Thrift stores provide a wide range of styles and items from different eras. For some people, this is very confusing, but if you enjoy searching for treasures, this sustainable style and shopping guide is for you. With the rise of eco-conscious consumption shopping for secondhand items are on the rise. But this experience provides more: a space for your creativity and experiments. Many of these styles are even suitable for a job interview. Choose, mix, enjoy your favorite styles and build your unique wardrobe now, while saving the planet and your budget.
Romantic Vintage Wear
If you are into classy yet comfortable clothes this style is for you. The items should always be of good quality and chic. To find the basic elements for this style in thrift stores, look for wool tweed sets, pleated wool or cotton skirts, wool and cashmere pullovers, cotton shirts with embroidered details and collars, comfortable leather Mary Jane or Oxford shoes combined with a quality leather bag that holds all your essentials and more. For summer days, thift some polka dot dresses with waist ties and croche handbags. Opt for trench and wool coats in cooler seasons. Remember, this style has comfort and feminity in focus. If it feels a bit boring for you, add elements from other eras and styles to make it feel more like you.
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Bohemian style
Find all the elements in thrift stores for this ‘70s inspired trend. Look for earthy colors and intense patterns mixed with suede boots and coats. Don’t miss out on wool hats for this one. They will be the essence of your outfit. Combine your leather items with maxi dresses for the festival season. If you would go for a less loud appearance, mix some of these iconic elements with casual modern items, like skinny jeans or a white T-shirt.
Minimalist
First, this might feel tricky on the arrival at the store. The long aisles filled with thousands of colorful items make the impression that only festive, bohemian, or trashy styles are available. Don’t get distracted though and take a closer look. Your simple treasures are hiding between those loud dresses.
Look for high-quality wardrobe staples if you want to implement the minimalist style. Find a basic leather jacket or leather blazer in brown, black, navy, or cream. Look for Levi’s 501 in white, black, cream, and denim. Find matching suits with no pattern and combine them with a simple turtleneck, T-shirt, or a cashmere top. Reduce all extra design elements to the minimum and find the uniqueness of a simple item in its details. A character of a minimalist dress hides in its buttons, material, zipper, pockets, and other details that need a closer look.
Prefer all-natural items over synthetic ones. They not only feel better but they are of higher quality too. Look for silk, cashmere, wool, linen, cotton, and viscose. Find a few branded pieces but avoid giant logos.
Imagine how these items will fit in your wardrobe and try to ignore the atmosphere of the store around you. You may be surprised how much money your patience will save you if you take the time to look for these simple high-quality essentials. They might cost five to ten times more as new with no difference in quality.
Add a few extra pieces like jewelry, sunglasses, or a special coat or bag to your collection. This will give a nice pop and unique personality to the otherwise simple outfit. Be careful and never add more than a few statement pieces to one set to keep it minimal.
Trashy
This style comes in handy when you are tired of adapting to the norms and you want to express your personality or ideas uniquely and extravagantly. It is a tough one to do right. The main mindset is to chose and style items that represent a pop-cultural idea, through symbols of events, ideas, services, or companies. In this sense, it is a very similar way of expression to the also norm-breaking pop art. Mix basics with iconic elements that represent the western culture and all the dilemmas around it. If you chose this style your body becomes the canvas.
Alt-grunge, Techwear, Darkwear
Thrift store treasures offer a lot for you if you are into these styles. Similar to trashy style with a hint of the modernized rock, goth, and grunge world. Look for 00s clothes and accessories and try DIY tips to make your outfit pop. As long as you keep the colors muted, you can add all elements that you find interesting. Use black logo T-shirts as statement pieces combined with chains, ties, nets, belt bags, and black leather.
Hip-Hop Inspired Streetwear
For sneakerheads and hip-hop fans, thrift stores are the place to find relics from the hip-hop era. Combined with today’s shoes and full caps, the total look is ready with a thrifted Adidas set or an oversized hoodie. There is a thin line between tech wear elements and this style, so you are free to make your ideal mix of the two.
The list of styles is endless and creative thrifters keep inventing new ones. Follow their footsteps and enjoy your self-expression.