Like most girls, i get this incredible "high" from buying clothes, shoes and bags but when thrifting, that "high" seems to be more satisfying.
It's that cloud nine feeling that overpowers me when i search through racks, heaps and stash of bags and clothes until...... AH HA! *mouth drops open, eyes open wide* i found the one!
the thrift shop is my go-to when i want to shop without stretching my budget, its amazing how you can find one of a kind pieces from designer labels like Diane Von Furstenberg, BCBG, ZARA, Betsey Johnson and the list goes on..
as a thrift shopper myself, let me give you this simple tips when thrift shopping.
1. its best to shop when the racks are labeled "new arrival", because this means all the good stuff are still there.
2. always look first for the "known labels" on the clothes such as giordano, guess, topshop, levi's and so on... coz if its branded, you might end up liking it.
3. bring your own shopping bags, unlike malls, ukay ukay shops doesn't have chic paper bags.
4. when fitting, its always best if you don't take all of your clothing off or might as well wear leggings and tube tops so you don't have strip at all, remember these are second hand stuff and you might get bacterial ickiness just by close contact.
5. DO NOT BUY DESIGNER BAGS from thrift shops if you're not a designer bag connoisseur, some of the bags are just class-A imitations/replica.
6. Never put down an item that's to your liking, guard it with your dear life. Do not commit the mistake of putting it aside; another shopper might be eyeing the same item.
7. HAGGLE HAGGLE HAGGLE, 'nuff said.
8. Befriend all the salesperson and ask for their contact details so you can text them whenever there would be clearance sale or better, new arrivals.
9. double check, triple check, quadruple check.... scrutinize, watch out for stains especially pit stains , broken zippers, missing/mismatched buttons and stitches.
10. have patience, rummaging through dozens and dozens of racks and digging through heaps and heaps of clothes can be pretty daunting, but who knows? a gem might just be waiting to be rescued under all those stale fabrics.
i'll post some of my ukay finds soon :D but for now folks
....happy shopping!
