Thrifting has been a part of my life, on and off, for over two decades. As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up wearing thrifted clothes by necessity as a (totally unstylish) teen, and rediscovered thrifting as a fashion-obsessed adult. I’ve been shopping almost exclusively at thrift (or otherwise secondhand) since 2018, and so far this year I have made no retail clothing purchases at all. Even so, my thrifting habits are constantly evolving. It’s one of the things I love about thrifting: it’s not just for clothes, and success is very much a personal determination.
My home province began to lift its COVID restrictions back in May, which included the re-opening of retail stores. Although for the most part, I have continued to stick with the “quarantine lifestyle” (staying home and away from people who are not part of our “cohort”), I have started to dip my toe into thrifting again. I go once a week – taking all recommended precautions, of course – during off-peak hours to avoid crowds. It’s been a welcome stress release.
As I had expected, I’ve noticed that my focus has largely shifted away from clothes. This is not surprising. My wardrobe needs are different now – there are whole categories of items that I don’t have much use for, like jeans or blazers or high heels. My closet is well-stocked. (Though I will always have room for another potato sack dress – it’s my new uniform.) So, clothes-wise, I have become super picky. Other than some long-term “holy grail” items, such as a black velvet waistcoat (just found one!) or a tulle skirt (still looking!), I am limiting my purchases to pieces from my favourite designers. Since my favourite designers are not easy to come by, I haven’t been buying very much.
Clothing, that is.
I have been buying plenty of other things, and I won’t lie: there’s nothing like the thrill of a good find after being unable to do any “hunting” for months. Shopping online doesn’t come close. As I expect there will be another lockdown coming in the months ahead, I am indulging in my current privileges.
Jewelry
I’ve mentioned before, I think, that I’ve been wearing jewelry a lot more often even though I’m at home 95% of the time. It cheers me up. My obsession with collecting Rafael Alfandary pieces has also resurfaced, and while I haven’t lucked into finding any more of his pieces at the thrift store, I remain ever hopeful. In addition to looking for jewelry to wear, I am also searching for pieces suitable for upcycling for my art/craft projects. This, in fact, is another new obsession. I have made embroidered/beaded jewelry pieces before, but now the added element is incorporating upcycled bits and bobs from old costume jewelry. I love taking an existing necklace or pair of earrings, deconstructing it and then using its “guts” to create something new. It’s a different level of creativity, and I can’t get enough. Hmm, maybe that’s another post …
Books
The money I saved in the first 3 months of quarantine by not buying clothes … I spent on buying books online. My library is growing at a wonderful rate these days, but I won’t lie: I am happy to have access to inexpensive secondhand books again. Shoutout to my local Goodwill, which is now pricing all adult books at $2.50. That’s a deal you can’t beat! I’ve been reading so many great books lately, and discovering topics and authors that I might not otherwise get to explore.
[Note: I have made a concerted effort to support Black and Indigenous authors by purchasing books at retail, and in particular through local independently owned book shops. I will continue to include these in my What I Read updates for anyone looking for recommendations. I’ll have a new post up soon.]
Home Decor
I had been looking forward to “refreshing” my house with a few new treasures, but “home decor” is a category that has been disappointing lately. I had expected differently, given how many people seemed to be using their quarantine time to declutter theirs homes. Oh well. In lieu of new thrift finds, I’m re-arranging my existing collections instead. Here’s my personal tip: if you feel like you want a change, and can’t get a haircut, re-arranging furniture can be a satisfying alternative. Hashtag kiddingnotkidding.
In general, my observation about post-lockdown thrifting is, while some stores have reduced volume in certain categories – jewelry, sadly, being one of them – it’s mostly the same as before in terms of inventory. I have been able to find some real gems, but the stores are not some overflowing Aladdin’s cave as some of us might have hoped. But they are, for the most part, well stocked and generally not more over-priced than usual. [Value Village remains the biggest culprit here. I recently saw a Lululemon jacket for $80. I mean, whut? Meanwhile, a cashmere blend Jil Sander jacket was priced at $12, and you can bet your fancy yoga pants that I bought it in a heartbeat.]
I would love to hear from you, too: if stores have re-opened in your area, have you gone thrifting? And if so, what have your experiences been like? And if you’re so inclined, I would also appreciate a little feedback: would you guys be interested if I brought back my “thrift haul” posts? I have been posting them mainly to my IG Stories in the last year or so, but I’m wondering if it might be something worth covering on the blog as well. Let me know!
