14 Mar Spring Thrift Shopping Haul + How to Use Social Media to Thrift

Yesterday I did something I haven’t done in almost three months…I went thrifting!!! Yes, I know. I have an affordable style blog and focus on thrift shopping, but I hadn’t been thrifting since last December. Like I mentioned a few weeks ago, I kinda needed to chill on the shopping so I could clean out my closet and truly define my personal style.

But yesterday I had a reason to thrift, as a vintage shop near me was having a great sale and I was clear on what I absolutely needed to add to my wardrobe. Keep on reading to see what I scored and why it’s so important to follow your local shops on social media.

If you follow me on Snapchat {@PatriceJWill}, then you saw the ins and outs of my vintage shopping adventure. The mission was to hit up Fox & Fawn‘s anniversary sale. The Brooklyn shop was celebrating 10 years in business so they had discounts on select tags, bins for $3, $5 and $10 and free prosecco. Yes, free wine! This was the perfect chance for me to finally visit the shop. I was far from disappointed!

The shop had about half a dozen bins with items that ranged from $3-$20, with jackets being the most expensive. After leafing through and picking about seven items, I narrowed the selection down to my must haves, which included a sheer pink sequin top, long sleeve printed vintage dress and a sleeveless pinstripe dress with pockets {the photo does it no justice!}. I’m absolutely in love with each item.

But let’s get back to the narrowing down process. I was tempted to purchase everything, but then I thought back to my closet which I cleaned out last year. I only want to buy items that I absolutely adore and need. It can be tough, but if you don’t absolutely positively love it, don’t buy it. It doesn’t matter how cheap or unique or cute it is, just say no if it’s not a must.

These three items are perfect for me and the total cost was just $22.

If you’ve picked up a copy of Looking Fly on a Dime: How to Find Fabulous Fashion at Any Thrift Shop & Make the Cheap Look Chic, then you know I share all of my insider tips on how to find a great thrift shop. And even if you haven’t downloaded a copy {just yet!}, I’ll share one of the tips with you now: follow your local shop or thrift store chain on social media.

The only reason I knew about the Fox & Fawn sale was because I follow them on social media. Yup, following them on Instagram was how I found out about this sale. The prices, the curated selection of vintage and the keg of prosecco made this a must visit and I wouldn’t have know about it without the ‘gram.

If there’s a local shop you’ve been dying to check out or there’s a chain near you, see what social channels they’re on and be sure to follow. This is where they announce last minute events, tag sales, etc. While you might think these sales will be a mad house, that’s not always the case! The Fox & Fawn sale wasn’t crowded at all and the bins were replenished throughout the day. Also, if your shop has a newsletter, definitely sign up for it. This isn’t just to stay in the know, but to also potentially receive any discounts or incentives that are normally passed along to subscribers.

Also, remember when I said I had to narrow my selection down? The dress below was one of the items I left behind. She was absolutely gorgeous. A pure stunner. The sheer sleeves, gold shoulder detail and velvet bodice with a split. So beautiful! But I didn’t love the fit of the shoulders and I couldn’t figure out where I’d wear it. So…she was left behind. There’s no denying the dress was gorgeous, but again, if you know that you probably won’t get around to wearing something, just leave it on the racks.

However, I can’t wait to wear the items I purchased, especially the red and blue vintage dress. It just screams spring!

When’s the last time you went thrift shopping? Do you follow any stores on social media?