How to Dress with Thrift Shop Chic

If you want to save money, make your wardrobe stand out, and have fun shopping, than dressing with thrift shop chic is just right for you. Here are some tips and guidelines for patronizing the world of second-hand stores:

*Look for bargains: Because most clothes at thrift shops are used, search for low prices and take advantage of them. Unless an article of clothing is true vintage (not just vintage-style), then you should be paying less for thrift shop clothes than department store clothes. Most of the clothes I buy at thrift shops is $5 or less.

*Search for brand names: Often fashionistas will discard brand name clothes in perfect condition just because it's no longer in style, but if you know how to dress well, you can take high-quality brand name clothes you find at thrift shops and make it them look fresh again. I recently bought a pair of almost-new Ann Taylor trousers a thrift shop for $2!

*Stock up on costume jewelry: One of my favorite finds at thrifts shops is costume jewelry. The selection is quirky and eclectic, ranging from vintage treasures to modern donations. They're usually cheap investments that I can wear as a novelty or to high-class events, depending on individual pieces.

*Buy basics and get creative: If you're the crafty type, it's might be fun to buy cheap clothes in bulk and then reconstruct them by cutting off sleeves, adding funky trim to jeans, replacing buttons on cardigans, or a wide variety of other techniques. You can even tailor men's clothes to fit flatteringly against your body.

*Transform your style: With the huge selection of clothes available at thrift shops, it's easy to transform your style. I personally have a Victorian Boho look I achieve through generous use of velvet, a combination of both dramatic and delicate jewelry, and interesting details, like faux fur trim, embroidered items, and pearl buttons. You, too, can go from bland to edgy by choosing a style inspired by another era, such as 1950's Bombshell, 1960's Mod, 1970's Flower Child, or 1980's Material Girl.