on display, illuminated by a 30% markdown, presented to me in my algorithm every other story. In a world where we are told what we should like, trusting yourself can feel foreign. We can turn this ship around! Each time I step foot in a thrift store, I’m working out my discernment muscles, and man, it feels good to start to see myself buff up! What’s cool is that by rolling up my sleeves and doing the digging myself, I am led back to the basics. I use my own hands to see how materials feel. I use my own eyes to see what patterns and pieces I gravitate towards. I try NOT to smell too deeply… and certainly never, ever taste. But do bring an iced latte or fizzy Diet Coke in tow.Life and fashion are full of contradictions, so I cue up this next tip by saying: Trust your taste, but know that it will betray you.
Aforementioned Gold Top & a Chic Plaid Blazer deemed cool by yours truly!
Beware of Thrift Blindness
And be ready to brave the Good, the Bad, and the Flat-out Ugly.
Much like an awkward middle school phase, an ugly stage is inevitable in the journey of thrifting and refining personal taste. Thrifting blindness is a real trap I’ve fallen prey to, but I’ve never come down with a case as bad as the Lisbon Sweater. Hold my hand for a moment, and let’s venture down memory lane to fall 2022. I’m abroad and feeling ever so experiential. It was a perfect recipe for thrift exploitation. After spending an afternoon at the Lx Factory, my mouth was practically watering for a purchase, and we had found ourselves in a 4-story building of vintage fleamarketors. It was here that I purchased what is possibly the ugliest and most unflattering sweater. I threw poor Katie Sajer into a very vulnerable position in our early stages of friendship asking for her opinion of Lisbon Sweater. She passed the true friend test with flying colors, subtly suggesting a much more feminine alternative to a baby-pink lace sweater and redirecting me back to leather jackets. When I’ve made up my mind about buying what I deem a unique piece, there is little standing in my way, nary a foreign banking fee, and Katie’s best efforts. The brief bliss of the Lisbon sweater faded the moment I boarded the Spirit flight back to Dublin. We must crawl and fall before we walk and walk and fall again before we run. The same logic applies.
THE Lisbon Sweater. It's so bad you can't help but laugh.
Patience my Dear
Never underestimate any aisle. There are hidden gems to be found in the most hopeless places.
I am practicing patience, which is also a lifelong skill, and thrifting is an arena where I can put it to work! Convenient. Time plays games with me, and a trip with the strictest list and mission in mind, melds into men’s crewneck perusing and bedazzled belt browsing. It’s a slippery slope and a bit Alice in Wonderland in the Family Sto walls, be warned. Not every trip to the thrift store is fruitful, but it makes it all that much sweeter when you inevitably hit the jackpot and stumble into a piece that makes the hunt worthwhile.
Two gems in hard-to-find places. Unfortunately, only one made it home.
Know When to Quit.
Contrary to my last take of leaving no stone unturned, it is equally important to know when to quit. I have a very hippy-dippy approach to thrift stores, and life at large, in that pieces find you and you won’t miss what’s meant for you. The hunt has diminishing returns once the thriftstoremusk becomes dizzying and your forearms are mysteriously sore from sifting through hangers. That’s when it’s time to count your vintage Levi dream losses and hit the road. The Saint James sweaters and Fashion Bug blouses can wait another week to be found, or they will be found by their rightful owner, and they were never meant to be!
Some things should be left behind.
Get a Little Wild
Lighten up, why don’t you!
While I advise against buying something solely on the basis of it being too cheap not to, in efforts to avoid the above Lisbon sweater trap and all-too-cluttered closets, I do invite you to loosen the reins a bit. Thrift stores are home to many investment pieces, such as my beloved suede jacket and favorite pair of jeans, but there’s also room to be non-committal and experiential! If there is a fashion trend you’ve wanted to jump on but feel might be a fair-weather friend, try sourcing something similar at the thrift store. When I’m shopping, I cross my fingers and HOPE that what I’m buying is a piece that will travel far and wide with me, but no two blouses are built equal, and something that seems like a total treasure today might miss the mark in a year or so. I’m not encouraging consumption for consumption’s sake, but pieces pile up in thrift stores, and the monster of fast fashion keeps the aisles full. If you’re scouring Pinterest and keep coming back to that eye-catching fringe top, pack your purse and see what’s waiting to be found at the thrift! I’d be willing to bet you’ll be surprised by what you can find.
