07 Feb Thrift Store Don’ts

Last week I offered up one of the biggest thrift store shopping don’ts and now I’ve got another one for you. I’ve been guilty of this many times and I finally broke the habit that resulted in me wasting money.

Thrift Shopping Mistake: Buying Something Just Because It’s Designer

I like to call this “label lust.” It can be tempting when you pull a Marc Jacobs or Dolce & Gabbana number off the racks or out of the bins of a secondhand store. You feel like you’ve hit the sartorial jackpot. However, just because something is designer or a major name, that doesn’t mean you should automatically scoop it up. Maybe it’s not your style, size or you already have something similar to it.

I once found a pair of Chanel shoes at the Housing Works warehouse sale. They were hideous. I mean they were downright fugly. But I told myself, “They’re Chanel. How can I turn my back on them?” I got them home and realized I made a huge mistake. Luckily I was able to sell them on eBay for a few bucks {nothing near what a beautiful pair of Chanel shoes would have sold for}, otherwise they would have collected dust in my closet.

A quick, easy way to avoid this mistake is by asking yourself: would I buy this if there wasn’t a designer name attached to it? Would I find it appealing if it was H&M or Forever 21?

I know it’s tempting to suffer from “label lust,” {you kinda feel extra proud of yourself if you score a designer label for less than a tenth of its retail price} but go for a great piece that suits your style, regardless of the label.