I’ve never really been into clothes shopping. Walking around for hours, looking for an affordable store, trying to find items that fit and are flattering, dishing out what little cash I have for a top I could only wear a few times a month because I was attending a ‘uniform school’. Yeah…no thanks.
Now, getting ready to move away I realize that I can’t get away from the clothes shopping with back to school around the corner. Luckily for me, I have some awesome friends who have introduced me to the art of thrifting. Perfect for my student budget and great for stocking up on everything from casual shirts to formal dresses.
Salvation Army Thrift Store Fashion Haul
It’s become one of my favourite things to do with friends so we keep an eye out for any sales at thrift stores to make the absolute most of our money. This week it was 50% off most clothes and accessories at The Salvation Army Thrift Store. So we grabbed our bags, some bus fare and headed off for our local Salvation Army Thrift Store.
Upon entering you can see it’s set up similar to a Winners/Marshalls/TJ Maxx with a section for men, women, children, accessories and sub-sections for jackets, capris and everything in between. (The key for grabbing some great finds is to look through the whole store. You might find something you were not expecting!)
My friends and I quickly grab a cart and got hunting. And after only a half hour our cart was overflowing… (Yes, we were looking through men’s active wear. I said the whole store, didn’t I?)
After trying on dozens of items, we were all able to narrow down our finds. I was able to pick up 6 great items for a grand total of ***drumroll*** $11.44! Two men’s t-shirts, two women’s blouses, a skirt and a vest. Here are some of my favourite pieces.
Maxi skirts are a great trend this summer and paired with tights, you can wear them in the fall too! I have trouble finding affordable maxi-skirts that actually ‘fit’ in regular stores but at The Salvation Army Thrift Store I can try on all kinds of styles from different brands to find one that fits just right. This one has long slits up each side so my legs aren’t too constrained.
I also found a sweet pair of sunglasses after I had checked out, fortunately, my friend picked them up for me for only .99 cents! B-)
The cropped sweater is from Simons, an awesome store my sister wrote about here!
Most would say I have a very eclectic sense of fashion and that my fashion choices don’t match any one style. I’m always up for trying some interesting pieces like this poufy sleeved blouse with some awesome olive accents on the collar, pocket and sleeves (I just love fun collars on blouses) . I matched it with a handmade skirt that my grandmother made for me (isn’t she sweet?) and my favourite handbag (handmade!) which I recently acquired from my March Break trip to London.
Women’s Vest: $1.99 not on sale but totally worth it.
This was my favourite item. A black formal vest with this awesome multi-colour floral design that looks almost florescent. Isn’t it cool??? It’s so cool!
Poor vests are so underrated but I say we bring them back a-la-Ferris-Beuller style. It’s unique finds like these that keep me coming back to thrift stores!
Want to see the rest of my sweet finds? Check out my new Instagram account here!
What are some items that you’ve scored from thrifting?
This is part of the #FrugalFriday #GoodWillGoodIdea posts. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions belong to my daughter and myself. Make sure to follow along to see what finds we have made in our shopping excursions. Here is the first post in the series.
Lauren Ibbott is a second year University of Ottawa student, blogger and freelance writer. She frequently writes for DownshiftingPRO. Please follow her on Instagram @Lauren_Patii All opinions are her own. You can read more of her post below:
I scored a like new pair of Tommy Hillfiger jeans for 10$!! also a pair of Doc Martins in hardly worn condition for 5$
I used to shop at the Salvation Army for all my clothes when I was a teenager and in my early twenties (that was a long time ago) I got away from it as I got older and had more money to spend:) But this is a great reminder for me on a way to save some money for the family. Cute outfits too!
my last trip to Value Village was a score, basically a brand new pair of Tommy Jeans for $10 🙂
I’m a thrift store shopper, too. It’s nice to get cute clothes at a super cheap price. I’m a student, as well, so anything that saves money is wonderful.
There are always a lot of great finds in thrift stores. In Filipino, we call them “ukay” or “ukay-ukay”. The ones that I’ve enjoyed most are the ones in Baguio.
Thrifting can be addicting it is so much fun. You know how to pair outfits well. I love the skirt your grandmother made!
I love shopping discounts stores that help others. You can get even brand new items at a discount price. Thanks for sharing.
I love unexpected thrift store finds 🙂 some of my favorite pieces are from 2nd hand stoire 🙂
We have a great thrift store in town that helps out the local animal shelter. You could definitely grab some great items. I have never been to a salvation army thrift store, but you chose some great pieces!
I need to visit my salvation army store. I haven’t thrift shop in forever, I blame pregnancy and bed rest
Nice picks! The long skirt only for $3.00? What a steal 🙂 There’s a lot of great finds at Thrift Shop just be patient on picking pieces.
I love the crop top. I think it is time that I go visit our local salvation army thift store as I love finding bargains.
I haven’t been thrift shopping in ages. I used to love going to our local Goodwill in NY with a friend who loved it there and got some great deals on brand new stuff.
Nothing beats a good bargain. My mom loves shopping at thrift shops and often brings me back amazing finds.
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I have shopped at a Thrift store before. It’s a great way to save money and do good for others. You can definitely get some nice stuff.
I’ve never been to a Thrift shop before, looks interesting to try though.
Wow! Those are amazing deals. The prices are so low. This must be a shopper’s haven.
I love the Salvation Army but haven’t been for a while. Great post, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for dropping by. Pretty proud of what a great job she did…
I love the Salvation Army. You can find so much cool stuff their. It’s a great way to score some cool swag on the cheap.
You just have to know when to go and what store to hit. It can be very hit and miss…
The last time I went to Salvation Army, I picked up a cool CD that I had always wanted but never could find at the right price.
That is true… I found a few CDs from 80s bands that I loved listening to but only had on a cassette tape (yes, I am dating myself).
I love thrift stores such as the Salvation Army or Value Village. There are so many hidden treasures to be found. Some of the clothes still have the original price tags on them!!
I have to say, I found a lovely Nine West Dress with the tags still on… Make sure and send me a tweet with your finds if you are so inclined… @DownshiftingPRO
I have never shopped at a Thrift store, didn’t know they had that much stuff. We have one down the street so I will be checking it out for clothes for my cruise.
Catherine, it is not for everyone but I have found very high end shoes (Michael Kors – not knock offs either) and leather purses from Danier. You just have to take the time to look. Happy Hunting and let me know if you score something good!
I love shopping with my mom! I love your style very nice pieces. Thanks you for the great post 😀
Thanks Diana, I’ll let my daughter know that you loved it! Please drop by for some of her other posts later on in the series.
We have a wonderful Vintage/Thrift shop here in St Marys. The owner posts on facebook and I rush down to purchase from her. lol If you are ever in St Marys, check it out – it’s called Pass It On Store.
Pam, thanks for letting me know. I will definetly come down and take a look. We have a consignment store just down the street and I told her she should post on Twitter…and one day, there were a pair of Baby Phat flats that I loved… snapped them up immediately…