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Thrifty Butches

6/9/2013

14 Comments

 
Shopping at thrift stores is an art, a science, and a great way to try out new styles without busting the bank.  I shop at thrift stores regularly, and have found some awesome deals there (highlights include a brand-new Banana Republic jacket for $20 and some Docs for $5).

The prospect, however, can be kind of daunting.  The dressing rooms are often sketchy and dimly lit, the clothes aren't hyper-organized like they are at Macy's, and the salespeople are there to ring stuff up, not to help you find a shirt with French cuffs and a 15.5 collar.

Here are my top ten tips for making the most of your next thrift store visit:
  1. Shirts will usually be arranged in S, M, L, XL, XXL.  Usually, S = 14-14.5, M = 15-15.5, L = 16-16.5, XL = 17-17.5, and XL = 18-18.5.  (If you don't know what these numbers mean, read my guide to buying shirts.)  Don't confine your search to one section--e.g., if you're usually a 17, look in L and XL. 
  2. If you have time, look through all the sizes.  Thrift stores often don't have enough staff to keep everything organized, so sizes and styles end up mixed together.
  3. Try everything on before you buy it.  Sometimes a piece of clothing is at Goodwill because the sizing is slightly "off."
  4. Examine everything carefully for rips and stains.  Many (in my experience, most) items there will be good as new... but not all of 'em.
  5. Don't buy anything with a frayed collar or frayed cuffs.  Shopping at a thrift store doesn't mean you have to look sloppy.  Similarly,
    Don't compromise fit.  You still want to look good.
  6. Wash everything before you wear it.  'Cause you just never know. 
  7. Be mindful of prices.  Yes, sometimes you'll get killer deals.  But I've seen brand-name shirts for $30 at a Goodwill!  Puh-lease!  For that, I could just go to Ross or Marshall's or TJ Max and buy it brand new.
  8. Sometimes you can buy a quality piece for next to nothing and have it tailored.  I once paid $12 for jeans that would have been $150 new.  I had them hemmed, which cost $8, but for $20 total, it was still a bargain.
  9. Be patient!  Some days you'll hit the thrift store jackpot; other days, you'll come home empty-handed.  Thrift stores are not a great place to shop for something specific and urgent ("I need a blue long-sleeved shirt for a presentation I'm giving in two days.")
  10. Learn when the new stuff comes in.  Sundays?  Mondays?  You want to dive in when the items are the least picked over.  Off-season items tend not to be picked over, either.  You can find some great sweaters in July when no one else is shopping for them.

There is zero shame in buying stuff secondhand.  Whether you have to do it for financial reasons or not, stand proud in the line at Goodwill!.  If anyone gives you a hard time about shopping at a thrift store, just be like: BAM!

So go forth and bargain-hunt!  I'd love to hear your other tips in the comments, and would also love to hear stories about great stuff you've bought secondhand.
14 Comments
mayte
6/10/2013 06:48:03 pm

Thanks for the info, not a butch but not a total femme either

Reply
JD link
6/10/2013 09:57:58 pm

Also important: the neighborhood your thrift shop is in is important. A Goodwill in a classy neighborhood may have worn-once Gucci and Versace on the shelves.

Reply
Charlie link
6/10/2013 10:41:37 pm

Some thrift stores are pushing up prices because they are trending and are capitalizing on that. (Thank you, hipsters!) But, at some that pay you for bringing in goods, people are wanting more and more for their stuff, so of course they must raise prices too to make up for that. Some of my friends go to buy Abercrombie, Hollister, etc. on the cheap, but now complain those prices are going up, too. (Dude, they're still far cheaper than mall prices!)

I go to the local kids' thrift to buy, sell, and exchange stuff for my son; he gets nice shirts for cheap, and I don't spend $$$ on clothes he'll soon grow out of.

Reply
M
6/11/2013 01:54:31 am

Something else lovely about thrift stores is that I've never seen any kind of gender policing in them. I've never even seen distinct men's and women's fitting rooms. (More expensive, well-curated consignment stores, maybe, but never GoodWill or the equivalent.)

Reply
Sappho01
6/11/2013 02:59:44 am

I'm a small butch/ tomboy and mens clothes rarley fit. I shop in the boys for tops. Usually 10-12, 12-14 fit me. I think I'm a med in women, only cuz I'm muscular. If I can find the "husky" size clothes, shorts will fit. Haven't been succesful with jeans yet. Much cheaper and fits better than mens so its less to tailor

Reply
Lauren
6/11/2013 03:34:16 am

When looking for more masculine of center clothing, being an averaged sized butch (5'5, somewhat fit), I've found that the little boy's medium, large and XL sections can be stellar for things like button downs, long sleeved and short, as well as ironic tee's that I like to turn into cut-offs. Best find by far being the $10 pinstripe never worn suit jacket that didn't need any alteration. Usually even the smallest of the men's section is too big to fit nicely, but I'll occasionally find a single extra small men's item that will work. I wonder what small men do in thrift scenarios?

Reply
Renee
6/11/2013 06:47:49 am

I shop at thrift stores all the time in the Dallas area! Just about everything I buy is a name brand and most are brand new! I would never again pay full retail for my clothes. Oh, and I am a butch!

Reply
Kate
6/11/2013 07:08:37 am

Love thrifting! I always look there first when I need something. Besides saving money, you are recycling and reusing, thus reducing the need for new items to be made.

Reply
Sam Salvidge link
6/11/2013 07:14:52 am

I love thrift stores, which we call Op-shops in Australia (short for Opportunity Shops). They are a great resource for people, especially younger people on low incomes to explore how they want to present themselves to the world without breaking the bank.

Reply
Zo link
6/11/2013 07:34:25 am

I have found some great stuff in thrift and 2nd hand stores. I got a perfect fitting dress shirt for 15 euros! I got a wicked skinny leather tie too once. I did a post before on my blog about thrifting for bigger butches- once you get the basics down you can go wild! Great post. :D

Reply
Zed link
6/11/2013 07:39:30 am

Another thing to consider: ever since companies like Levis and Doc Marten started having their stuff made in other countries, the sizes marked on the items mean f**k-all. A pair of vintage Docs made in the U.K. and a pair made in China may both say size 9 but the Chinese ones, may or may not fit a size 9 foot. Same with Levi's... a pair of 32 vintage compared to a pair of 32 made in Mexico or wherever.. you have NO idea how they will fit. Try everything on. :)

Reply
Beverly
6/11/2013 09:03:44 am

Thrift Shopping Is The Way To Go. Love It.

Reply
Jen
6/11/2013 09:57:09 am

Goodwill is one of my favorite stores. You can find really nice clothes. Who cares what others think about it, if they don't like it they don't have to shop there or wear their clothes.

Reply
Debra Lee Baldwin link
6/18/2013 03:35:20 am

Here's why I love thrifts. When I walk in the door, everything I see can be mine. I feel rich. I'm a recreational shopper, and I NEED to browse and buy, but oh, my, NOT at the mall or (God forbid) at a high-end store like Nordstrom. I leave Nordies with the same amount of stuff that I take with me after hitting local Goodwills, and I'm equally pleased by the haul from both. Not only are Goodwill prices a tenth of comparable brand new items, I don't pay sales tax and I get (am blushing now) a senior discount, which you only have to be 55 to qualify for. JD's so right, though, the neighborhood matters. Good stuff from high-end areas.

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