I took a trip to Goodwill over the weekend so I could use the gift card I won from Currently Kherington on Instagram. When I got to Goodwill in Grandville, their internet was down so I couldn’t use the gift card, but I was undeterred to find some great deals to round out my wardrobe. Going to the thrift store can be tricking sometimes if you don’t know what you’re going for. It is so easy to just buy whatever is there that fits you and looks good, but if it’s not something you need, it’s not something you need even if it’s a good “deal”. I know decluttering is super popular right now since it’s January, but what is possibly even more important is preventing clutter in your house by not buying it in the first place. Here is my process for deciding what I add to my closet and what stays at the store:
Inventory what you have at home
There are few things worse than coming home from the store riding that retail high just to realize you already have something almost identical to what you just bought already hanging in your closet (just kidding there are about a million things worse, but it’s still a bummer). If you have an idea of what you already own, it’s easy to avoid this.
Keep a list of things you want to add to your wardrobe
This makes it super easy to pull the trigger when you find a great piece at a thrift store. If you know you need a LBD and you see a super cute one at the store that fits, then get it!! One of my favorite bloggers used to keep a list of
Remember to buy things that fit your actual lifestyle
I used to buy things that the Sarah I want to be would wear, not what I actually wear. Now sure, you could argue that you should “dress for the job you want” so if I bought stuff that represented the person I wanted to be that could motivate me to be more like that person – except it didn’t. I would buy blazers, and trendy clothes, and uncomfortable clothes and then never wear them. Marie Kondo touches on this in her book and I think it’s super true that you should get rid of the “someday I’ll be skinny enough to wear this” dress because it’s just causing negative emotions that most likely aren’t helping you achieve your goals.
Now, I only buy items I am 100% certain I’ll wear, and wear them often. I know what my lifestyle is: I work 9-5 with a professional casual dress code, I go grocery shopping on the weekends, I have casual get-togethers with friends, I hang out at home a lot, and I go out downtown about once a month. I need to have 1. clothes to wear to work that fit in with my coworkers, 2. clothes to wear when hanging out with friends/family and 3. cute lounge clothes for around the house and the grocery store.
Try it on right away at home with pieces you think you’ll wear it with
This is especially important with separates like tops, pants, skirts, etc. If you think the top you found would look great with your jeans and heels, try it on to make sure!
Now on to what I purchased! I always grab everything I think might work, throw it in the cart and spend way too much time in the fitting room trying on basically the whole store as you can see in this picture:
Grey Turtleneck Sweater
I NEVER thought I would wear a turtleneck again after the 90’s because I specifically remember telling my mom that I felt like it was choking me and fighting her about having to wear a turtleneck. However, this time around it feels less like it’s choking me and more like a cozy sweater that it great for layering. I already own a black turtleneck that I wear often so this grey one will be added to frequent rotation.
Pink Shearling Vest
I have seen similar styles to this on Pinterest for a while and have been looking at different options for this, so when I found this I was so excited! Normally I would have preferred this vest be a neutral color like white or tan, but the pink really makes it more fun. This really fits into my cozy aesthetic and I can’t wait to wear it.
Red Gap Sweater
First off, I love the cute little front pockets on this sweater. It’s really what sold me to begin with. Then, when I tried it on, the length and the way the side is slit sealed the deal.
Stretchy Pencil Skirt
You can’t tell from a photo that the skirt is stretchy, but I can assure you that it is. My winter work uniform lately has been boots, tights, skirt, solid top and a cardigan so this will help add pattern into the mix. I currently rotate between 3 different skirts and now I have 4 to choose from.
Grandpa Cardigan
I saw this just before I was about to check out and I’m so glad I did. I feel like it’s the perfect mix between grandpa and cozy cute. The pattern FOR SURE isn’t modern, but it’s just outdated enough where it can be cute with jeggings and Uggs when going out for groceries or for lounging around the house.
Loft Velvet Jeans
Score! It’s hard for me to find bottoms that fit well even at retail stores so to find a trendy pair of velvet jeans in my size was amazing! I want to do a couple alterations to make it tighter around the ankle but otherwise they are so perfect to get the velvet trend for only $4.29!
Gap Tunic Shirt
This shirt is a great length to wear with leggings, and it’s a cute white with silver stripes. This will get worn often for running errands and hanging out with friends.
What about you? Let me know, do you try shopping at thrift stores to supplement your wardrobe? Or does it take too much time to rifle through everything?
