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Ah, Goodwill. We know what you’re thinking — how to shop Goodwill involves coming home with sequined holiday sweaters and acid wash mommy jeans. Well, there is some of that — but you may not realize that amidst the trove of fashion faux-pas, there are some bonafide gems to be discovered. If you can just get past the mothball smell, and remember that thrift shopping is a cornerstone for lots of a budget trend-setter.
We wouldn’t want you to head in unarmed, however, so here are some beneficial tips to make the most of your thrift shopping experience.
How to shop Goowill: 3 tips for success
1. look for never-worn items
You may not know this, but Goodwill frequently has with-tags items on the racks from retailers, for incredibly low-cost prices. I’ve gotten brand new, absolutely cute shoes by Isaac Mizrahi for Target and Xhilaration — never worn and with price tags — for $3 to $5 a pair.
I recently picked up a stunning brown pinstripe XOXO jacket, retail price $49.99, for 15 bucks, with tags. and this week, I saw a navy pinstripe jacket by Isaac Mizrahi for Target for just $5. but had to leave it behind because it didn’t quite flatter me. Darn it.
2. find these gently used pieces
Even if you’re looking at items that have come from someone else’s closet, used doesn’t always indicate used up. look for items that don’t usually get worn to death.
Goodwill is a terrific place for wintertime jackets (especially the wool dress kind), suiting jackets, and work wear skirts. It seems that women typically tire of — or not longer fit into — these items before they’ve outlived their usefulness or style potential.
There are some big carry pads and wacky tablecloth patterns in there so you’ll have to keep your fashion wits about you. but it’s not uncommon to find a classic wool coat or perfectly acceptable hounds tooth skirt if you wade through a little of the yuk.
3. stay away from these
Of course, Goodwill is not a department store, so it shouldn’t be a one-stop shopping experience for all your wardrobe needs. Areas to avoid:
Anything denim. believe me, the previous owner got all they could get from these items.
Knit tops. They’re normally washed out, stretched out, or just plain out.
Anything black or white. Most people don’t wash their black or white items properly, so you’ll be hard pressed to find anything in these colors that doesn’t look worked. It’s just not pretty.
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