Thrifting: A Step-by-Step Guide to Expressing Yourself

The art of thrifting, or buying second-hand clothes, is beneficial to people and society in many ways: it adds to fashion diversity, is a sustainable way to buy clothes, and makes fashion more accessible at lower prices. People of all ages thrift clothing, creating a welcoming environment to thrift stores and online spaces.

At the same time, a competitive spirit has arisen amongst thrifters–with different tactics to score the greatest second-hand find. I have composed a tricks and tips guide on how to have a successful day at the thrift store.

• Understand Your Style

As the first step to begin thrifting, I recommend understanding your style and the type of clothing you are looking for. Many people refer to their style of clothing as their “aesthetic,” which can range from dark and lacey gothic clothing to light jeans with beige sweaters that is reminiscent of clothing trends in Sweden. Clothing is a way for people to express themselves, so find something that enhances your confidence, and true-self. 

Natalie Townsend, ‘26, shares her favorite thrift find. “The most exciting thing I’ve thrifted was a cherry COACH keychain, which I got for $2 when it was originally $100,” Townsend said. Insane finds such as these may not always be common, but the hope of finding something such as this is an incentive to continue the art of thrifting.

• Get Ready to Shop!

Once you have found inspiration, find your nearest thrift store: Goodwill, Plato’s Closet, or any small second-hand store. Each store brings something different to the table, whether it be different styles, sweet discounts, or huge bins to search through. Do not limit yourself to one store. Thrifting is unpredictable–some stores may be filled with clothing that stops you in your tracks, while other stores may have you leaving disappointed and empty handed. 

“The most frustrating part of thrifting is not getting blessed by the thrift gods,” Jojo Coker, ‘26 said. “If there hasn’t been good donations recently, or the location of the store is inadequate.” 

On a good thrifting day, you may spend ten minutes at one store and find everything you want, or you may hit every thrift store in your town, spending three hours to find everything you want. Do not get discouraged; the frustration you experience when piling through what seems like 100 ugly sweaters, is worth it for the excitement of finding the beautifully-made vintage sweater to go with your favorite pair of jeans. 

“It’s like finding a diamond in the rough,” Coker explains. “After many hard days mining with coal in your lungs, you finally get a breath of fresh oxygen.”

• Clean, Cut, and Create a Unique Style

Typically people wash their clothes before donating them to a thrift store; however, this cannot be ensured. Therefore, the next step after purchasing your finds is to wash them. It’s important to also do a scan of your clothing before purchasing it, as it may have rips or stains that are beyond repair. 

At the same time, some people like to “upcycle” their thrifted clothing, by cutting it in unique ways, sewing things into new clothing articles, or turning t-shirts into tank tops. As clothing is a way to express yourself, you can customize anything to make it more fitting to what you want.

When asked about how thrifting has influenced her style, Townsend said, “I find pieces and then I create my outfit based on a funky shirt or the jeans I just bought, influencing my style in different ways.” This is the freedom that thrifting gives you–to find clothes that show who you are, but also to turn clothes into whatever you want.

So, I encourage you all to try out thrifting as a new hobby. Grier hosts thrifting trips periodically throughout the year, so be on the lookout for those trips!