I spent a shopping day at the thrift shops [with my daughter] and came home with six pieces for 37 euros in total. This is what I found, what each one cost, and how I added them to my wardrobe so they actually get worn.
I’m the developer of UByDesign, a digital wardrobe app, and I used it for this. The finds are real, the prices are what I paid, and I made short videos of them, which you can watch here.
The six finds
- Denim shirt: 5 euros
- Blue striped shirt: 5 euros
- Brown hoodie: 3.5 euros
- Belted camel wool coat: 15 euros
- Light-blue cargo jeans: 5 euros
- Navy and cream striped boatneck top: 3.5 euros
Total: 37 euros.
A well-curated wardrobe doesn’t need an influencer budget. Many of the pieces that appear in popular autumn capsules, such as the denim shirt, the striped shirt, a chocolate-brown knit and a belted coat, have close twins on the second-hand rack. They won’t be exact copies, but they do the same job in an outfit.
What I look for when I thrift
A few questions decide whether a piece comes home:
- Can I name the outfit? If I can’t picture at least three outfits with things I already own, it stays on the rack.
- Which colour group is it? Cool, bridge or warm. Pieces that sit in between are the ones that make outfits hard.
- Does it suit my two shapes? For me that means a loose top with structured bottoms, or a fitted top with loose bottoms.
- What does it replace? A new piece should take the place of something I already own.
How I added them to my wardrobe
The moment a piece comes home, I photograph it and add it to the app with its price. If I can find a similar piece online – I use the stock image. It reminds me that the piece I possess is no different than a glossy piece sold on a web page – it just costs times less because it has had an owner.
On the item page I can see the price and the details, and on the outfit page I can drag the piece onto a blank canvas and see it at a larger size next to the rest of my wardrobe. Seeing a piece next to what I already own tells me quickly whether it fits.
You don’t need an app for this. A phone album with a note of the price works the same way. The app just makes it quicker.
The best thing about thrifting, for me, is not so much the price. It is the fact I can update and upgrade my wardrobe without the environmental impact of producing a new piece. And I keep nature close at hand.
Next time I shall be glad to share how I built an influencer capsule wardrobe with my own pieces – following an Instagram post by a popular content creator. Feel beautiful and enjoy your wardrobe!