Street Scouting: Thrifting & Looking Good for Only $30

We street scouted Joseph who buys most of his clothes thrifted and just happens to be a bit of an expert on the topic. And no, we don’t mean from the kinda shops that offer close to retail prices! With a longstanding interest in fashion, he adopted a more budget-friendly way of exploring his passion and still commits to finding most of his covetable (and affordable) pieces at Value Village. Given his impeccable style and attention to fit and detail, you would never guess his entire outfit was pieced together for only $30. Style savvy guys (and gals), take note.

While thrifting isn’t for everyone, post holiday splurging is also not in the cards for most, and so we encourage you to think outside the box of those perfectly merchandised boutique racks. Below, a few key thrifting tips to elevate your wardrobe with the most covetable finds around town.

Thrifting Tips:

• Be open-minded and expect the unexpected. Don’t be afraid to dig around the entire store. Some of your best finds might be in sections not meant for you.

• Use your sense of touch to determine quality of the item. Your understanding of quality will develop over time, and will help guide whether or not you stop and take a better look.

• Determine condition of the piece by looking for stains, frays, broken zips, and the like. Know what you can fix and whether it will be worth your time and money to invest.

• Be armed with information on retail, or even better – eBay pricing to ensure you are getting a great deal.

• Don’t forget about tailoring, as this can be necessary sometimes. Since you’ve offset the costs in your purchase though, you will still pay a fraction of the cost of a brand new item.

• Invest in a sewing machine. Joseph bought his at a thrift shop for only $15! Sewing allows him to manipulate the fit of garments, and ultimately, elevate his style.

Want more thrifting tips? Check Reddit for Josephs’ guide to thrifting.

*head to toe:

Hat – no brand, $2
Army jacket – no brand, $7
Sweater – no brand, $4
Jeans – H&M, $7
Shoes – Aldo, $10

All items were purchased at Value Village.