Join me today for a thrifting show and tell featuring one of my stylish blogger friends.
Its such a thrill to have Troy of Thriftanista in the City guest post today. She is a thrifting legend in my mind and I’m constantly learning from her. If you don’t already follow her online, you’re going to by the end of this post.
Be prepared to take notes as Troy schools us in how to shop secondhand on Instagram.
Everything I love about thrifting can be summed up in this vintage jumpsuit I bought on Instagram. It’s unique and affordable. I was hesitant about thrift shopping online. There’s nothing better than finding treasure with your own two hands. I was even more leery of making a purchase on Instagram knowing there’s no best practices in place like on eBay or Poshmark.
This jumpsuit is the first item I ever bought on Instagram. Something about it caught my eye. I bookmarked it and kept checking to see if anyone had bought it. A few days later the owner had a sale and that was the push I needed to take the plunge.
I love jumpsuits even though things get incredibly awkward when you have to go to the bathroom. I fell in love with this one in particular because it has beautiful bright colors and a bold print. It also has deep side pockets. Pockets are always a win, right?
When it arrived, the colors were just as amazing as they were on IG but the elastic on the waist was incredibly stretched out and the pant legs were too long. You can see the before here. It was extremely ill fitting but I was able to salvage it with a couple of minor tweaks.
The first thing I did was turn the pant legs into cropped joggers to make the jumpsuit look less dated. I fixed the waist by adding elastic to the stretched out thread inside.
The jumpsuit is way more wearable now and I receive compliments every time I wear it. Do you like it?
If you’re nervous about thrift shopping online, here are some tips to help you take the plunge:
- Know your measurements. Size labels change from decade to decade. Brand sizing vary drastically. Know your bust, waist, and hip sizes. Know the measurements of the garment you’re purchasing too especially if there’s no return policy as is likely with independent sellers on Instagram.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Often times there’s little information given about a particular piece. If it’s a piece you really love, ask the seller for more information. Get clarification on color? Any flaws? Smells? Fabric type? Ask the question that are important to you. I recommend asking via direct message in case there’s someone else eyeballing the same piece. My interest in buying definitely goes up when I know someone else is interested.
- Don’t follow every single Instagram shop. Otherwise, you’re likely to be bombarded with post after post of clothes on a mannequin. Shopping is not my main reason for being on instagram so I make sure I follow sellers that I could potentially buy from. I look through their feed to see what kind of price ranges they have and I make sure their aesthetics match my own before following.
- Have basic sewing / tailoring skills. Knowing how to sew a button on and fix broken hems will save your pockets from incurring additional costs. These are quick and easy fixes that Youtube should be able to guide you through.
Thriftanista in the City
@thethriftanista on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
