Lesson #1:
Do not shop in (or near) large metropolitan cities.
The further away from the city you go, the better because you'll find more stuff at
cheaper prices. For instance, in NYC, the shops are very picked over and you are not
usually likely to find much. Hit the boroughs and you may find one or two things
at a time, but go deeper into Brooklyn and Queens and you'll score even more.
And even if you do find a really cool 70's leather coat at a Manahattan Salvation Army,
chances are it will be upwards of $50 and that's no bargain.
Lesson #2:
Go with friends and make a day of it.
If you drive, chances are you'll need to plan a shopping excursion because you'll want
to travel to small out of the way towns and suburbs. So get a few friends, pile into the
car, and get going! What my pals and I like to do is to hit one or two stores, sit down to
a nice lunch break, and head back out. However, make sure the folks you take along have different
taste than you or you may find yourself with a little friendly competition.
Lesson #3:
Go alone.
Not better or worse than the group trip, just a completely different experience. You can
spend as much or as little time as you wish in the kiddie toys section and you won't feel
rushed to finish up or get bored waiting for a friend to. Plus, you won't have that friendly
competition to worry about (see above).
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Lesson #4: Make a b-line to the little kids' racks.
The only way you're going to get that just-grown-out-of look is to shop where the clothes
are a little too small for you. A big bonus here is that the prices are even LESS than
the adult sections! The children's aisels are chock full of $1 Little League tees,
$2 Crayola-colored ski vests, and skinny $3 corduroy prep school blazers.
Lesson #5: The best place for belts is the men's section.
Belts are without a doubt, one of the most important elements in the cool person's wardrobe.
And nothing is better than a piece of worn-out beaten-to-near-death leather woven through
the belt-loops of vintage Levis cords.
Men's belts tend to be thicker, wider, and most importantly, longer, which is really
important if you're female and would rather have belts ride on your hips. Plus, that's
where you'll find the most interesting ones with studs, tooled details,
and great buckles.
Lesson #6: Be like a Boy Scout and come prepared.
You're going to need a tape measure to measure things like waistbands
if there are no dressing rooms and you're not fond of stripping down in front of screaming
children. If you're a girl, you may want to wear a tight little tank top so that
you can try things on over it right there in the aisel. A mini stapler is good too, since a lot of places won't sell you something if the
price tag has fallen off (but take note, this does not mean you should use the stapler to
switch tags on garments...use it when you try something on and the tag accidentally
falls off). Finally, throw a few Shout Wipes into your bag. Since many things are stained at
second-hand stores, this way you can do a quick test to see if the dark spot will come out or not.
And this last one from one of our favorite contributors, Cari from LA:
"If you find a good thrift store, don't tell spoiled Gap Girls about it because they'll go
thrifting since they think it makes them hip, and then they will eat up all the good shit
and tell their friends who run a vintage shop bought by Daddy, and then overcharge for
everything that's cool."
Words to live by.
~S. Appel
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