confessions of a thriftaholic

Hello my name is Sofia, and I am a thriftaholic. Like most things of the past, I find old clothes to be beautiful. Thrifted clothing is softer, cheaper and full of stories.

Thriftshop part I:

I have only ever been thrifting twice and found it to be a most enjoyable experience. The clothes were conveniently arranged by type of apparel (jeans, shirts) and by color, this made it quite easy to find whatever type of garment you were looking for. I personally believe that keeping an open mind at the beginning of any shopping endeavor is the best strategy. Do not expect to find exactly what you're looking for, that rarely ever happens. Instead, try to focus on a specific color or clothing style and see if anything speaks to you. The first time I went thrifting I did not quite know what to expect, but the experience was everything I loved about shopping and more.

(Eden and I in our newly thrifted clothes)

I went to the Pasadena Goodwill with my friend Eden. Goodwill may not seem like a hip or trendy place to shop for clothes but they had a wonderful selection of garments to choose from. Eden and I had so much fun sifting through the different racks of clothes, bagging the things we loved and ridiculing the things we hated. In the end I bought four things: 

- A vintage houndstooth coat (pictured above). The weather near my home is not exactly suited for heavy coats, but the coat was only $8 and in perfect condition. It was an offer I couldn't refuse. It fits really well and is SO retro-fabulous. I can't wait until winter rolls around and I can wear it out!

- A grey dress (pictured above). The dress is not vintage, but was also in perfect condition. It fits so well and I happily added it to my collection of dresses.

- A sleeveless yellow button down. The soft linen fabric is super breezy and very summery. It is quickly becoming a staple in my wardrobe.

- A red knit cardigan. I am of the opinion that a girl can never have too many cardigans or sweaters, and therefore my closet is overflowing with them. The original buttons on this cardigan were rather hideous faux-diamond things, they made the garment rather senior citizen. But the situation was easily righted when I swapped the buttons for some of my own. With its new mis-matched blue and gold buttons, the cardigan is simply darling.

Thriftshop part II:

(OOTD: Headband - anthropologie | sunglasses - Madewell | belt & shoes - Gap | skirt - handmade | 

top - thrifted from last time!)

This thrifting escapade was less fun than the first. This was largely because of the company I was with. Instead of being with one of my closest friends I was accompanied by my mother (shh she is a great shopping buddy), her friend and her friend's daughter. I found the latter two to be difficult companions with troublesome taste in clothing. They were set upon visiting the "trendy" vintage boutiques and out-of-the-way shops. Most of these places were closed and/or awful. By the time they finally agreed to go to the Glendale Goodwill, I had become very frustrated indeed. This store had a much smaller selection than the other Goodwill I had been to and I only bought 2 items:

- A sleeveless cable knit turtleneck. As weird as that sounds, it's actually really cute. It has the cozy feel of a proper winter sweater but its lack of sleeves makes it much chicer and practical. The nice off-white color adds to the retro feel.

- A small leather bag. The pouch is like a tiny backpack, not built to hold more than a few essentials. There was a small smudge of paint on the back, but it is not noticeable when worn. I love how cute and effortless the bag is. Plus, it's black which means it goes with almost everything!

If you haven't ever been thrifting, I highly recommend it. It is an affordable and fun way to shop for garments you may not have bought in a regular store. I spent a total of $38 for BOTH trips. So crazy! I hope to be able to do it again soon. After all, a girl can never have too much clothing.

♡