Staying one step ahead of the trends is hard enough, but worrying about how to pay to remain at the forefront can be downright depressing. Style is meant to be fun. An extension of your inner creativity. So why ruin your love for five-inch stilletos, that to-die-for minidress, or vintage jeans with sky-rocketing credit card fees and a stagnant bank account?
Budget style isn’t rocket science and it doesn’t require tons of available cash. Its just being in the right place at the right time. In my humble opinion, there are 3 easy rules for ‘three snaps up and a twist’ thriftstore diva style: Be open minded, be bold, but beware!
Be open minded. Some of the best finds can be found at your local thrift store, factory liquidator, or even your but bewarefriendly neighborhood Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, many fashionistas are so closed minded that they believe they can only compliment their wardrobe or beauty cache by only shopping the racks or counters of Bergdorf Goodman’s.
And it just isn’t true! Over the years, I’ve picked up my wardrobe favorites at the bottom of a pile at Molly Mutt or the local Daily Bread.
Be bold. Although we’re in a recession, thrift store shopping should be fun. It’s always a walk on the wild side for me. I always find some of the most ecclectic but fabulous stuff. Mind you I probably wouldn’t buy it at original cost someplace else but in a thrift store why not be bold? By that racoon hat if you want to. You only paid $5.00 so who cares if it goes out of fashion or was never in. You go it at a steal:)
But beware! There’s not much to this motto since you pretty get what you pay for in a thrift store. But just beware that these are second hand items and you can’t return them if you find out that puce colored a-line dress really looks horrible on you even sans flourescent lighting.
Well…I hope you enjoyed my brief tips/personal insight for saving a buck in this challenging economy by becoming a thriftstore diva!
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Hotlanta is hot. The nightlife and entertainment are great. But what many people don’t know is that Atlanta has a great second hand shopping scene.
Of course many of you may turn up your nose at thrift stores chains a la Salvation Army and Goodwill, but if you turn up your nose at Atlanta’s own Value Village. Then you’re making a really big mistake because with 10 different locations in the Atlanta metropolitan area alone, Value Village is the bomb skadiddle!
If you’re looking for a prom dress. You’ll find it. A Teddy Pendergrass LP? No problem Value Village has it.
All of the stores are usually located in a shopping plaza since they have monstrous square footage that will make your head spin because they’ve stuffed every nook and cranny with some kind of item. Personally, my favorite Value Village location is 3503 Memorial Drive nestled just on the edge of Atlanta in Decatur, Georgia. I’ve never walked out empty handed when I’ve visited this location. Also, I think I like this particular location because it’s in a sleepy little plaza, so there’s never a fight for parking space.
The next time you’re in Hotlanta make sure you check out Value Village, you’ll be happy you did:)
Value Village purchases new and used clothing and merchandise from charitable organizations and wholesalers, then they resell it in their thrift department stores which offer a huge selection of quality name brand merchandise. This approach provides vital funding to charitable organizations and helps them to provide families with the best selection, quality, and service in resale merchandise.
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I love Chicago — well not during the winter months (Hey! At least I’m being honest) but I love it still the same. While in Chicago, one of my favorite spots is The Brown Elephant Resale Shops. With three locations in Chicago to serve you, you won’t go wrong with which ever Brown Elephant Shop you chose to spend your hard earned duckies in because all of htem all laid out to look like funky, vintage boutiques rather than your atypical thrift store.
Leah Pietrusiak
Even better? I think all of the stores contain humidifies because they don’t have that common “I know I’m in a thrift store” smell. You all know the smell I’m talking about. The one that hits you the minute you walk in and its a combination of moldy dust mixed with a funky armpit that spent several days inside of a polyester shirt.
There were quite a few cool jackets which isn’t surprising for Chicago, but I ended up leaving with a cool Levi & Strauss leather belt! Again, I had to think about my luggage restrictions:(
More than 740,000 items are sold annually at the Brown Elephant Resale Shops, located in Chicago and Oak Park, IL. The revenue generated by donations and purchases at the Brown Elephant Shops help fund services for the more than 50% of Howard Brown Health Center clients who are under- or uninsured. Howard Brown Health Center is one of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) healthcare organizations. With an annual budget of over $18 million, the agency serves more than 36,000 adults and youth each year.
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As with any consumer good, there are a few rules when it comes to Thrift Store shopping. At the top of our list is WASH THE ITEM BEFORE WEARING IT!
I’m sorry people but thrift items are used goods. And not all people are nice eoungh to wash the item before donating. So, the next time you shop thrifty, make sure you WASH THE ITEM BEFORE WEARING IT!
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I love to travel and do so quite often, so I’ve decided to add a little zing to our little project here by combining my love for second hand shopping with my love for seeing new places. And I’m going to bring you all along as well. So the next time you’re in that particular city you’ll drop on in and do a little shopping yourself! Remember, when you shop thrifty you’re also probably giving back to someone in need:)
Our first Road Trip Thrift Store Spotlight will be on two stores (Thrifty Furniture and Computers and East End Community Center)I visited recently in the Pittsburgh, PA area….
Thrifty Furniture and Computers and East End Community Thrift are located in one of my favorite parts of the city, the Hill District. These thrift stores which stand side by side are are not as large as say your traditional Salvation Army or Goodwill, but that’s what I like about them.
Thrifty Furniture and Computers primarily sells furniture and computers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really take advantage of this store’s offerings due to the 40lb weight limit for luggage. HOWEVER, I picked up a pair of killer navy blue Stuart Weitzman half boots at East End Community Thrift for only $2. (Look out for them on our upcoming Ebay store because I’m going to be selling them:)
The East End Community Thrift (Thrifty) is an all volunteer-run thrift shop which provides quality, low cost used clothing and household goods to the surrounding community. Since its inception in 1993, Thrifty has worked with over 100 area homeless programs to offer their residents vouchers to shop free for items they need for themselves and their families. The community service site for many organizations, such as Renewal. Senior citizens from The National Urban League (formerly AARP) are an integral part of Thrifty, overseeing many of the daily operations at the store.
East End Community Thrift is always looking for volunteers. If you can volunteer your time and strength (or have a donation), please don’t hesitate to contact us (ask for Shirley or Dolly). After hours and on Saturdays, you can reach Shawna at shawnapgh@aol.com or (412)721-6811.
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I’m sure everyone is wondering what the heck is a Thrift Store Diva? Well let’s turn to the American Heritage Dictionary to help us answer this question…
Thrift: (thrift) n. Wise economy in the management of money and other resources; frugality.
Store: (stor) n. A place merchandise is offered for sale. Diva: (deva) n., pl. An operative prima donna: a goddess.
In a nutshell… “A thrift store diva is a goddess who seeks out stores where she can utilize her frugal money management skills to the upmost of their ability.”
So, with that said, due to our obsession with stretching our dollars and our love of second hand stores, we decided to share our passion with the world in hopes they would share it with us in turn and not break the bank while doing it!
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