Source
r/streetwear•
PinkClubCs

[Discussion] Lets talk about thrifting. Love it? Hate it? Pros/Cons? Best Finds? Biggest Regrets? Funny stories? Share it all here

DISCUSSION

I want to know everyones thoughts on thrifting. I personally love it but a lot of my friends are very against it. Some because of a stigma associated with second hand clothes where I'm from and some because it takes too much time and they'd rather just buy online but maybe you have different thoughts. Let me know down below.

I love nothing more than having a day to myself and doing nothing but a lap of all the local shops. If you find me in a giant unsorted rail of cheap clothes I'll definitely have a smile on my face. Thrifting has been key for me in developing my style as it has given me opportunities to try out things I may not have otherwise been able to afford or have come across in the shops I used to go to.

In Ireland the selection when thrifting is usually quite limited and poor, especially for men. Most shops will have one or two rails with a total of around 40/50 mens items per shop. Of those items 20ish will be items from lower end/basic brands (pennys/primark/zara/topman/marks and spencers/H&M etc) that are priced the same or similar to retail. Then the rest are made up of local charity tee shirts, huge sized trousers and weird jackets. I'm lucky if I find more than one item of interest in a full days thrifting. What are your local thrifts like? Whats your success rate or favourite shops?

Thrifting in foreign countries is one of my favourite things to do as a tourist, I love the story attached to the item that you get when you dig through the thrift trenches and strike gold. My mam lives in America so I always hit up goodwill and whatever else is nearby when I visit. The selection is magnitudes better over where she is, you Americans have it lucky. I went to Brick Lane when I was in London and the amount of shops and vendors was insane to me, I got loads of cool things. I went to a few thrift shops in Berlin and Amsterdam and they both had really cool selections also. Do you like thrifting in other cities also? what are your favourite cities or shops?

I also choose to thrift over buy new items as often as possible because it has less of environmental impact and is a way of me casting a vote against fast fashion. Is this something other people like also?

I think I've enough words typed now so I can stop rambling about thrifting and ya'll can tell me your thoughts and stories about thrifting

Posted Apr 5, 2018, 12:54 AM UTC

5478
irisapfel•

Thrifting is fucking awesome! Affordable, great for the environment, good for experimenting, worthwhile when you find something really cool, and a fun time!

I love all of these things about thrifting, but I'll admit, I don't go thrifting nearly as much as I would like to because I prefer online shopping (due to specific tastes) and there isn't a thrift store within walking distance (I live on campus). When I do get an opportunity to shop in stores, I usually turn to fast fashion retailers. :-(

The selection would be much better in wealthier areas or large cities like New York. However, thrifting is probably more expensive in those areas and are probably over-picked as fuck. Everything I have found so far is pretty mediocre and basic stuff, but like I said before, I don't go thrifting in stores that often.

38
PinkClubCsOP•

I'm glad somebody feels the same as me, those are many of my favourite things about thrifting too.

It's a pity you can't go more but I understand the pain, I moved for college and thankfully there are a few within walking distance of me but before I just couldn't do it without going really out of my way so I rarely went also. Do you ever buy secondhand stuff online?

I've found that big cities generally have a better selection in store and also a greater amount of thrift shops near each other so you can go to a few at a time which makes it super convenient. When it comes to smaller local shops you just have to be lucky I think

2
irisapfel•

I actually just received a second-hand Acne Studios bag from eBay in the mail today! I've purchased off of Depop several times before, and I browse other second-hand markets like Grailed/Etsy, etc. However, I think it's slightly more thrilling to hunt for things in person, and it's more convenient in terms of sizing and fit. I'm a 4'10" girl which makes it hard to find clothes that suit me, and I can't just return online second-hand purchases that don't fit.

2
PinkClubCsOP•

Nice, do you've any pics of it? I do a lot of browsing on depop/ebay etc but find I rarely end up pulling the trigger on the purchase. I mainly use them for inspiration. I find it really difficult to find things in my size aswell, I think that's why I'm more likely to buy in person as I can try the item on to make sure it fits.

1
irisapfel•

It's the Acne Studios Laurie Bag in black! Maybe I will post an outfit with it on this sub later? Was kind of inspired by @fakeyunhye on Instagram, haha.

I also use Depop for inspiration. I have so many things saved, but they are usually too expensive for me to risk purchasing it, only to find that it doesn't suit me.

2
Anthraxistaken•

I like thrifting, but I won’t lie it’s not really fun to sift through clothes for an hour or two and end up finding one thing you’re not even sure if you like enough to buy, you have to be able to go so offen to really find anything and I don’t have a good thrift shop close enough to do that. Also I’m a size S to M and it’s really hard to find stuff that size.

All that being said I absolutely agree that having a day to yourself to go through a bunch of stores is fun

Depop is amazing though because it cuts all of that out and just leaves the good part

21
PinkClubCsOP•

Yeah I know that feeling of being like "do I really like this or is it just the best they have?" all too well. I'm a size S/M also but thankfully I wear a lot of baggy clothes so I'm not too stuck. I've a small waist size aswell so thrifting trousers is really tough.

I've never bought on depop but ive considered selling on it before. One downside of thrifting for me is the huge stockpile of clothes I've built up. Have you got anything cool off depop?

2
Anthraxistaken•

Yeah I have the same problem with pants, don’t think I’ve ever found fitting pants at a thrift shop.

And yeah I actually have found good stuff at depop, a lot of band tees I like, a couple nice jackets, obviously you have to look through it, but I feel like sonce it’s dedicated to fashion there’s more good stuff and less “I can’t believe an adult actually bought this”.

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PinkClubCsOP•

Whenever I find a pair that fits I nearly always buy them. I've recently learned how to hem the legs and take in the waist of trousers so hopefully ill have more choice now.

I really like scrolling through depop. All the stuff there is definitely of at least a certain standard since everyone who uses it is in some way interested in fashion instead of being some middle aged person who buys clothes in the same shop they buy their groceries.

2
ElectrikWalrus•

Honestly it’s very rewarding. Finding a sick piece in a thrift shop feels like winning the lottery. You’re usually guaranteed to have something that’s kind of unique unlike getting something from a store. Chances are that you’ll come across other people with the same piece.

9
PinkClubCsOP•

I love the uniqueness of the items also, when you do find something you feel like you've earned it. I think it's cool that nobody else will have the same piece as me, especially for some of the pieces I got abroad. Anyone can go into a shop and buy a mannequin and wear it but it takes some knowledge and style to be able to pull something cool from the thrift and integrate it into a fit imo

1
jealoussea•

My style has elevated so much since I started thrusting regularly. My wardrobe is unique and longer lasting than a lot of clothes you would get from a store (especially for the price) People hate on sifting for an hour to find one thing, but I find it relaxing. I love thrifting and encourage everyone to try it.

Best finds: Gucci sneakers, YSL sneakers, acne studios jeans, a butt load of sick flannels and Hawaiian shirts

8
xXYungRealXx•

Your spelling mistakes makes your post insanely funny, thank you for making my day. Pls don't be offended.

9
jealoussea•

Lmao thanks for saying something I liked them too. Thrusting is also a good hobby. Was gonna edit it but fuck it.

4
xXYungRealXx•

Well thanks again for making my day:D

1
PinkClubCsOP•

Thrifting was fundamental to me in developing my style also. You get the opportunity to play with so many different styles, colours, prints etc that aren't trendy right now so therefore aren't in the high street stores. I really like the longevity of the clothes also, like you can feel the difference in quality on the rails. I find thrifting to be very relaxing too, I can see why others may find it frustrating but once you get over the expectation of getting something everytime I think it can become really enjoyable.

Those are some seriously good finds. Where abouts are you from/did you thrift them if you don't mind me asking?

2
jealoussea•

I live in Salt Lake City. The thrifting here is so good and cheap. The YSL sneaks I got we're on a trip to NYC. Lots of good outdoor brands (ll bean, black diamond, Patagonia) and a pretty good variety overall.

My thrifting strategy these days is about FABRICS. like wool flannels are warm and nice but Vintage Acrylic flannels drape so well and are thick and warm. I have 3 now and I wear them almost daily. Same with short sleeve button ups. Fuck cotton..Rayon patterned button ups look so fly. Nobody's probably gonna read this but you OP..but happy hunting to ya.

2
PinkClubCsOP•

That sounds like my dream, I've so much thrifted ll bean. Love their stuff. I'd probably snap up any patagonia I found also because I love how socially responsible they are as a company. Do you find that the LDS presence in Salt Lake reflects in more modest clothing in the thrifts?

Yeah I'm all about colour and fabric now. I never paid attention to texture and draping before but its opened up a whole new world for me to explore in the thrifts. I've a rayon button up that flows like water, it's one of my favourite shirts. Happy hunting to you too!

1
jealoussea•

The stuff here is probably a little more conservative, but I live in downtown SLC where mormons are the minority. So I never notice it. I'm sure in the suburbs it is tho.

2
krazykevy•

I always go to charity shops in rich neighbourhoods here in London, I have found some really good stuff there.

8
W4RU•

any recommendations?

2
krazykevy•

South Kensington high street.

2
PinkClubCsOP•

Next time I'm in London I'll try hit this street, is there a strip of charity shops?

1
krazykevy•

Not really a strip but every city and town in the UK tend to have these charity shops but Kensington is a rich area of London so the stuff you tend to find in these shops tend to be high end brands etc,although for vintage /thrift shops you need to hit Shoreditch and Brick lane street market.

2
krazykevy•

Brighton has some really good vintage shops too, should check it out, if you get the chance.

2
PinkClubCsOP•

Yeah I need to start going to the richer areas of my city to try my luck. It's refreshing to see someone say charity shop on Reddit. I used thrifting in the title because that's what people on here call it but to me it'll always be hitting up the charity shops

1
krazykevy•

which city are you from?

2
PinkClubCsOP•

I live in Dublin

1
krazykevy•

Great city only been there once longtime ago ,i guess a lot has changed now.

2
pand-aid•

I get legit half my wardrobe from various markets and thrift stores. Here's an album of some of my favorite items, the Kaws x Uniqlo tee I actually bought off a facebook buying/selling group so it doesn't really count but it was only $12 AUD which is an absolute steal for the quality and I've wanted it for ages so it was a great find for me.

7
PinkClubCsOP•

Yeah at least 70-80% of my wardrobe is thrifted or from a market/kilo sale. I must make an album of all my thrifted items, it'd be cool to keep them all together in one place. Those are some nice finds, it's funny how a few pics can give me a sense of your style haha. I've a chaps shirt that's similar to your ysl shirt and I love it, the colours so nice. I like your coloured flannel, I'd wear that a lot also if I had it haha.

$12 is a steal for that tee, I feel the price range justifies its spot in the album

3
pand-aid•

I also picked up These Odd Future Vans off Grailed for about $100 AUD shipped which was crazy since it cost literally $50 USD shipping so the dude must have really made a loss since they came in about 9/10 condition, I love these so much

3
cdg_homme•

Best find is this Junya Patchwork Chambray Shirt.

6
PinkClubCsOP•

Damn I can't imagine how excited I'd be if I found some junya in the thrift. That's a great find at a steal of a price!

1
cdg_homme•

In CAD too!!

3
PinkClubCsOP•

Oh mamma you'd be losing money if you didn't cop

1
nerudashakespeare•

I love thrifting. I personally enjoy sifting through racks trying to find gems all day and coming home with a trunk full of cool things. It’s much more rewarding (and cost-effective) finding nice, fitting things for that price. I know a lot of people would never buy shoes second-handed but I find a lot of sneakers that are brand new or just perfectly beat. I work at a shoe store so I can freshen things up and revive the material back if needed.

I love finding jackets and shirts in the mens section as I generally enjoy oversized outerwear anyway. Though, finding pants is an absolute chore. No women’s pant will ever properly fit the waist/thigh area because a majority of the pants there are horribly mid-waisted and super skinny (which was huge back then.)

My favourite thing I’ve ever gotten was a Charlie Parker vinyl and a huge Funkadelic shirt. I later accepted the fact that the shirt was too big for me and ended up gifting it to a friend of mine. Still one of my favourites tho!

5
PinkClubCsOP•

Woah the thrifts near you must be great if you can get a trunk full of stuff, im lucky if I find more than one thing I'm digging. Thrifting is definitely more cost effective. I try to get one wear for every dollar/euro/pound I spend on the clothes. So if I get a t shirt for 3 euros I expect to wear it at least 3 times. Thrifting is the best way to get cool things that don't require me to wear the same thing for five months straight

It's funny you say you like shopping in the men's. I do a lot of shopping in the women's section in the shops near me. I've a tiny waist size by male standards so the only place I can get things that fit me are in the women's section. Thrifting is generally much better for upper body wear than lower in my opinion, it's rare I find pants that fit great but it's not too hard to find a cool shirt or jacket or jumper.

I like that one of your favourite thrift finds is a vinyl! You're very generous to give your friend one of your favourite finds. Loads of mine don't fit amazingly (read: barely fit at all) but there's not a hope I'd give them to someone else. This way if I ever gain lots of weight imma look still look flyyyyy haha

1
LPMachu•

Man I only can watch videos from youtube and that shit is dope AF. But here in Spain, at least where I live, we don't have any.

5
PinkClubCsOP•

I like watching some trip to thrift videos on YouTube also.

Do you have smaller more local shops?There's nothing like goodwill or savers where I'm from but we do have smaller shops that sell second hand clothes, usually some of the proceeds go to charity's like the national cancer society or blind society. These shops are called charity shops where I'm from.

1
LPMachu•

You won't believe it but I just found 3 of them hahah and also one shop where they sell clothes depending of the weight, all from the 90's . I'm going today haha

5
PinkClubCsOP•

Great :D Throw up some pics if you find anything cool. I love the kilo sale setup because you can get some serious steals. I have a light quilted jacket thats so warm and I got it for like €4 or something because of the weight.

2
leohm•

Adress?

1
LPMachu•

Es en Málaga pero desde mi punto de vista no había mucho que ver...kilo vintage

1
elsome•

Makes me smile that someone else loves going to thrift shops while on holiday. If I can’t hit up some sort of thrift/second hand store on holiday I’m pretty devastated. Something about the thrill that comes with finding something that is really unique, or amazing value, or really old and interesting, and then paying an absolute minimum... just soooo fun. Mecca for me is the Salvos in Tokyo. Taboo against used clothes? Phht!

4
PinkClubCsOP•

I'm totally the same, I'm going to milan soon and I've already pencilled in a full day for thrifting. If that doesn't work out I'm gonna be bummed. Thrifting abroad has this extra bit of magic and wonder attached to it, like you can see the styles from different countries but something about never being able to go back to the store adds a sense of excitement. I've yet to go to Tokyo but it's been on my list for so long, I've heard the second hand clothes game is on another level out there

1
aSaltyVest•

I love thrifting, shame we don't have any big thrift shops in the uk. Managed to get myself a Burberry trench coat for £22 from a vintage market though

4
PinkClubCsOP•

Yeah when I went to the UK I found it to be similar to here in Ireland. Lots of small charity shops dotted around as opposed to huge goodwills or supermarket sized shops dedicated to second hand clothes.

That's a steal for a Burberry coat, I've wanted a nouveau check shirt for so long now, hopefully someday I'll find one in the thrifts

2
uglyorgans•

I just bought a nouveau check Burberrys shirt at a thrift for $6 the other day! such a great find. best of luck to you. :-)

3
PinkClubCsOP•

Damn you're so lucky! HMU if you ever decide to sell it, I'll give you double what you paid ;)

1
Yung_Komodo•

Dependent on location - loved it in Japan, found a vintage Supreme shirt and a Bape camo hat for the low

4
PinkClubCsOP•

Yeah I've heard Japan have a really well developed thrift scene, I'd love to get out there someday to find out. Those sound like some sick finds!

2
kiwidikzakjuh•

I like trifting a lot but in the netherlands it is pretty expensive

2
PinkClubCsOP•

Are the shops curated by style or brands? I've found that when the shops puts some attention into the stock they keep them the prices go up.

My favourite shops are the ones that are rails of unsorted clothes as they're he best for a bargain usually.

When I was in Amsterdam I didn't think the shops were unfairly priced but it also wasn't dirt cheap.

1
Waterpres•

Depends on where you go, there's lots of cheap(ish) thrift stores around, you just gotta look really good for them. Recently got a pair of brand new janoski's, also a vintage Vans jacket and loads of other gems. If you're ever in Hilversum, go to Second Life, they have some nice stuff there. There's probably a Kringloper near you somewhere. Depending on where you go the quality rises. In 't Gooi there are some pretty sick thrift stores, and if you can't be arsed, just go to an Episode somewhere :)

1
PinkClubCsOP•

Damn, I suppose some people make enough big profits off certain pieces that they can afford to make a loss on others. Those are cool shoes, nice cop

2
uglyorgans•

I like thrifting a lot. I go once or twice a week depending on how I’m feeling and usually hit three or four stores per trip. the only thing that bums me out from time to time is the really basic or limited men’s section like you mentioned. I find a lot of men’s stuff is fundraiser tees, 50x28 pants, and sweat stained athletic wear. occasionally I find good shit, but most of the time I shop the men’s section for a few minutes (where I usually don’t find anything) and then shop the larger sized women’s stuff. I can’t tell you how many great, unique pieces I’ve found in the women’s section. my style is very androgynous though, so I don’t mind wearing women’s clothes as long as they fit me properly.

some of my best finds have been,

  • a gorgeous cream colored christian dior cashmere sweater
  • a 1980’s burberrys nova check short sleeve button up
  • an extremely long dress shirt that flows like water and has a really fucking cool pattern from a japanese brand called blue sky
  • an unbranded multi-pattern, multi-fabric shirt that looks like junya cdg
  • a black/white striped maison margiela tee that I wear the fuck out of

also I want to take the time to say fuck buffalo exchange, thanks!

2
PinkClubCsOP•

Nice, I'd go with a similar frequency to yourself. The selection is such a challenge, I've seen so many charity 5k run or corporate sponsored tee shirts that now I'm actually starting to contemplate buying some hahaha. I'm a 28" waist so its rarer than a solar eclipse that I actually find any pants that fit, i've no clue why but chunky dudes are the only ones who seem to donate pants and i cant fit a 38/40" waist no matter what belt I use! I always browse the womens section also, the womens pants game is FIRE once you get past the tiny pockets. I've some sick blouses and tops aswell. Honestly most people probably couldn't tell unless you told them anyway though.

I'm so jealous of your finds. I have found like one or two designer pieces over the years ive been thrifting in my local shops. I've wanted a nova print shirt for so long, that's one of my grails haha. That dior sweater sounds so nice, I love the feel of cashmere! Hopefully your luck keeps up and you keep finding that good stuff!!

Yeah fuck them. I bought a shirt from them when I was in LA last and then when I flew back to Ireland I went to wear it and realised theyd left the beeping tag thing on the shirt and it has an ink pack so I'm too scared to try and take it off. I emailed them to see if there was anything I could do and they never responded to me so now that shirt is just sitting on my rail in limbo and has been for months

1
OldBirdWing•

At goodwill pretty much all clothes are $3 or less. There’s 5 of them in my city so I can’t justify not going. I can spend $12 on 4 items I really like. Last time I went I found a vintage champion pullover, a nice Aloha shirt, a brand new van heusen sweatshirt, and a brand new champion Juniata college tee. Was happy to spen $12 total on these.

2
PinkClubCsOP•

I rarely leave goodwill empty handed, they're so cheap and generally have a decent sized collection for men. I always go when im in the states

1
OldBirdWing•

The great thing about thrift stores is that you never know what you’ll find. Compared to discount stores (Like Ross or TJ Max) Goodwill is miles ahead. At the discount stores, you pay just a discounted price on something nobody has ever heard of and is questionable quality. Am the thing is that they are pretty expensive, even when discounted. But goodwill you can find anything pretty well if you look, full quality piece in all its glory (though used) for a cheap cheap price.

2
PinkClubCsOP•

I agree. I've had better luck in tj maxx and Ross' for things like shoes. I got some Nike football cleats for 9.99 that lasted as long and were as comfy as any other pair I've owned. They're good for bed sheets and towels and other stuff you may wanna buy new but when it comes to clothing goodwill beats the socks off the discount stores imo. I've found some new things with tags but many of the items are lightly used and of a higher quality than the discount stores.

1
libo720•

Not a fan. I would never wear anything that another person has worn before.

2
PinkClubCsOP•

Any particular reason?

1
libo720•

Stuff other people wore are not a big deal because you can just wash them and most of the time it will be fine but its more of a mental thing for me.

I simply don't like the idea of owning a piece of clothing or shoes that other people have already owned because i feel clothes and shoes are an intimate thing that you put on your body everyday.

2
PinkClubCsOP•

I can understand this reasoning, I wouldn't wear thrifted underwear for the same reason haha. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from? I'm asking because I'm curious if our cultures are different and that may help equate for this difference in opinion.

Also what are your thoughts on resellers who buy items, don't wear them, then sell them on. Would you wear something offered by a reseller since it wasn't worn or is that still not appealing to you?

1
libo720•

I currently reside in the US. Growing up it was instilled in me to not buy 2nd hand things as it was not a good look (i didn't really care that much though)

My reason as stated above was i simply did not like the idea of wearing something that another person have already wore before. I like getting brand new clothes/shoes and make it my own in a way.

As for resellers who buys hype stuff to flip them for profit i respect their hustle, and i don't mind buying from them if the items are still brand new and unworn.

However i never pay resell prices as i do not think its worth it (or i never came across something that i liked it SO MUCH that i would pay 4,5 times the retail price for it)

I don't want to support them. I only buy things that i would like to wear it myself. Even on the hype releases that i managed to buy for retail like really hyped Jordans or Adidas i still never resell even though i know there is money to be made. Just because i don't hate the game doesn't mean i have to play it right?

2
pinealwaves•

I used to thrift more. Recently I’ve felt like it can be exhausting, but I have found some awesome stuff in the past. I guess something that does freak me out though is thinking about if anyone had really bad experiences in their clothing and that’s why they donated it...

2
PinkClubCsOP•

Haha yeah sometimes I think about the clothes previous life. Were their owners nice? Did they hang my shirt up and wash it or roll it into a ball and throw it in the back seat of their car haha

1
sonQUAALUDE•

imo thrifting is such an interesting subject in streetwear circles because it requires a person to actually have a sense of taste and personal style and proportion to make work. which is a huge contrast because you dont need any taste or eye to pull off hype clothing or fast fashion or any modern streetwear fashion really, you just go to a shop and pick out things roughly in your size and they all pretty much go together without any thought because thats what the designer intended. but do that while thrifting and youll look ridiculous and everybody will laugh at you. so i respect people who post thrifted fits here so much more. honestly i think anybody whos interested in dressing well should do it.

2
PinkClubCsOP•

This is refreshing for me to read.

I feel like the skill level needed to wear hype clothes is minimal. You can literally throw everything at a wall and what ever sticks will be worn together. To me it'll look bad because it lacks thought and originality but loads of people think it looks fire. Fast fashion brands are only marginally harder, you might have to understand colours a little more but all the pieces are designed to be worn together. I often look at peoples fits and question where their input is in the fit, like where is their spin on the clothes they're wearing or their personality coming through. Then I have to remind myself that not everyone cares about things that much.

I understand people are at different levels of interest and knowledge in fashion but to me being able to wear a full thrifted fit shows that you have a confidence in your own style and how clothing/materials/quality/proportions/colours work together.

1
maztrpeac3•

It all depends on where you live, how much time you have, and the amount your willing to spend. If you go to a curated thrift with only fire pieces, it's going to be way more expensive than taking tons of time in a goodwill. However, it is the best way for good quality at a lower price

2