If you spend any amount of time on IG, then you’ll probably be familiar with the new “Ask a Question” feature on IG Stories – everyone and their mom is using it. For once my apps were updated – sidenote, but am I the only person who forgets to update more than once every six months and then wonders why everyone else has much cooler filters/features/whatevers? – so I jumped on that train right quick. Being “with it” feels so good! Anyway, I didn’t get a ton of questions but I did get some, which was more than I was expecting, and while I did my best to answer them in the Stories format, I thought they might be well-suited for a longform response. And here we are! Your IG questions, answered.
What advice would you give to a newbie thrifted who right now is just “buying” things?
We’ve all been there. Or, at least I have. When I first got into thrifting, I was super excited to find any brand name clothing that fit me; I was pretty indiscriminating in my purchases. After a while, my scarcity/FOMO mentality started to evolve as I came to realize that there WILL (usually) be other great finds out there – so if a piece of clothing doesn’t fit as well as I like, or doesn’t fully suit my aesthetic, or generally isn’t at least a 8 out of 10 for me, it’s a pass. Doesn’t matter what label it is, or how cheap. But it takes a while to get there, if only because it may take you a while to figure out what you like, what works best for your body, your lifestyle, etc.
My advice is to take every thrift trip as an opportunity to learn. Learn about brands. Learn about fabrics. Learn about cuts. Learn what works on your body, and what you want to see reflected in the mirror. [For me, my current aesthetic is somewhat divorced from the platonic figure-flattery ideals, which then requires a different analysis than merely “does it fit well?”] Don’t be afraid to experiment. Making $5 mistakes is not the worst thing, especially if you have the option to re-sell or consign the things that don’t end up working out. You are not contributing to the fast fashion cycle in the process, so there’s that.
Do you often purge your closet to make room for new stuff?
I feel like this answer goes hand in hand with my response above. And it’s “YES”. I am constantly editing my closet, and I usually do 1-2 large purges every year on top of that. For me, at this stage of my life, it’s all about tweaking rather than overhauling. I have been a stable weight for a few years, I’m not planning major career changes, and I have my personal style finally figured out (for now, at least); all of which to say, my lifestyle needs are fairly well defined. I don’t buy as many “new” clothes as I used, but I still probably buy more than the average bear. Part of that is a process of upgrading – replacing pieces as I find new ones that better encapsulate my new style. Part of it is just the fact that I like variety. My closet will never be static, because I like having new pieces to rotate from time to time.
To make it all work with my spatial constraints, being a pretty ruthless editor is necessary. I do keep an overflow closet, which I use to “archive” pieces that don’t currently work but which I am not prepared to let go just yet. These tend to be pieces that are special or unique for one reason or another – things I couldn’t easily find again if I later decide that I want them again. But I also regularly edit that closet as well.
What part of Edmonton do you mainly focus your thrifting on?
I live on the south side, so that’s where I thrift most of the time. The key to thrifting “luck” is going often, which I try to do. I usually thrift once, sometimes twice a week. That’s only feasible because I have a couple of stores that are a 10 minute drive from my house, which is where I end up going 80% of the time. I might visit a couple of other stores (westside Goodwill, and Whyte Ave VV) once a month, just to see if I’m missing anything. Because I go to the same stores regularly, I can usually keep my visits to under an hour – I know the layout well, and I can scan things pretty quickly.
I was also asked what my favourite Edmonton thrift store was, and the answer is the Goodwill on Gateway Boulevard/Calgary Trail. It’s a combination of convenient location, best prices (for a chain thrift), and quality of finds.
Fave heels and shoes you own?
This was a tough question because I could talk about shoes all day; and, really, the answer depends on the occasion, weather, etc. Generally speaking, based on style and comfort level, for heels I like Manolo Blahnik, Stuart Weitzman, Ferragamo and Jimmy Choo. I think J. Crew makes (or used to make) surprisingly good shoes at a lower price point (wait for a sale).
For flats, I really like AGL as you guys know. The most comfortable flats I own are AGL.
On the less pricy side of things, I’ve had good experience with Louise et Cie, Sam Edelman, Cole Haan, and Calvin Klein (basic pumps).
What made you transition from wearing more flats than heels?
This was a follow up question to the one above. The reason is a combination of my style changing – loafers and oxfords suit the Prince and Adventurer personas better than heels, for the most part – and getting older. My foot joints hurt more now, and flats are obviously more comfortable.
Do you plan your outfits, and how far in advance?
The short answer is “yes” and “monthly”. The longer answer is that I only plan my work outfits; because I’ve been working from home more often lately, a month’s worth of outfits means anywhere from 15 to 20. It takes me 10-20 minutes to brainstorm the outfit ideas, and about an hour to prep and photograph everything. Occasionally, I will scrap an original idea and re-shoot an outfit if it doesn’t look good as good in photos as it did in my head. (Every outfit I post on IG is worn in real life.)
I’ve talked about this before, but I like outfit planning because it reduces the amount of time I spend in the (workday) morning getting ready. Because I have a month’s worth of outfits ready, I can easily adjust what I wear on any given day depending on the weather and my plans. I use Stylebook to record my planned outfits, but I also have the photos as a guide to remember what to wear.
I don’t plan casual outfits in the same way, though I do record them in Stylebook because I am trying to keep my wardrobe usage stats as current as possible.
Got more questions? Leave them in the comments!
Do you comment on Reddit? If you don’t mind (but I understand if you do), what is your username? I like reading what you have to say so another source of your writing would be great!
I lurk, mostly on Female Fashion Advice and Thrift Store Hauls. I’ve never commented though.
I’m so happy to find out that I’m not the only one with an “archive” closet. I try to keep it to a third of that closet, as my husband uses the rest as his overflow.
I’d love to hear/see more about your “archive” pieces, and which factors you weigh in terms of deciding when to hang on to something.