Finding Freedom Through Thrifting

I made my first thrift store purchase four years ago, and my style is forever changed.  I won’t pretend that I started thrifting to support sustainable causes or anything so noble.  My goal was to find cool clothing for cheap prices like the wonderful, stylish folks I’d found in the Instagram community.  I wound up receiving so much more.  No amount of money could buy what I receive from jumping into thrift shopping.

Stylistic freedom is something I didn’t even know I needed, but is something I unexpectedly receive with every purchase I make.  I like to say thrifting unleashed me to find my authentic style, and actually made my style better.  Once my mind was freed, so was my style, which is now a true reflection of who I am.

How is it possible that buying and wearing someone else’s old stuff could improve my style?  Thrifting helped me dismiss the boundaries, categories, and labels that we unconsciously learn every day through the advertising and imagery we consume.  The mere organization, or lack thereof, at the thrift store requires that you let go of what you know.  To effectively shop these stores, you’ve got to have an open mind.

There is no sizing (at most stores) and no brand differentiation.  All you get is a loose grouping of slightly similar items. I’ve learned that clothes do not need to be grouped by size because size labels literally do not matter.  That can seem scary at first, but it helped me break through the limited view that many of us are conditioned to have about how clothing “should” be worn, and what “should” fit us.  The only thrifting rule, if you like the item, try it on and style it any way that feels good to you.  How freeing is that?

Freedom is also found in shopping the whole store, and not just one section.  I always shop through blazers and button-down shirts from both the men’s and women’s sections.  Just as size doesn’t matter in the thrift store, neither do gender and age labels.  Although clothing is separated into a Men’s, Women’s and Children’s section, I shop every area without hesitation. I’ve purchased a Boy Scouts of America shirt and a youth football jersey, both of which are part of my current wardrobe.

My favorite jeans, blazers and button-down shirts are from the Men’s section.  Although, I have always loved to mix menswear inspired elements into my style, I NEVER even considered shopping the men’s section in any store.  Thrifting helped me let go of that boundary, and opened up a whole new way of style.

I can’t recall being as confident in my personal style as I am today, nor have I had so much fun getting dressed.  It could be partially due to age but, I know, a big part of it is thrifting.  If you’ve been on the fence about thrifting, I encourage you give it a try.  Walk in with an open mind, use the strategies from my previous blog post, and prepare to be transformed.

Follow me on Instagram at @mystyleismybrand for more style tips and inspiration.