Skyes Thrifting Rules
“I have to set myself thrifting rules for the main reason of an attempt at not feeling overwhelmed with my wardrobe. I like my rules too because it sets the bar for what I’m really wanting to buy and keep and helps me stay inspired..”
I’m a thrifter through and through, I enjoy spending warm sunny afternoons just strolling from charity shop to second hand shop to see what delights will either spark inspiration or urge me to buy it there and then. I did go through a phase where I accumulated so many items in my wardrobe that is started to feel like a shop rather than what I wanted my wardrobe to be, something that if someone looked at it, would they see clothes that screamed “Skyes Wardrobe” out of a line up of clothing rails or was it giving should I sell it because I have something similar that I reach for more often?
I have to set myself thrifting rules for the main reason of an attempt at not feeling overwhelmed with my wardrobe. I like my rules too because it sets the bar for what I'm really wanting to buy and keep and helps me stay inspired by including my favourite pieces in the mix everyday I have adopted the approach of less is more in my wardrobe for a reason to stop feeling overwhelmed with keeping it tidy and organised, which at the moment I am kinda failing at because of being more creative than tidy.
With clothes on the floor, clean but on the floor whilst thrift flip works in progress are thrown everywhere by myself and my cat, he loves being a great assistant with my wardrobe, he pull draws open and redesigns the layout quite often so I want to film a organise my wardrobe with me soon so you can look through my wardrobe and so can I to explain what should be going on in there rather than staring at what is.
I want a few basic pieces for styling and its usually sportswear with basic knits I’ve bought but I mostly want to wear and mix patterns. That’s my comfort zone and it’s also where I play with what I wear. I don’t know why but having an assortment of artworks that I can wear give me such joy and its the dopamine that gets produced when I find something in my wardrobe and style it with something else in my wardrobe that I haven’t styled together before hits different to wearing something I know I can go back to time over.
So onto the topic at hand, my thrifting rules, written basically and loosely enough to still give me more freedom to choose what to add to my wardrobe. I even get picky with fabrics for my thrift flip stashes so here are my top 10 of the basic thrifting rules.
Skyes Thrifting Rules
Stick to the £5 rule per item, £10 if its really good.
This is my main rule and works a charm when you buy something for less than a fiver because then you have a spare bit to play with if another item is a bit pricier (as long as its worth the fiver in the first place.)
Do not buy something if I already own something similar unless its THAT good.
Speaks for itself this rule because owning 5 pairs of skinny jeans I haven’t worn since the last decade is probably not necessary in my current wardrobe hype.
Is it something I will want to wear multiple times or is it something more of a one hit wonder?
Or can I turn a one hit wonder into something I’ll wear time and time again but styled differently; is it versatile, yes, buy it, no, leave it.
Is it something that fits really well or is it annoying to wear?
This is a bit of a numb question but for someone who appreciates granny chic aesthetics with a strong love for oversized items this is the question I ask myself because I seem to be a bit of shape shuffler due to times of the year, will it fit me for long term use? Can I do my every day tasks comfortably without risk of ripping or over tight fabrics in awkward areas if it fits me I’ll go for it, if it doesn’t I’ll leave it.
Is it going to last quality wise?
I ask this with the newer makes and the older ones too. For me I appreciate the really well made and try my best to look after items in my wardrobe, mostly, (sorry floor pile of clean clothes I will get to you today) but generally I tend to check for quality over quantity.
Does it immediately make me want to buy it or is it more suitable to make someone else happier buying it.
And does the immediate buy effect wear off over time or is there a strong presence of I’m so happy I found this item? I try and make my decision on this by walking around with it or leaving it behind then seeing if I am called to go back for it.
Am I buying this because it actually will serve me for years to come or is it just a trend that I’ll move on from in a month or so?
The trend stays behind, I don’t want to fixate on something unless I actually know its for me, if I’ll want to wear it and style it time over time, it’s a yes for me.
Does it need fixing and can I fix it to suit me better or is it meant for someone else.
If I can fix it and it’s worth it I will definitely try to fix it after buying it. If I can’t it’s meant for someone else.
Can I find this often or is it something rare and hardly seen?
This is referencing items that I would want to be different from what I’ve seen before so I tend to stay away from something I’ve worn before and sold or donated on and move towards the items that tell me something about my style.
Does it come with extra long term work
Care of the item for example does it wash well and do I know how to look after it without ruining it on the first wash.
There are more questions I tend to ask myself but its item dependent. I love thrifting and second hand shopping so this post is useful to me so I hope its good for you all.
Thank you all and sending love and light and groovy vibes!