so you wanna thrift?
How have I curated a closet full of designer finds, boho brands, samples, and on trend pieces over several years? Most of it has come from thrifting with a few exceptions that came from the occasional sample sale in LA.
Any of my friends of family will tell you that I have a lot of clothes. They’ll also tell you I’m pretty stylish. I once had a goal to become a stylist in LA, (and maybe I will but my goals and dreams have changed a lot since I was 18) but I’m focused on being a kickass freelance social media manager and copywriter. What currently brings me the most joy that I also consider a favorite hobby, is thrifting. Before discovering thrifting, I used to shop at Free People, Anthro, Urban Outfitters and not just because I had an employee discount. I would hit up Zara for things that were trendy but always fit my 5’9, size 4/6 with size 11 shoe frame. I dropped so much money at brands that were cranking out cheaply made pieces and selling them for 6x the price. I’ve made a lot of fast fashion mistakes over the years but I’ve learned from them and I hope to pass on some of that knowledge to you.
Here’s what I’ll never buy used: underwear (obviously), makeup (germs), and earrings (my ears are sensitive).
Here’s what I’ll always find second hand: robes, cashmere, designer and non designer shoes if they’re in my size, belts, designer anything, brand samples, bikinis, coats, bags, jewelry, never worn athletic apparel, vacation wear, random brands I’ve never heard of with cute pieces, and designer dupes. Vintage/thrift stores are a revolving treasure hunt!
Since high school, I’ve been hitting up vintage spots, flea markets, thrift stores, and sample sales. I have fond memories of going to Play Clothes in Burbank looking for 70’s style pieces and admiring all the 40’s - 60’s clothing and even finding a few vintage bathing suits I still break out to this day. How my second hand closet curation originally started was through sample sales from brands I loved but absolutely could not afford as a college student. I wouldn’t meet the modern day cleaned up thrift store Crossroads, until 2011. I’d wake up at 5am to wait in line (usually in Beverly Hills, DTLA, Venice, Culver City, Santa Monica) for a cult brand sample sale that started at 10am. These brands hardly had sales so when they’d all get together to have a group sample sale, it was 100% worth it to wait 5 hrs to be in and out of the warehouse with $1500 worth of clothing for $350.
After years of shopping at Goodwill, Buffalo Exchange, Salvation Army, St Vincent De Paul, Play Clothes Vintage and a few cool finds on Melrose, I finally found Crossroads. A little later I discovered Wasteland too but thats a blog post for another day…Crossroads Trading is the arguably a one of the best modernized thrift stores. Each location has a different vibe and employees with interesting attitudes, but in my experience you’ll get that at any “cool” retail setting nowadays. I personally like the ones on the east side as I’ve found they have a great selection and a mix of brand new items with tags still on, pieces from a few seasons ago, vintage, designer, and trendy picks. It honestly depends on what you’re looking for, but before heading into a Crossroads, here are a few things you should know:
PRICING: Nothing on the racks is ever over $100 and that price is the max I’ve ever seen, ever. Most things I buy from there range from $15-$75 with the end range being designer finds in excellent condition. They also consign higher priced designer items and place those up front behind the cashier. The nicer items include designer handbags, hype beast pieces, designer shoes, vintage bags and other good stuff. These prices are $200+ but still cheaper than what they sell for at retail value. So if your intention is to go in and treat yourself to a pair of Size 7 Miu Miu’s or a Louis Vuitton Alma Bag then have at it!
CLEANLINESS: I’ve never found anything thats truly GROSS. Have there been stains on something that went unnoticed by the buyer, sure. Do I use that to haggle the price down by 10%, absolutely. Most of the time whats on the rack is clean, unless its a vintage band T. I’ve only had to get white dresses dry cleaned if they are so long they touch the floor and the dust has left the hems dirty or there are faint marks on it. A little dry cleaning goes a long way when you buy a $300 dress for a fraction of its original retail price.
WEAR AND TEAR: Rips, loose stitching, and oversized pants, oh yes. Have I fell in love with a garment only to realize, there’s a hole in the pocket? A loose button? someone stitched the hem all wrong? Or perhaps a perfectly good designer dress is three sizes too big for me? YES! Thats why I have a tailor I know and trust. I also have remedial sewing skills and can do most tiny fixes myself but for hemming dresses, taking in things or turning a dress into a skirt, I take that to my tailor. She’s a professional and I’m not.
WHATS HANGING ON THE RACKS: Here’s whats on the menu in almost each Crossroads. A mens section that has designer picks, coats, shirts, pants, sweaters, jackets and shoes on top of the racks. Second hand menswear is not that big of a market but it’s worth a look through especially in the sweater section where you’ll find boyfriend fit style cashmere. The rest of the store sections are as follows: bags and belts on the wall, a few racks of pants/ jeans, skirts and shorts, mini dresses, sweaters, jackets, t-shirts and tops, athletic apparel, two or three wall racks of maxi dresses and jumpsuits, and special pieces hanging up towards the ceiling.
HOW TO SHOP: Ultimately go in with an open mind. If you head in with a game plan, you’ll be disappointed. You can have an idea of what you’re looking for like a good coat, new shoes, a cute dress or some cool jeans but keep those goals vague. There are so many wonderful pieces that are waiting to be found among other things that aren’t so cute. If you enjoy taking your time looking through the racks, it’ll be a pleasant experience. If you wanna get in and out with some thrifted goodies, you’re gonna need to slow your roll.
Enjoy yourself and maybe bring a friend and let me know what you found on your thrifting adventure!
