Let’s get thrifty: Thrift shopping and creating the perfect DIY jeans written by Melinda Miesner photographed by Katherine Camara
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here are many ways to find your style, whether it’s “in fashion” or not. Part of the formula to finding that style is knowing where to buy clothes that are affordable and fit into your current budget and lifestyle needs. You may need to ask yourself if thrifting is right for you. Be prepared for some failure and disappointment along the way, but don’t worry too hard–you can usually alter any mistakes into a better design. Before you start, you need to figure out what thrifting means to you. No, you don’t need to put your heart and soul into your new found hobby, but knowing how much effort you want to put into your creations is a good start. The spots to shop will depend on how much you want to spend and what stores you have access to. Larger discount shops like Gabe’s and Ross Stores offer discount clothes in an atmosphere much like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. However, your greatest finds may pop up in the cheapest destinations, such as the Salvation Army or Goodwill. Remember another person’s trash—with a few adjustments—may be your new treasure. Personally, I thrift at Goodwill and the Salvation Army because they aren’t overpricing hand-me-downs, which is done in some consignment shops because clothes are brought in for commission and not donated. It can be intimidating walking into a store and seeing all the options. To cut down on the time you spend looking at clothes, focus on the quality of the material, brand names and imperfections. When looking for jeans, find items that are real denim. Looking at the tags before you pick up an item can tell you two things: the type of material and brand names. Not that you need to buy every item you see with a popular brand name, but it does cut down on time when you’re trying to figure out what clothes will be worth trying on.
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