THRIFTING
Making one man’s trash your treasure by buying vintage clothing from second hand stores at cheap prices to get the best bang for your buck!
“Thrift shopping is really just an extension of me being that same kid and going into a place that’s completely unconventional that has really endless possibilities in terms of outfits that you can put together and really just expressing yourself”
– Macklemore
How To Thrift?
Shopping in general is about expressing yourself through clothing. Thrifting makes shopping more personable than shopping at chain stores because it is very hard to find two items similar to each other. As the shopper you should pick what best suits you! Whether you are a girly girl, eboy, or a super causal dresser there is a thrift shop for you!
Why Do I Thrift?
If I am being completely honest, I am a broke college student who loves shopping. I could spend hours in malls spending tuition money. See my problem? Thirfting allows me to get more clothing with less money but still looking fashionable! Most days of thrifting I do not spend over 5o bucks!
Where To Thrift?
There are many thrift shops around Cape Girardeau! This town has many of the classic thrift shops such as Goodwill and Teen Challenge, but we also have more that are native to the town! Annie Laurie’s, Vintage 99, Aesthete Luxury are all shops you will only find here! While all are second hand stores, they all offer very different styles.
PLACES TO SHOP!
Annie Laurie’s
Walking into Annie Laurie’s I found myself surrounded by so many cool things such as pillows, collectible barbies, and antique furniture! The throwback music made my shopping much more fun. Imagine picking out an outfit while jamming to Hey, Soul Sister by Train. In the mist of my dancing and shopping I found the outfit pictured to the left. This pullover was $15, but retails for around $40, my pants (Hollister) were $10, and they retail for any amount between $30-$50 dollars, and my shoes were Doc Martens which were priced at $35! Doc Martens can range from $80-$180 dollars, what a steal!! Annie Laurie’s will forever channel my lazy but stylish personality.
Aesthete Luxury
Walking into this thrift shop, I got more of a “dresses and slacks are my casual attire” vibe. Aesthete Luxury is where I shop for business, church, and sometimes my more cute but classy clothing! This shop is more on the expensive side, but that also depends on what you are shopping for. Here I found this white sheer, cold shoulder top which was $8, the brand was Forever 21 and it retails for about $20. The red slack pants are high wasted with four buttons down the side making for a very flattering look. These pants were $28 but retail for about $50. There were also formal dresses, nice sweaters and Kate Spade purses! If you dress like you are always in business mode, this is the store for you.
Goodwill
Walking into Goodwill the first thing I noticed was the smell. It never fails to smell like the wood section of Lowe’s. If you ask me, it is kind of comforting. When shopping at Goodwill I can never find anything to my liking in the women’s section. If I do, I have gotten very lucky. There are always an assortment of blouses, vests, and form fitting dresses that do not fit. Sometimes there are good leggings or athletic shorts! Most of the time my feet usually take me straight to the men’s section! The men’s section looks like what you think a grandpa’s closet would look like, Heaven. During this shopping haul I found this “golf” sweater for $3.50 and IT HAS POCKETS! To complete the outfit I found a pair of Nike shorts for $5. Goodwill will forever and always feed into my desire to look like I just walked out of my brother’s closet.
Teen Challenge
Teen Challenge is almost the same as a Goodwill! Very similar smells and clothing items, just with a better women’s section. Teen Challenge is my winter wonderland. Every section has great vintage sweaters that are already broken in, meaning there is no one fuzz that keeps poking me. I can find anything from sweaters, to desks, or even books! This haul was a little different than the others. I bought an old desk and revamped it into a vanity for my room! This desk was only $20! It was the closing piece to my room, a staple piece that most people would pay hundreds of dollars for at Hobby Lobby.
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