The Creationista

I began to develop these rules years ago - when I first began shopping at thrift stores during high school. They have added to and amended over the years and now I consider them my rules for all shopping excursions - from looking for a single item to a full wardrobe make-over.

Before you Leave Home

1. Decide how much money you want to spend. This seems like a no brainer, but I get myself in trouble a lot by going to the store without a set number in mind. In the glory days of the internet, we can look at exactly how much money we have without going to the bank - so check! I also try to plan out other major expenses I might have before the next time I get paid (bills, gas, food), so I know exactly what my budget looks like. It’s OK to go over the number you set if it’s only a little bit - and as long as you can still eat. To keep yourself accountable, tell someone else what this number is (your roommate, spouse, cat…)
2. Figure out what you need and want. Going to a thrift or vintage store can be very overwhelming if you don’t know what you are looking for. Whenever I go to the thrift store, I make a list - I need 2 new work shirts, a dress and want to find a skirt and some sheets for fabric. That way, I stop myself time and frustration by being able to search for particular items instead of wandering around aimlessly. This is another good thing to tell someone else - and then you get to have a fashion show for them when you get back!
3. Know your size. I’m not talking about - oh I’m a size 8. If you have ever been shopping before, you know that 8 means something entirely different at nearly every store. Grab a sewing tape measure or a string and a rule and measure you bust, waist and hips (guys, you should measure your neck and shoulders too). The measurements don’t have to be spot on, you just need to have an idea of what those measurements look like. This will save you a whole lot of time in the dressing room, because you will be more likely to grab the size that fits the first time. If you are shopping for pants, find the pair you own that have the perfect length for you, and measure the inseam on those pants. (You can measure your leg too, but measuring the pants is easier and more accurate.)

At the Store

1. Stick to your plan. If you are looking for shirts, find the shirt section and stay there. If you have time you should look around in other sections too, to get an idea of the kind of things that store has - but make sure you have found what you came for first.
2. Let someone else do your shopping. My first stop at any store is the dressing room. I know it seems counter intuitive, but you should look at all the clothes that people tried on and then left on the rack or in the bin by the dressing room. In larger stores, you might have to ask an attendant, but I have never had anyone tell me no - especially when I explain to them why. And here it is: someone liked it enough to try it on, so it can’t be so bad. Yes, people have different tastes, but more than likely you will find at least one thing that you like on that rack.
3. Browse by color, pattern and fabric type. There is not point of picking something off the rack if you don’t like the fabric. You can save yourself a lot of digging by quickly narrowing down what you want to look at by glancing over a rack quickly and mentally noting which items you want to grab as you go down the row. For instance, I know I don’t look good in green so I just skip it altogether, and I know I like red, polka dots and ruffles so I instantly gravitate toward those things, as well as anything else that catches my eye.
4. Search by length. This is especially useful when looking at pants, skirts and dresses but can be applied to shirts as well. I am tall (5’11”) so when I look for pants especially, I look at the bottoms. I don’t bother picking out things that are shorter than the rest - I know they won’t work with my 37” inseam. But, by picking out the ones that hang longer than the rest, I have a better chance. If you are shorter - go for the shorter ones, average height - pick out things that hang in the middle.
5. Don’t be afraid of bigger sizes. In a thrift store especially, you are very unlikely to find what you want in your exact size. If you buy things slightly larger, you can alter them to fit you exactly. Easiest are skirts, but just about everything can be altered down a few sizes for a custom fit. If you aren’t too handy with a sewing machine, find a tailor in your town that is willing to work with you to get what you need. Many tailors will offer a bulk discount or will be willing to negotiate the price of an alteration based on the amount of work involved. If you aren’t great with a sewing amchine and want to get better, find something you like (but maybe not love) and experiment. Find a friend (or ask me!) who knows a bit more about it and get their input.
6. Try everything on. Since you measured yourself at home and know your approximate size, most of the things you pick up should mostly fit. There is plenty to be said about how something fits, but you should have no problem determining that in the dressing room. I typically go over the dressing room limit and end up trying things on in groups, but that’s OK, I’m giving myself maximum possibilities. Don’t worry about what things cost at this point, you can figure everything into you budget later.
7. Sort. You aren’t going to like everything you try on, and you are going to like some if not a lot of it. I sort into 3 piles - Yes, Maybe and No. This is helpful to determine which pieces you are going to buy if the prices of the clothes exceed your budget. Once you have tried everything on, pick the pieces you can’t live without and add up how much they will cost. Once you have that number, you can move things from the maybe pile to yes or no based on your preference and price. Once you hit your budget in the yes pile, stop - go check out!

These rules aren’t set in stone  - but I find them to be a good basis for any shopping trip. Let me know which rules you follow!