I’m a veteran thrifter, but a relatively new blogger. I was delighted to find Nicole Poole’s blog, Thrift Store Confidential, which teaches me about both arts (the inspiration board, above, and graphic below are from her site.)
TSC is a generous blog, not only because Poole shares her thrifting wisdom, but also because she shines some light on the charities supported by nonprofit thrift stores. TSC is a clearinghouse of other thrift and fashion bloggers, exposing her readers to new voices.
Plus TSC is a Tim Gunn devotee. (Have I confessed to you that I’d like for Tim Gunn to be my life coach? How I’d like to connive a way to teach a Project Runway themed writing course?)
In this handy article, TSC tailors Gunn’s 10 Essential Elements for Women to the thrift shopping experience. For example, one of Gunn’s recommendations for every woman’s closet is a knockout pair of jeans. TSC elaborates: “Look for either white, black or darker rinses, as faded jeans can look awfully faded by the time the shop gets them! Again, find a few pairs in your size, check for rips, tears and stains, then try them on. Tiny back pockets look terrible on everyone, but gaps in the waist and excess length can be easily fixed.”
This is where my path diverges from TSC. Poole advises buying high quality items that fit well even if they need a bit of repair. This is a great solution, allowing and you to flex your home ec skills or throw some business to a local tailor or cobbler. But I can say that I’ll take an item to a tailor, but I probably won’t. I can bribe my friends who sew, but I don’t really want to burden them with more work (friends who sew are usually too nice to say no. Hm. Maybe that should be a bumper sticker).
If you sew, great. The thrifting world is your oyster. And you’re in good blogging company. I pretended that I know I how to sew while reading this neat article about how to alter a pencil skirt (photo is from examiner.com).
But I’ve brought home too many thrifted items in the past that didn’t fit right, garments that I thought I’d get around to altering and just never did. So now WanderChic has to be pretty strict with herself: I have to love–not just like–the item. And it has to love me back. As is. No work needed. Otherwise, my procrastination wins, and I have a pile of clothing that I can’t wear (bought with cash I could have spent on more useful things).
OK, occasionally I still buy something that’s almost perfect with hopes of figuring out some magical solution. But isn’t that one of the best things about style? Refashioning the rules to suit your taste and situation?