Outfit Inspiration – 7 Ways to Style Joggers

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling, Updates

Outfit Inspiration – 7 Ways to Style Joggers

A few weeks ago I shared 5 ways to style white jeans. I realized that there is another wardrobe staple that I have become obsessed with over the last couple of years, and that’s my pair of Athleta joggers. There are so many ways to style joggers. They are super versatile because:

You can wear them to workout in or as part of a regular outfit
They are super comfy
They have a great fit and silhouette that is flattering for my figure

Lately, I’ve been trying to branch out in the ways I have been styling them. So, here is a little outfit inspiration – 7 ways to style black joggers.

Black Joggers + Striped Tank + Black Jacket + Animal Print Platform Sneakers

Full disclosure: These joggers were purchased full price from Athleta a few years ago. I forget exactly how much I paid but it was in the neighborhood of $90-ish. That’s way more than I ever paid for a single piece of clothing, then or now. But these have turned out to be a great investment because of how well they are made and how much I wear them. If you told me that I could only keep 10 pieces of clothing for the next year, these joggers would be one of the keepers.

This outfit includes:

Athleta joggers purchased from Athleta

Divided baseball style jacket thrifted for $6

Striped Tank top from LOFT that I received as a gift.

Platform animal print sneakers purchased on sale from Target for around $11

Black Joggers + Denim Sleeveless Shirt + Black Tank + Black Slide Sandals

I liked this outfit because it felt casual without feeling like I just came from the gym. Throwing a casual top and sandals into the mix is one of the easier ways to style joggers.

This outfit includes:

Athleta joggers purchased from Athleta

Denim sleeveless top purchased from Goodwill

Black tank top I received as a hand-me-down from a friend

Black slides that I purchased at Goodwill for my daughter but now wear

Black Joggers + Floral Short Sleeve Sweatshirt + Black Jacket + Floral Sneakers

Normally I don’t try to combine florals but I guess I was feeling adventurous this day. The Joy Lab jacket was a great thrift store find because I can remember seeing it in the store for full prices and passing on it. Later I found it at the thrift store for just $2!

This outfit includes:

Athleta joggers purchased from Athleta

Divided short sleeve floral sweatshirt thrifted for $2

Joy Lab black jacket thrifted for $2

Nike floral sneakers purchased from Poshmark

Black Joggers + Floral Short Sleeve Sweatshirt + White Sneakers

This was a travel outfit that I wore on our trip to Northern California. I guess I really liked the combo of this top with the jogger because I’ve repeated it a few times. This time I like the white sneakers because it gives it less of a “workout” look.

This outfit includes:

Athleta joggers purchased from Athleta

Divided short sleeve floral sweatshirt thrifted for $2

Superga sneakers thrifted for $6

Topshop white vegan leather jacket thrifted for $14

Black Joggers + Graphic T-shirt + White Moto Jacket + White Sneakers

I remember throwing this outfit together one morning when I literally only had 5 min to get ready. Looks like I maybe had time to draw in my eyebrows and put my hair up and that’s about it! Again, the versatility of the joggers means it can be worn even with a vegan leather jacket and not look out of place.

This outfit includes:

Athleta joggers purchased from Athleta

Graphic print tee thrifted for $1

Superga sneakers thrifted for $6

Topshop white vegan leather jacket thrifted for $14

Black Joggers + White Long Sleeve T-shirt + Denim Jacket + Pink Sneakers

The pop of pink of these sneakers is what gives this outfit interest. I purchased these Saucony kicks a few years ago after having foot surgery and literally only being able to wear sneakers. These had just the right cushion for me. I don’t wear them much anymore but maybe I’ll start bringing them back into rotation.

This outfit includes:

Athleta joggers purchased from Athleta

Halogen long sleeve t-shirt thrifted for $2

Old Navy denim jacket

Saucony Jazz sneakers purchased on Amazon

Black Joggers + Cropped Sweater + Floral Sneakers

This was a look that I essentially “upgraded” from a workout outfit by adding the sweater over my sports bra! But the cropped sweater works here because of the high waist of the joggers. What you can’t see pictured is that the back of the sweater is laced which gives it some fun visual interest.

This outfit includes:

Athleta joggers purchased from Athleta

Forever 21 cropped sweater thrifted for $2

Nike sneakers purchased from Poshmark

By my count it took a total of 17 pieces to create these 7 looks. That’s not necessarily “capsule wardrobe” worthy but It does go to show how you can swap out just a few things to create a lot of different looks.

If you’re looking for more outfit inspiration, check out the 5 Outfit Inspiration Ideas Guide. This guide provides some strategies for creating interesting outfits with what you already have.

Outfit Inspiration: The White Jean

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling, Updates

Outfit Inspiration – The White Jean

There are certain wardrobe staples that really stand the test of time. White jeans are one of those things…at least for me. They are super versatile and therefore something I recommend for pretty much anyone. In this post, I’ll share some quick outfit inspiration ideas using…that wardrobe staple…the white jean!

White Jeans + Black Tank & Jacket + Black Sandals

First off, the white jeans pictured in this post are Old Navy Rockstar jeans that I purchased on Poshmark. I had a pair prior to this but they wore out. The reason that I like the Old Navy Rockstar jeans because they offer petite sizing. Anyhoo, because I knew these jeans fit, I was able to head over to Poshmark and search for just what I wanted, and still get them secondhand. If I had tried to find this in a thrift store it probably would take me 5 years! That’s the beauty of resale sites. Which reminds me….if you’re looking for some pointers on how to shop secondhand online, check out last week’s blog post with 4 Tips for Thrifting Online.

Okay, no on to the outfit…

This outfit includes:

White Old Navy jeans purchased on Poshmark
Joy Lab jacket thrifted for $2
Black Tank from Target
Black leather sandals thrifted for $12

White Jeans + Chambray Top + Pink Blazer + White Sneakers

This outfit is all about pastels which are super popular right now.

This outfit includes:

White Old Navy jeans purchased on Poshmark
Banana Republic linen blazer purchased from the Goodwill bins
Chambray top thrifted for $2
White sneakers thrifted for $6

White Jeans + White T-Shirt + Green Utility Vest + Tan Sandals

I wore an outfit like this on a business trip a few years ago and got so many compliments that I decided to recreate it. The only secondhand item in this outfit are the jeans themselves. But most of these items I’ve had for many years and still get a lot of use out of them. And I just love the knit detail on the back of this vest. It makes it so much more interesting than most of the utility vests you see.

This outfit includes:

White Old Navy jeans purchased on Poshmark
Loft T-shirt
Utility vest I think I got at Marshall’s a few years ago
Jessica Simpson sandals from TJMaxx

White Jeans + Gray T-Shirt + Brown Belt + Brown Booties

Now that I am looking at these pictures again, I realize that I could have worn these booties with the previous outfit. They are a heck of a lot more comfortable than those other sandals!

This outfit includes:

White Old Navy jeans purchased on Poshmark
Gray T-shirt thrifted for $1
Brown leather belt from Target that I’ve had for 15+ years
Brown booties that I think I bought from Zulily a few years back

White Jeans + Black Tank + Colorful Kimono Jacket + White Sneakers

I was out walking my dog in this outfit and ran into a neighbor who just gushed over this jacket. She couldn’t believe that I got it secondhand. “It looks like it’s from Anthropologie” she exclaimed!

This outfit includes:

White Old Navy jeans purchased on Poshmark
Black tank from Target
Kimono style jacket thrifted from Goodwill for $7
White sneakers thrifted for $6

It took a total of 14 pieces to create these 5 looks. That’s not necessarily “capsule wardrobe” worthy but It does go to show how you can swap out just a few things to create a lot of different looks.

More Outfit Inspiration?

If you’re looking for more outfit inspiration, check out the 5 Outfit Inspiration Ideas Guide. This guide provides some strategies for creating interesting outfits with what you already have.

4 Tips for Thrifting Online

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling, Updates

4 Tips for Thrifting Online

In my last blog post I shared about ways to reduce overwhelm at the thrift store. I recognize that for some, no amount of tips or hacks are going to make going to the thrift store an enjoyable experience. Add to that the ease of online shopping that we’ve gotten used to since the pandemic happened, which makes it even less likely for some to step foot in the thrift store. If this is you, don’t fret! In this post i am sharing 4 tips for thrifting online so you can look better, do better, and stress less.

Know Where To Shop

There are sooooo many sites and apps where you can buy secondhand online. I’ll list some of my favorites below. Check them out and figure out which ones you like best.

Poshmark – I’ve been shopping on Poshmark since 2014 and selling since 2019. Poshmark has both new and used clothing from sellers in the US and Canada. It has one of the largest communities which means that you have a great selection. Their site and their app are easy to navigate. Shipping is a flat rate so there’s no worrying about that. Although sellers can offer shipping discounts if they choose.
eBay – eBay is sort of the OG of buying used stuff online. You can find some great deals on used clothing there. eBay is a little more complicated. Some items are sold with an auction, some are “buy it now” prices only. Shipping fees are all over the place. But, if you’re up for it this is a great place to find deals!
Mercari – This is another app/site that has a very easy user experience. Because Mercari seller fees are lower than a lot of other platforms, you can usually get better deals there vs. a site like Poshmark.
Swap Society – This is a virtual swap site. Meaning, you first send in your unwanted items. There is a subscription fee as well. But, it’s a great way to constantly refresh your wardrobe. Sign up for a subscription and Swap Society will send you a bag. Fill it up and send it back. You’ll earn points for the clothes you send in and then you use those points to shop for used items. Each item is a flat price of $4.99. If you don’t have a friend group that you can easily swap with, this is a great option.
Kidizen – If you are looking for kids clothes, Kidizen is where it’s at. The app has a huge amount of sellers selling their kids clothes that they’ve grown out of or no longer need. There is also a section for “Mama Clothing” in case you want to shop for yourself too!
Depop – If you’re looking for funkier and/or vintage clothing, Depop has a great selection. Sellers on Depop pride themselves on taking compelling photos of their items, often personally modeling the clothes. Shopping on Depop is a fun and bright experience.
Thredup – Thredup boasts that they are the world’s largest online thrift store. I believe it! Because they have such a large inventory, you really need a strategy before you start shopping there. This brings me to my next tip.

Use Filters

Browsing these sites can be overwhelming because of the large selection. Get familiar with the filters each site provides and use that to narrow your search. For example, on Thredup I will filter by size and fabric content, because I prefer to try and find clothes made with natural fibers. Oh, and here’s a reseller bonus tip…check their “unbranded” filter. Oftentimes you can find designer items that either had the tags cut or were missed by the person listing the item. This usually means you can get a really quality item below market value. This is one of my favorite tips for thrifting online!

Read Descriptions Carefully

Anytime that you are shopping for used clothes online, you need to be careful to read descriptions. Some items might have damage or have been altered in some way. Sometimes there might be a button missing or a small stain. When this happens the item should be priced accordingly. If you don’t mind a little sewing or stain removal work, you can get some good deals this way. I know that as a reseller, there have been times that I didn’t see a flaw when I first purchased the item. But I list it anyway and disclose the flaw. My flawed items always sell. Go figure! Again, some people are willing to take on a project. So if this is you, like I said, you can get a great deal. If this is not you, buyer beware! If a price seems too good to be true it’s probably for a reason. This brings me to my last tip.

via GIPHY

Check Return Policies

Different sites have different policies when it comes to returns. Some sites like eBay, allow users to state their own terms when it comes to returns. Other sites, like Poshmark, only allow returns if the item was somehow misrepresented. Most sites will not allow returns for fit. Meaning, once you receive the item, if you find it doesn’t fit you, that’s not a good enough reason to return in. Which is another easy why reading the descriptions carefully is important!

Give it a Try!

Pick one of these sites and start browsing and let me know if these tips were helpful. For more help check out the Checklist for Building a Sustainable Wardrobe on a Budget. This free guide includes free and low cost tips for eco-friendly fashion.

How To Reduce Overwhelm At The Thrift Store

by Angelique | Thrifting & Upcycling, Updates

While I find it difficult to imagine…I know that not everyone likes to shop! Even fewer enjoy thrift shopping. Shopping at a thrift store can be an overwhelming experience. Especially at the larger stores. It’s difficult to know where to start or concentrate your efforts. So, here are my tips for how to reduce overwhelm at the thrift store.

via GIPHY

Go In With A Strategy

One way to reduce overwhelm at the thrift store is to go in with a strategy. Meaning, have an idea of what you are looking for and how much time you’ll give yourself to find it. For example, a few months ago I was looking for a utility jacket for an upcoming vacation. I gave myself about 30 minutes to scour my local Goodwill to find the jacket. Nothing else! In this case, I found the jacket. However, that doesn’t always happen. This brings me to my second tip…

via GIPHY

Keep An Open Mind

It’s best to go into the thrift store with low expectations. Some days you’re going to find great stuff. Other times not at all. So it’s important to set those expectations with yourself before you step foot through the door. If I hadn’t found that utility jacket that day, I know there would be new inventory the next day or week. That’s one of the perks of thrift shopping – inventory is constantly being refreshed! While keeping an open mind is great, there are days that you might be short on time and patience. That’s where this next tip can be really helpful.

Focus on the “Go-Backs”

This is a great way to find the good stuff! Usually near the dressing room there will be a “go-back” rack. This is where people will put the stuff they’ve tried on but decided not to purchase. These shoppers have already done the work for you. They’ve scoured the racks for the good stuff and they’ve put it back because it doesn’t fit or they didn’t like the way it looked on them. End caps are another place where people put their rejects. I’ve found great stuff this way! Just be careful to inspect the items carefully for any damage. That could be another reason it was put back. Bottom line – if you’re short on time and patience, the go-back racks are one of the best ways to reduce overwhelm at the thrift store.

Seek Out the “In-Season” Sections

Some thrift stores will have areas where they feature seasonal items. For example, a couple of my local Goodwill locations will put their seasonal stuff toward the front of the store and organize by clothing time. This summer it includes things like sundresses and bathing suits. If you don’t want to break your arms flipping through the huge dress section, these seasonal sections are the way to go.

Don’t Try To Look At Everything

I get it, if there is a hidden gem to be found, you want to be the one to find it! But most of the time it’s just not practical to try and look at everything. Concentrate on a few areas that are important to you that day. For example, maybe you make a commitment to look through all the jeans one day. The next time you might look through all the dresses. It’s okay to then do a quick scan of some other areas. In a large thrift store, this will keep you from getting tired and cranky and prevent you from making bad purchase decisions. Of course, if you are at a small thrift store you might be able to look at everything. Just don’t make it your goal if you want to reduce overwhelm at the thrift store.

Give it a Try!

Now that you have these tips in hand, you’re ready to start building your sustainable, ethical wardrobe. Need more help? Check out the Checklist for Creating a Sustainable Wardrobe on a Budget.

Additional Resources

For more tips on thrift shopping, check out these blog posts and other resources:

Tell me about your thrifting experience. Do you have other tips? Drop a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

4 Ways To Be a More Conscious Shopper

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling, Updates

What does it mean to be a more conscious shopper?

To me, it means being thoughtful about the purchases you make and the impact your choices have on our world. Whether it is the environment, the economy, or the people who make the products we buy. This week I’m sharing 4 ways to be a more conscious shopper, especially when it comes to your wardrobe.

Click below to watch the video.

What Are 4 Ways To Be a More Conscious Shopper?

In summary, here are 4 ways to be a more conscious shopper:

Think of the end of a garment’s life
Understand the power of your purchases
Resist the impulse buy
Shop local and/or second hand

Remember, the fashion industry is the second biggest polluter, right behind the oil industry. So, it is important to be thoughtful about what we put in our closets, just as we might be thoughtful about what kind of car we choose to drive.

It’s About Progress, Not Perfection

It is also just as important to not beat yourself up if you are not 100% conscious or sustainable in your choices. The idea is to make better choices as much as possible and give yourself a little grace.

If you are looking for some tips on how to break up with fast fashion, check out the Checklist for Creating a Sustainable Wardrobe On a Budget.

The 5 Best Garments To Buy Second Hand

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling, Updates

I probably buy 99% of the clothing for me and my family second hand. I also have a reseller business. So, I spend a good amount of time shopping in thrift and second hand stores. I’ve come to realize that there are some things you should absolutely pick up when you find them, and some things you’re better off staying away from. In this post, I’ll focus on the best garments to buy second hand.

Why Second Hand is Better

Clothing manufacturing is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions. Garment factory workers are often working under unsafe and exploitative conditions. There is much, much more clothing in the world than we could ever wear. Nearly everything you need can be found shopping second-hand. By doing so, we’re reducing the demand for new garments and helping protect the environment.

Okay….onto the list of the best garments to buy second hand!

BTW – Let me acknowledge something right upfront. I was once a vegan (I still eat mostly plant-based, but I digress), which meant eschewing any product that comes from an animal. But, I’ve shifted my perspective a bit when it comes to clothing. By shopping second-hand for products that come from animals, such as leather (from cows), cashmere (from goats), wool (from sheep), or silk (silkworms), we are again reducing the demand for these products to be produced brand new. So, ethically, I do not have an issue buying these items second-hand.

1. Cashmere Sweaters

I never owned a real cashmere sweater until I started thrift shopping. I’ve always been a bargain hunter at heart and could never fully justify the price tag that comes with a cashmere sweater, even if it was on sale. But, since I began thrifting, I have come across MANY cashmere sweaters. Some are too trashed to be saved. Some are in near perfect condition. In between, you might find some that need a little mending or just a good once over with a sweater shaver. That is why I think they are one of the best garments to buy second hand.

The sweater pictured was one of FOUR that I found on a single trip to the thrift store. I kept two of them and put the other two up for sale. I live in SoCal so there are not exactly a LOT of opportunities for cashmere weather!

2. Silk Blouses

Just like with cashmere sweaters, I don’t think I ever owned a real silk blouse that I purchased with my own money. I just always assumed it to be too expensive. Also, I’m sure I would have rather purchased 10 cheap polyester shirts than have one good silk one. That is, until I learned just how problematic that practice is/was. I didn’t really think much about the idea of owning a real silk blouse until I read Elizabeth L. Cline’s book “The Conscious Closet” and she talked about acquiring some of her grandmother’s silk blouses. (For my book review of The Conscious Closet, click HERE).

3. Special Occasion Dresses

There’s nothing worse than showing up at an event wearing the same dress as someone else. Fortunately, that only happened to me once, when I was in high school, and that was because our entire drill team all went shopping at the Esprit Outlet in San Francisco while visiting for a parade. But seriously, it could easily happen Have you seen two women show up at the same event in the same dress. Or, maybe it was as a teen at a high school dance. That’s one big reason why I like the idea of buying a special occasion dress secondhand. It’s pretty unlikely someone else would have thrifted the same piece or would have kept it in their closet for a long period of time.

The other reason that I like to buy special occasion dresses second-hand is because of the cost per wear (CPW). What is the cost per wear? Well, take the price that you paid for that dress, and divide it by the number of times you wear it. A special occasion dress, by nature, is not going to be worn a lot. Let’s look at some examples. Maybe you paid $100 for your favorite pair of jeans, but you wear them, on average about once a week.

$100/52 = $1.92 per wear

Now let’s look at a new vs. secondhand special occasion dress. Let’s say you pay $200 for said dress and only wear it to one event.

$200/1 = $200 per wear

Okay, now let’s say you pick up a great dress at your local Goodwill, for example. My Goodwill prices their dresses around $11.49

$11.49/1 = $11.49 per wear

Even if you go to a fancier secondhand or consignment store, chances are you are going to be able to get that special dress for much, much less than you would if you purchased something new/retail.

That’s me on the right with my eyes closed. Obviously pre-digital photography.

My daughter and I scored this WHBM dress at Goodwilll for around $12. We added the red ribbon for her Christmas Eve solo at church.

4. Jewelry

A little collection of all my favorite thrift store jewelry. Okay, they’re mostly necklaces, which apparently I cannot get enough of.

I will preface this by saying that not all thrift stores are great when it comes to jewelry. A lot of them keep the stuff under lock and key and it can be a pain to try and get a good look at it. My favorite thrift store, however, has all their jewelry nicely displayed. This is where I pretty much get ALL my jewelry. I find so many fun and unique pieces, mostly necklaces. I get tons of compliments and when people ask where I got it, I tell them at my favorite thrift store, They immediately want to try and get their hands on a hidden gem too.

Jewelry can be a great way to update your look without spending a lot of money. So, if you are someone who tends to wear more classic garments, but still wants to look current, accessories and jewelry are a great way to do that. If your local thrift doesn’t have a great jewelry selection, try shopping online on sites like Poshmark, Mercari, Thredup. Even Swap Society has jewelry! I got a darling pair of earrings from them.

5. Leather

I hate the idea of an animal giving their life so that I can look fashionable. This is why I never buy any leather NEW. It’s just not necessary. By buying leather secondhand, we’re reducing the demand for more new leather to be produced. Just like with all other garments, there are plenty of leather goods out there that can be acquired secondhand. For example, I purchased a pair of black Steve Madden boots for my daughter at Goodwill. They were a little beat up but with a little shoe polish that look new!

Handbags are another great leather good to buy secondhand. Go onto any of the sites that I mentioned above and you’ll find endless bags to choose from. We women can sometimes be a fickle bunch when it comes to our tastes in bags, Many are motivated to recoup at least part of their investment so selling handbags has always been popular.

A friend told me about a great shop in Portland, OR called Half Pint Leather and they specialize in selling all vintage and used leather goods.

What Might You Find?

When you turn from retail shopping to secondhand shopping you never know what you’ll find and fall in love with. Imagine finding affordable quality pieces nearly every time you shop. Items that will not only last the test of time, not only make you feel and look great, but will not be contributing to extra pollution because you’ve now extended the life of that garment. You can feel great about what you wear, ON EVERY LEVEL!

Drop me a comment below and let me know what you think are the best garments to buy second hand. And if you want even more tips on how to create a sustainable and conscious wardrobe on a budget, check out the free Checklist for Creating A Sustainable Wardrobe On A Budget.

4 Ways to Make Every Day Earth Day

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling, Updates

Conscious Wardrobe Makeover: 4 Ways to Make Every Day Earth Day

1. Makeover Your Laundry Routine

If you want to get really present to how much laundry you and your family produce, have your washer or dryer break. That’s what happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Our dryer went kaput! Even worse, the part needed to fix it would take 1-2 weeks to arrive and then we could schedule the repair guys to come back and fix it. But, it’s not like I could stop doing laundry. So, here are a few things I did that really made me start thinking differently about my laundry.

Line Drying – The washer still worked but I had to hang a clothesline in my yard to dry the clothes. Luckily I live in Southern California where it is sunny most days so this was fairly easy. But, it let me only really do like one load of laundry a day. So, that leads me to the next item on this list…
Scrutinize what “dirty” means – Instead of just throwing everything in the hamper just because it touched my skin, I truly had to think, “Is this dirty or smelly?” “Can I wear it again without washing?” This lead to fewer clothes going into the hamper. Getting my kids to question this was a little more challenging though. 😫
Always run a full load – Since I could only do one load a day I had to make it count! Running only a full load is more energy-efficient, especially if you are using cold water.

Even though my dryer is now fixed, there are some things I’ll do differently going forward. I think I’ll keep the clothesline use it for some items. Even if it saves just a little energy it will make an impact over time. And…my dryer will hopefully last longer too. Being pickier about what goes in the hamper will mean fewer loads and saving energy.

2. Shop Second Hand First

By now you all know how much I love buying secondhand. Pictured here is my favorite thrift store, The Collection at Casa Teresa in Orange, CA. They have a $2 sale every Thursday and I rarely miss a week. But, if you don’t have time to hit a mid-week sale like this, you can still make secondhand your first choice.

Shop eCommerce resale sites like Poshmark, Mercari, eBay, Kidizen, Depop, Thredup, etc. You can shop anytime and often negotiate prices.
Larger thrift chains like Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Savers have a larger selection and have good weekend hours so those are great places to shop. In fact, now whenever my daughter asks to go shopping, her first choice is always a thrift store.

This is one of my absolute favorite ways to make every day earth day!

3. Buy Less

Honestly, this is the thing that I probably struggle with the most. Because I LOVE shopping! That’s one of the reasons why I decided to have a reseller business because it’s a way for me to get paid to shop. There…I said it! But, in the last year or so of slowly and consciously working to transform my wardrobe, (see Part 1 and Part 2 of my Conscious Closet Cleanse Blog Posts) I’ve learned something. Now that I have a closet filled almost entirely with things that I love to wear, I don’t feel the need to buy as much. Because I can’t possibly wear it all. And, frankly having too many great clothes causes a bit of decision fatigue for me. I don’t need to spend more time trying to figure out what to wear. Having fewer items to choose from means I can spend less time worrying about what to wear and more time doing the things that I love to do.

4. Go For Quality

Clothes that are made better will last longer. That’s pretty much a no-brainer. Quality doesn’t necessarily mean buying the most expensive thing. But, before buying a new garment, as yourself:

How often will I wear this? (Think about cost per wear)
Are the seams sturdy?
Will this stand up to my lifestyle and activity level?
Do I see myself keeping this for years to come?

If you fill your closet with quality clothes that you love and wear, that means less clothing being produced by fast fashion brands that pollute the planet and exploit workers. For example, I never used to purchase sweaters made from quality fabrics like wool or cashmere. But, since I started shopping secondhand, I’ve been able to acquire some lovely quality sweaters that I plan on keeping for a very long time.

These are just a few suggestions for ways to make every day earth day in how we can all be better stewards of the planet through a more conscious approach to the garments we buy and wear. For more tips, check out my Checklist for Building a Sustainable Wardrobe On a Budget.

Are Resellers Ruining Thrift Stores?

by Angelique | Reselling, Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling, Updates

Are Resellers Contributing to The Gentrification of Thrift Stores?

There has been a lot of talk lately about the gentrification of thrift stores and the role that resellers play. In this video, I share a few of my thoughts on the matter and how resellers can source responsibly.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Drop me a comment and let me know what you think. I think it’s important to have an open and honest dialogue about this.

Also, for more discussion on conscious fashion, check out the book reviews of Fashionopolis and The Conscious Closet.

Secondhand Gift Giving Guide

by Angelique | Thrifting & Upcycling, Updates

Secondhand Gift Giving Guide: 5 Gifts You Can Thrift Without Looking Cheap

I had to give this blog post a lot of thought. This is probably the first year that I will attempt to buy most of my physical gifts secondhand. First, I will start by saying this; secondhand gift giving is not for the faint of heart. It will take a little effort. But, the knowledge that you can give a great gift, do something that is good for the planet, and help out some charities in need is a wonderful thing. So, onto the list!

1. New With Tag Items

This is maybe the easiest way to accomplish secondhand gift giving without appearing cheap. Thrift stores often have MANY items that are new with tags! So, no one needs to be grossed out by receiving something that has been worn by another person. It’s true that you may not be able to put a gift receipt in the bag the way you would if you purchased the item at Target. But, the more care you put into your gift selection, the less likely the recipient will be to want to return it.

If you don’t have an issue with buying used items, such as clothing, without tags you’ll want to carefully inspect the item and look for signs of quality. Check out my blog post on How to Spot Quality Items When Thrifting for more tips.

2. Baskets

I love to put together a gift basket for certain people on my list. My uncle loves coffee so one year I bought him a giant bag of coffee and some other goodies and displayed it nicely in a thrift store basket that I got for $1. Gift baskets are also a great way to shop for the “hard to shop” person.

3. Collectables

Does someone on your list have a collection? Me? I collect Fiesta plates, dishes, bowls, etc. My mother-in-law collects antique cups and saucers. Collectables are often the only thing that you must buy secondhand so that makes this one easy. Several years ago my brother collected JFK memorabilia. I found a commemorative coin at an antique store and gave it to him for Christmas. He loved it! Buying someone something that relates to their favorite collectible also shows that you put extra thought and effort into your gift. You can’t just pick it up on the end-cap of a Kohl’s!

4. Picture Frames

Thrift stores are usually full of all sorts of picture frames. Although they may not be in great condition when you find them, there are a few things you can do to make them into a wonderful gift. A little spray paint or chalk paint can go a long way! Then, take a wonderful family photo and place it in the frame. This is a wonderful form of secondhand gift giving especially for parents or grandparents or folks who seem to already have “too much stuff”. A frame can also be repurposed as a chalkboard. You could paint the backing and stencil a funny saying. You could turn it into a living picture frame by planting succulents in or around it. There are tons of possibilities. Click HERE for a few more ideas.

5. Unique Planters

I’m a sucker for succulents. There, I said it! Pun intended. But seriously how cute is it to put a little succulent inside of a unique and upcycled planter. A cute old mug, teapot, sugar bowl, or almost any ‘ole silver or ceramic container can be a wonderful home for a new plant. These make really unique hostess gifts too when you’re struggling with what to show up with as the guest.

These are just a few examples of ways you can buy secondhand gifts this holiday season. I’d love to hear any other ideas you have. Drop me a comment and share what kind of secondhand gifts you are giving this year.

Frequently Asked Questions

I thought I’d update this post with some common questions that I have received. So, here are the answers, in no particular order….

Q: What is the easiest secondhand Christmas Gift?

A: That’s easy – Gift Baskets! In fact, I am making a coffee gift basket for my son’s teacher this year, since coffee was on her list of favorite things. So, I picked up a secondhand basket and a couple of mugs from my local Goodwill. I am filling the rest with coffee and other treats. Easy-peasy!

Q: How do we normalize secondhand gift giving?

A: This is a bit trickier. I think that certain items are definitely easier to justify secondhand. For example, I recently went to an estate sale with tons of vintage clothes and accessories at really great prices. Most of her clothes are secondhand anyway and she loves vintage. So that makes it a bit easier. I guess my answer is to start with things that you really only can get secondhand. Things like vintage clothes, records, collectibles, and unique items that you just can’t get on Amazon.

Q: Won’t people be offended if they knew I was giving a secondhand gift?

A: Not necessarily. But knowing your audience is key! If you have a super finicky/snobby relative, I suggest going with something that still has a tag/box. That could mean regifting, or it could be something with a tag that you find in the thrift store. And….just like with the rest of your shopping, it’s a whole lot easier if you plan ahead. That gives you time to find that super special item that the recipient will be grateful for.

Q: What are some other good options for secondhand gifts?

A: Okay, here goes….video games, video game consoles, antiques, autographed items, classic books, art, sports equipment, bikes, classic toys, nice tableware like serving platters or glasses, etc.

Q: What if I’m the only one giving secondhand gifts? Does that make me look cheap?

A: You’re not the only one and no, you won’t look cheap. According to a survey conducted on behalf of Mercari, 40% of respondents said they were planning to buy at least one secondhand gift this year. With the global supply chain issues we have been experiencing, we all have a perfect excuse for shopping on secondhand sites. So no need to feel self-conscious about it!

The 4 Biggest Mistakes I Made When I First Started Reselling

by Angelique | Reselling, Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling

It Started as a Hobby

My reselling journey began back in the early aughts when eBay was new and the only game in town. I loved hitting local garage sales in Phoenix, where I was living at the time, and flipping my finds for a small profit. I had a very good full-time job so I didn’t need the money. It was just kinda fun and who doesn’t like a few extra bucks in their pocket each month? In 2019 I decided to try it again. This time, focussing almost exclusively on clothing. It was mostly a way to justify my new obsession – Thrift Shopping. After a while, I felt like I needed to justify the time I was spending. I was just making things up as I went along. It turns out, just like everything else, there is a skill to reselling. So, here I’m going to share about the biggest mistakes I made when I first started reselling.

Haphazard Sourcing

When I first decided to try reselling, I was already a resale shopper. It felt like I hit the jackpot when I first discovered Poshmark and could buy brands that I loved at a fraction of the retail price. Before I was a seller, I was a buyer for 6 years. I decided to try selling because I was seeing so many great clothes at the thrift stores…more than I could ever wear or fit in my closet and I thought….someone would love this!

When I first started sourcing one of the biggest mistakes that I made was just buying stuff I thought was cute and not doing any research at all about the brand or the style. Big mistake! The #1 best way to make sales when you are a reseller is to source and sell items that people are actually looking for. Once I learned to research sold listings I could also see how much they sold for and whether or not my sourcing investment would be worth it.

To check out some of my favorite tips, check out my Thrifting for Profit Blog Post.

No Research

At first, I was too intimidated to research brands I found in the thrift store while I was there. I guess I didn’t want people to know I was a reseller. I’ve since gotten over that. Now, I go through the racks quickly, pull what I think is a quality or in-demand item, and then, I pull my cart or my basket over to a discreet corner of the store and I research each piece one at a time. This is an investment in time but worth it. I end up putting 80% of what I find back on the rack. Better to get a few good pieces than a ton of stuff that’s going to sit in my closet for a year.

Bad Pictures

I have never been a photog! I really admire people who have this skill. But, I just don’t seem to have the eye for it. In fact, one of the very first items that I sold on Poshmark was a pair of brown CROCS that my husband didn’t want anymore. The picture was so bad that I got a 1 star review when they finally did sell. Why? Because in the picture they looked blue! I just wasn’t paying attention and didn’t really care to spend the time to try and get good photos. This was one of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started reselling! Truth be told, it’s a common mistake I see a low of new resellers making. So, if this is also your challenge, don’t feel bad! I had to do a lot of trial and error to get good pictures. I tried different locations around my house – the bedroom, the hallway, the living room floor, etc.

Eventually I found a dress form at an estate sale and used a curtain as a backdrop in my garage. When it was time to take pictures, I just opened up the garage door to let in natural light. (Always the best choice!) It’s also important to pay attention to the best time of day to take pictures (morning for me) and plan accordingly.

This made a really big difference! How do I know? I decided to retake some pictures of items that were sitting in my closet for about a year. After re-taking the pictures and re-listing, these items sold in about a month. Take a look at these before & after pictures.

Doing What Everyone Else Was Doing

There is a lot of information and misinformation out there when it comes to reselling. You can find endless YouTube videos and Instagram posts with people sharing their tips and tricks. The beauty of the Internet is that all the free information we’d ever need is right at our fingertips. However, be cautious about who you take advice from. This was one of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started reselling – not being choosy about whose advice I followed. I just assumed everyone knew more than I did.

For example, I was in a reselling Facebook group and several people shared about how they run sales in their closets, using cute emojis to mark the items that were part of the sale. So I decided to try this. Bad idea. Why? Because it messes up the search-ability of the listing. Trust me, no one is searching for the garment they want with an emoji in the search field. But I saw SO. MANY. PEOPLE. doing this, that I thought it must be the way to go. After learning more about search-ability I removed all those emojis and started getting a lot more traction in my closet.

What could you do with an extra $800 a month?

Again, one of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started reselling was following the crowd and not being careful where I got my reseller advice. Then I discovered Jen @abritishposher and her Poshmark Sales Accelerator course. What a game changer! Jen goes DEEP on the 5 pillars of poshing: Research, Sourcing, Listings, Driving Sales, and Systems. She has a proven track record of sales and has created a wonderful community of supportive resellers.

As a part-time seller I went from $197 in sales in January to over $1000 in October and still counting! I now make consistent daily sales. Consistent enough that I can actually factor the income into our family’s monthly budget to help pay for things like activities for our kids (our son is going to Sacramento in February and our daughter is going to South Africa in June!), contribute toward our health insurance (which is expensive when you are self-employed), and more! If you want to up your reseller game, make consistent sales, and extra income, check out the PSA course HERE.

6 Ways to Spot Quality Clothes When Thrifting

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling

Why Does Quality Matter?

Whether you are thrift shopping to find clothes for yourself or you are sourcing to resell, it is important to understand how to shop for quality. It’s impossible to know all the “good brands” out there. Trial and error can be an expensive lesson. So, here I’ve put together some of the clues that I follow to spot quality clothes when thrifting.

Why is quality important? While shopping secondhand is already a great sustainable practice, striving to purchase and wear quality clothes that will last you several years makes it even more sustainable. Buying a secondhand shirt of poor quality that will only last you a few wears might be fun at the time. But if your goal is to have a more conscious closet, shopping for quality is something to strive for. (BTW – If you’re interested in how to shop sustainably on a budget, check out my Checklist for Building a Sustainable Wardrobe).

If you are thrifting to resell, better quality will fetch a better price and yield you a higher profit. Just searching by brand names will only get you so far. This is because there are MANY quality brands that you might not be aware of. So, learning to spot quality clothes when thrifting will save you from having to memorize what all the top brands are.

1. Stitches Per Inch (SPI)

I learned about this from Elizabeth L. Cline’s book, The Conscious Closet. If you think about it, it really makes logical sense. The denser the stitching, the stronger the garment, and therefore the higher the quality. Cheap brands are going to want to use as little thread as possible. A higher-quality ready-to-wear garment will have an SPI of 8-10, meaning it will have between 8 to 10 stitches-per-inch.

If you’d like to check out my review of The Conscious Closet, you can read it HERE.

2. Fabric Content

The fabric is one of the most expensive parts of producing a new piece of clothing. So, fast fashion and bargain brands are going to go for lower quality fabrics to keep their costs down. These lower quality fabrics are often synthetics such as viscose rayon and polyester. So, if you are looking for quality and spot “100% polyester” on the tag, it’s probably not a high-quality garment. What are high-quality fabrics? Things like silk, cotton, wool, cashmere, leather. If you strictly want to wear plant-based fibers, there are alternatives. More on that in another post.

It’s also important to look at the number of different fibers that make up a fabric. If you start to see 3 or more fibers listed in the fabric contents, that is a clue that the manufacturer is cutting costs. So, if you see a brand you don’t recognize and suspect it is of high quality, check the fabric contents as another way to spot quality clothes when thrifting.

3. Care Tag

Okay let’s just get this out in the open – we ALL hat those tags with the cryptic symbols that supposedly tell us how to care for our garments. But, if you can decipher the care instructions on the tag, it will give you a clue as to its quality. For example, if you spot something that says “dry clean only” there is a good chance that it is made of quality materials or has some detail that would be damaged by washing. This is not a hard and fast rule because some 100% polyester garments of questionable quality can be labeled as dry clean only. But it is one clue among several that will help you spot quality clothes when thrifting.

4. Hand Feel

, , I learned about the importance of hand feel through personal experience. When I first decided to start a resale business, I didn’t really know what I was doing. But, I felt like I had a pretty good sense of what “nice” clothes looked like. I hadn’t quite figured out all these tips and tricks yet. One day, I was literally digging through a pile of clothes at my local thrift store’s sidewalk sale, and my hand touched something that was BY FAR softer than anything else I had touched that day. I dug deeper and dug it out. It turned out to be a Saks Fifth Avenue cashmere and wool men’s coat that retails around $1200!!! I bought it for $2. That sucker still hasn’t sold but I am hopeful that now that we’re headed into fall and winter weather it will find a new home. You can find it in my Poshmark Closet.

So, pay attention when your hands fall across something with a different feel to it. Stop and check the fabric contents. You might just find a winner! If you shop “the bins” (aka Goodwill Outlet) you may choose to wear gloves, especially now. So, in that case you’ll have to rely on some of the other tips to spot quality clothes.

5. Details

Sometimes it’s the little things that make a difference when trying to spot quality clothes when thrifting. Many quality items will have little details that seem unnecessary on first inspection, but make that garment really special. For example, I have a Roberto Cavalli blazer that I thrifted for $2. When I first spotted it in a pile of a bunch of other random stuff it didn’t seem special. But, then I notice the fabric on the buttons. I took a closer look and realized what a gorgeous blazer it was. At first I was going to sell it, but the comps were all over the place. I tried it on and it fit! Given my absolute love of blazers I decided to keep it for myself as part of the capsule wardrobe I am working on. (More on that later.)

6. Price

This clue is last on the list on purpose. Price can be very deceiving. But, it can offer some clues as to whether something is quality or not. Quality typically costs more because of the use of better materials and more careful craftsmanship.

If you are a reseller, chances are that you relish in the discovery of a high-end item marked at a ridiculously low price. Like the $1200 coat for $2 that I mentioned above. But, sometimes paying a little more for something is the right call. For example, recently I visited a Goodwill “boutique” location that had a lot of nice items. Some were what I would consider high quality and some were just nice-ish mall brands. But I went in there looking for something high end that I might be able to flip. I found a St. John skirt for just $12! I’ve heard of others finding Doc Martins for $20 and other high end or in-demand brands for a little more. Now, if I got a Gap skirt for $12 of course I probably couldn’t flip it for a profit. But, because I went to the “expensive” thrift store I was able to find some good stuff.

Do some thrift stores mark up mid-tier brands just because they are popular? Yes! My local Salvation Army marks up all their LOFT and Zara items but will often overlook less obvious brands. Again, there is a reason that price is at the bottom of the list of clues. But, it is one way to find quality clothes when thrifting.

Give it a Try

Next time you go out thrifting, try using these clues to spot quality garments. You might just be surprised what you can find that others would overlook!

5 Ways Fast Fashion Can Be Sustainable

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling, Updates

Can Fast Fashion Still Be Sustainable?

As soon as I learned about the negative impacts of fast fashion on the environment, I immediately felt the need to apologize for what I was wearing. Yes, my whole family has fast fashion brands in our closets. But, the move toward sustainability does not have to be guilt-ridden. Otherwise, who would attempt it? Instead, I feel it is helpful to focus on the ways fast fashion CAN be sustainable.

Think it’s not possible? Read on.

BTW – If you want some tips on how to have a more sustainable wardrobe, check out the Checklist for Building a Sustainable Wardrobe on a Budget.

The Impacts of Fast Fashion

Merriam-Webster defines fast fashion as: “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to customers.”

In case you are new to this conversation, I thought I would share just a few ways in which fast fashion is problematic. Because the emphasis of fast fashion brands is on turning out as many cheap, trendy clothes as possible, they often neglect to address the impact these production methods have.

The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter in the world.
In many countries where garments are made, wastewater from factories are just dumped into waterways.
Microfibers from garments made from synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon make their way into our oceans, which are then eaten by small fish. This introduced plastic into our food chain.
Because clothing is so cheaply made and purchased, the average western family throws away 66 lbs. of clothing each year. The synthetic fibers mentioned above take 200 years to decompose.

I could keep going but my point is not to bum you out.

But, if fast fashion is so bad…how can it possibly be sustainable as the title of this blog post suggests?

1. Wear What You Already Own

Yes, this seems like tales of the obvious but hear me out. Wearing a garment just 9 months longer can reduce that garment’s carbon, water, and waste footprints by 20-30%. By taking a new approach to how you choose your outfits you can actually come up with fresh new looks that you’re excited to wear. Not only is this more sustainable than buying something new, but you save money! Here’s a tip – Go through your closet and find a few items that you haven’t worn in a year or more. Challenge yourself to make a new outfit with each item. Pair them with something you’ve never paired them with before. After you wear that “new” outfit, you’ll have a sense of whether those pieces are things to keep or not. If you want some more tips about how to shop your own closet, check out my 6 Ways to Shop Your Closet Guide.

2. Buy Secondhand

Buying second-hand clothing does not have the negative stigma that it once did. In fact, a lot of folks are really proud to show off their second-hand finds. “Oh, you like my dress? It was $2!”

There are lots of ways to shop second-hand. Such as:

Resale apps like Poshmark, Mercari, Kidzen, Threadup, The Real Real, eBay, and more
Thrift stores. If digging through hundreds of dusty racks of clothes is not your idea of fun, some thrift chains like Goodwill will have special “Classic Closet” or “Boutique” locations where they’ve already dug through and pulled out the best quality items.
Estate sales & yard sales
Facebook Marketplace

If you’re new to thrifting and need some pointers, check out my blog post with 5 Tips for New Thrifters.

3. Sell Your Unwanted Clothes

Because of the number I mentioned above, keeping our clothes in circulation is a great way to be sustainable. I have a lot of professional work clothes that I no longer wear or need so I sell them on sites like Poshmark and Mercari. Somewhere out there is a buyer who maybe just got their first professional job and needs work clothes they can afford. So, in this way you’re passing things on and extending the life of those items.

Not sure where to start? In my opinion, Poshmark is the easiest site to get started with when reselling your clothes. The app is easy and intuitive and the shipping is a flat rate for anything under 5 lbs. So, you don’t have to worry about weighing your packages. And….you can use any USPS priority mailers with the Posh labels. You can get these for FREE at the post office or order online at www.USPS.com. If you do decide to sign up for Poshmark to buy or sell, use my code: CORP_CRUNCHY and you’ll save $10.

4. Focus on Longevity

The main reason so many of us shop fast fashion brands is because it is AFFORDABLE! Who doesn’t love coming home with a bag of new, cute clothes that only cost twenty bucks?! If the focus of building a sustainable wardrobe is on harm reduction vs. quitting cold turkey, one thing you can do is shop smarter at your favorite fast fashion brands. Meaning, think about the longevity of an item. For example, I have a couple of blazers from a certain fast fashion brand that I have taken very good care of and therefore have had them for many years. I’ve had them for so long because they are classic, tailored pieces that are not super trendy and therefore not likely to go out of style any time soon. When I tire of them, I’m reasonably sure I could resell them for the reasons mentioned above.

5. Makeover Your Laundry habits

By making over your laundry habits you can make your clothes last longer and also reduce the environmental impact of those clothes. Here are a few simple things you can do.

Skip the dryer – The dryer uses SO MUCH ENERGY! Simply hang or lay clothing flat to dry. The clothes will last longer and you’re saving energy.
Don’t wash after one wear – Okay, yes certain things like socks, underwear, and gym clothes need to be washed after one wear. But seriously reconsider everything else. Especially something like jeans. I used to wash my jeans after every wear. Then I heard they would last longer if I washed them less often. Now, I wash them after maybe 4-5 wears. (I have kids and so they do get “dirty” after a while).
Use cold water -Ninety percent of the energy consumed in washing clothes is used to heat the water. Modern detergents do a fine job with cool water. Just because a garment says to wash in warm water, doesn’t mean you have to. That just means warm is the highest temperature that item can tolerate.

Choose One

Having a 100% sustainable wardrobe should not be the goal. Why? Because it’s not realistic and likely not attainable. Instead, if we all focus on reducing harm and making incremental changes, we can start to make a big difference. These are just some of the ways that fast fashion can be sustainable. So, out of these 5 tips, choose one that you’ll commit to trying for the next month.

Drop a comment below and let me know what you’re going to take on! I’d love to support you however I can.

Book Review: The Conscious Closet

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling, Updates

The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good by Elizabeth L. Cline

I came across this book on a blog post about the best books to read about sustainability and I thought, “This is it! This is what I am all about!” I love fashion but I also strive everyday to do better as a conscious consumer. From the foods that I eat (or don’t eat re: meat) to how I shop for groceries (no plastic produce bags) to how I shop for my clothes (thrift stores & secondhand) this is the very idea behind the Corporate Crunchy blog. So, I began reading The Conscious Closet and holy cow it read like my own personal manefesto!

The Price of Fast (Cheap) Fashion

Deep down I always knew that something was not quite right about being able to walk into a store like Forever 21 or H&M and buy a bunch of on-trend new clothes for next to nothing. But the fashionista in me didn’t want to acknowledge the dark side of so-called fast fashion. On the very first page of The Conscious Closet, I learned that.

As much as 8 percent of carbon emissions are caused by fashion.
A third of the microplastic pollution in the oceans comes from our clothes.
A garbage truck worth of unwanted fashion goes into landfills every 2 minutes here in the US.

Being kind to the planet is about more than just what we drive or whether we use plastic bags at the grocery store. One of the most ubiquitous items in our home, our clothes, have a huge impact on the environment.

Better Buying Choices

My training as a shopper started early. I come from a long line of shoppers on both sides of my family. One thing I learned early on was to never pay full price. Always look for the deal! Therefore, I would shop a lot at places like Marshalls or TJ Maxx where I figured I could get good quality for a low price. And that is still true….sometimes. By now we all know that those tags that show the “full retail price” are full of made up numbers. So it turns out that I may not be getting as great a bargain as I once thought. In The Conscious Closet, Cline spells out how to build a wardrobe full of quality pieces. You don’t have to have a large budget to do this either. There are so many options: thrift stores, resale sites/apps, renting clothes, etc.

Since I started thrifting and reselling, I rarely buy clothes for myself at a regular retail store. Instead, I tend to pick up most of my new items either from a thrift store or an app like Poshmark or Mercari. I get most of my family’s clothes this way too. But…..what I have noticed is that in my zeal to make profitable flips, I sell all the best stuff I find and I tend to keep all the cheap clothing for myself. Don’t I deserve to have nice things too? And, since I know how to source quality items, why don’t I choose any of them for myself? I have exactly zero designer clothes in my closet. So now I am thinking long and hard about keeping the Dolce & Gabanna blouse and Roberto Cavelli blazer that I scored for $2 each! They are classic styles and cuts that will last me forever should I choose to hang onto them. Hmmm…decisions, decisions!

Swapping & Renting

I had already heard about rental services like Rent The Runway but I didn’t realize that everyday clothes can be rented as well. The idea may seem strange at first, but think about it. If you pay full price for a top or a jacket that you wear less than a handful of times, why make the long term investment…only to have it sit in your closet for years to come? In The Concious Closet, Cline interviews a woman who rents her professional work wardrobe. Which actually makes a lot of sense, especially if you work in a high profile job and need to “look the part”. But for someone like me, who works at home and doesn’t need a fancy suit or dress for a board meeting, I think I will skip rentals for now. For a future special occasion like a wedding or gala…sure!

In the book, Cline also outlines how to host your own clothing swap. The challenge for me is that I don’t know a lot of people my size (I am very petite!) so I never considered swapping a real option for me. But, based on. her suggestions, I could host a clothing swap at my church, for example, and that would allow lots of folks to get what they need whether it is for their kids or themselves. To host your own clothing swap, The Conscious Closet lays out 5 steps:

Choose your space and gather supplies such as racks, tables, and mirrors.
Create acceptance policies for what you will allow for swaps and whether you’ll use a ticket or other system.
Have a point person to tidy things up during the swap.
Decide what happens to leftover clothes. Donate or allow the donor to reclaim at the end of the swap.
Educate. Consider adding a take-home message such as, “For every t-shirt we swap, we save the planet 2168 gallons of water!”

Capsule Wardrobe

I’ve seen the “capsule wardrobe” posts on Pinterest and thought…no way! Yes, certainly there are classic pieces that I believe should be part of my wardrobe but the idea of a capsule wardrobe is very restrictive to me. I like to experiment a little with fashion sometimes….even at the ripe old age of 49! But, in The Conscious Closet, Cline lays out some options for a capsule wardrobe that doesn’t have to feel restrictive.

Have a core set of capsule items at the heart of your wardrobe that you can pair with most of the rest of your clothes.
Renting or thrifting and reselling is a great way to change things up but keeps your closet lean and mean.
Only build a capsule wardrobe for certain occasions such as a work capsule wardrobe or a travel capsule wardrobe. Just imagine how much time you’ll save by always having core pieces that you pack that all go with each other. I did something like this during my last summer vacation. Everything I packed was in the white, grey, blue, black, dark green color palette and everything went together. I still overpacked though!

Now What?

Truth be told, I haven’t finished the whole book yet! I know, I know….but it is so meaty I just had to stop and share what I love about it so far. I’m looking forward to learning more about mending and sustainable clothing brands in the later part of the book!

As for what’s next? Continuing to audit my closet and only keeping the things that I truly love to wear. If I am unsure about something, I use my 6 Ways to Shop Your Closet tips and 5 Outfit Inspiration Ideas to make outfits out of what I already have.

In addition to The Conscious Closet, I’ve added some additional books to my “want to read” list including: Wear No Evil, Fashionopolis, Cradle to Cradle, Wardrobe Crisis, and Overdressed.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What are some other ways we can enjoy sustainable style? Drop a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!

Reseller Life: My Five Favorite Flips

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling

My Five Favorite Flips

When I was first starting out as a reseller, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I just tried to source cute clothes and tried not to pay too much so I’d have a profit. After about a year at this and after taking some valuable training, I’ve gotten better at sourcing and my per item profit is starting to increase. In this blog post, I thought I’d share some of my favorite flips from the last couple of months. I’ve included items that were sourced from a few different places at a variety of costs. My intent is to inspire and educate and help you make betting sourcing decisions for the most profit.

1. Karen Millen Dress

Sourced from: Goodwill

Cost: $11.49

Platform: Poshmark

Sold for: $65

Earnings after fees: $52

Total profit: $40.51

I found this Karen Millen dress at one of my local Goodwill stores. I don’t typically source at Goodwill but lately several of my recent higher-profit items have come from there. So, I’ve been visiting more often. When I first came across this dress I didn’t recognize the label. But, the dress FELT like it was a nice quality fabric so I tossed it into my cart to research. I searched about the brand and looked for SOLD comps on Poshmark. I didn’t find the exact dress initially but I saw that similar dresses from this brand had good sold prices so I decided to pick it up.

This sale was a rare gem – a full-priced outright purchase. So, there was no Offer to Likers and no shipping discount. Now, I got nervous because USPS was slow to track this package and the buyer was messaging me wondering if I’d shipped it yet. Fortunately, I did show up about a week later and the buyer gave me a 5-star rating! Happy seller, happy customer! Nothing better!

2. Lovers + Friends Shorts

Sourced from: The Collection By Casa Teresa

Cost: $2

Platform: Poshmark

Sold for: $50

Earnings after fees: $40

Total profit: $38

My favorite little local “charity shop” was a weekly sidewalk sale and this is where I do most of my sourcing. I came across these really cute baby pink shorts from Lovers + Friends. They are an XXS and those tend to take longer to sell. But, when I searched this item it was a current style that was sold out online. These shorts retailed at $128 and I originally had them listed around $65 but I had posted in a Facebook group that I wanted to sell for at least $50. A couple of weeks later a $50 offer came in! The buyer was so happy and she asked if I could ship the same day. Which of course I did! But, I had to let her know that USPS was a bit slow so I couldn’t guarantee she’d get it when she wanted it. She received the shorts about 5 days later and gave me another 5-star rating!

3. Nike Air Jordans

Sourced from: The Collection by Casa Teresa

Cost: $1

Platform: Poshmark

Sold for: $45

Earnings after fees: $36

Total profit: $35

One day at the Casa Teresa sidewalk sale they were clearing out their shoes and they had a bunch of shoes for just $1! I don’t typically have good luck in sourcing shoes. They tend to be too expensive in my area for me to make a decent profit. So on this particular day I dug through all those nasty shoe bins. At first I only found 1 shoe from this pair. But when I saw they were Jordans I knew I had to keep looking. So I dug, and dug until I found its mate. These are a men’s size 8, and they’re not exactly new. But they still were in good enough condition I figured I’d better be able to make a profit. At first I listed them around $100, based on the other active listings and comps. I did drop the price a little bit and then one day I got an offer for $45 which I enthusiastically accepted! Another 5-star rating and happy customer! The fact that I only paid $1 for these and they only required minimal clean up is what made this one of my five favorite flips.

4. Coach Turnlock Borough Bag

Sourced from: Thredup

Cost: $18

Sold for: $120

Earnings after fees & shipping discount: $88.89

Total profit: $70.89

When we first went into lockdown in March and all the thrift stores were closed, I decided to try another Thredup Rescue. I had purchased a mixed clothing box earlier in the year and got some decent stuff. When I saw they had a Coach Rescue box I figured it was worth a try. The box was $90 for 5 bags. This was the nicest of the group. This was an Offer to Liker with free shipping discount. It was also another package that USPS did not scan. The buyer reached out to me several times asking for a status. I filed a case with USPS and they actually called me when it was delivered. It took about 10 days to get to its destination and I was worried it was lost. The package was damaged when the buyer received it but fortunately, I had wrapped the bag in plastic and it was untouched. Another happy buyer and 5-star rating!

5. Adidas Chicago Bulls Jersey

Sourced from: The Collection by Casa Teresa

Cost: $2

Platform: Mercari

Sold for: $32

Earnings after fees: $28.80

Total profit: $26.80

Every once in a while my husband will clean out his drawers and give me the stuff to sell. Anytime that I have posted a soccer jersey or any athletic wear, it sells super fast. So, when I saw this jersey at the $2 sidewalk sale, I thought it was worth investigating. I am not a sports fan at all but I didn’t let that stop me! Searches for comps showed most of the similar jerseys on Poshmark were New With Tags (NWT). This was not, but this was in good shape and at only $2 it was worth taking a chance. I did what I always do and posted to Poshmark first and then cross-listed to Mercari. I had it listed around $40 and I got an offer of $32 within an hour so of course, I accepted. The speed of the sale is what made it one of my five favorite flips.

Hopefully, this provided a little insight into the process of sourcing and flipping thrift store finds. If you’d like. to learn more, check out my blog post with my best tips for flipping your thrift store finds. You can also enter your info below to get the free guide.

My Favorite Reseller Buys from Amazon

by Angelique | Business, Thrifting & Upcycling

How you know you’re a serious reseller

You might be a serious reseller when your birthday wish list looks well…something like the list of items below i this blog post. Because I am a reseller and therefore, a seasoned thrifter, it’s hard for me to give my husband ideas about what to buy for me. For Mother’s day, I sent him links to all of my “likes” on Poshmark. That worked well! But when my birthday rolled around I really felt like I had everything I wanted…but there were some things I needed for my reseller business that I just didn’t want to spend money on. Below are my favorite reseller buys from Amazon, including the item I got for my birthday a couple of weeks ago.

Efficiency is Key

I’d been using my tiny little travel steamer for the last year since I gave reselling a serious try. I could maybe steam two or three garments before it ran out of steam. Then I would have to wait for it to cool down before I could fill it back up and start steaming again. So inefficient! I didn’t want to plunk down $200 for a professional steamer. But a quick search on Amazon revealed some in-between options. I sent my husband the link and the steamer arrived on my doorstep a couple of days later. Not exactly a romantic gift! For my birthday I asked him to help me re-organize my space in the garage and get the new steamer set up. OMG! I can’t believe I didn’t get one of these sooner! I immediately steamed about 5 garments in like 30 seconds. Okay, that’s an exaggeration but it was definitely light years faster than the old method. The exact steamer that I purchased is current out of stock so the image to the right is the closest that I could find. This is definitely one of my favorite reseller buys from Amazon!

Getting Organized

I don’t have a fancy “posh” room or reseller room like we often see on social media. I keep my items in my own personal closet, as well as in bins in my garage. I wasn’t looking for a garment rack specifically for my reseller business. My plan was to make some “outfit of the day” videos for YouTube (that have yet to materialize). This garment rack was inexpensive and once I received it and put it together, I wheeled it into the garage and it was an immediate lifesaver! It’s so easy to see all my items and….when I go to steam and prep new items, it’s all together in one place in my little corner of the garage.

In case you’re curious, I’ve included a few pictures of our garage, aka The Multipurpose Room, below. My husband also uses it as a music studio, office, video studio, etc.!

The Basics

Some items are not very exciting or sexy but definitely necessary for your reseller business. You don’t want to suddenly be thrown into a panic because you are out of tape or tissue paper! I know some resellers have been able to score great deals on tissue paper at their local dollar store. Alas, mine does not have this coveted item in any sort of value pack. When in a pinch, I love to turn to Amazon for convenience’s sake. Just be careful to check the size of the paper. Some of them are a little smaller than standard.

Have you ever run out of tape? I have. It’s a terrible feeling. Almost as bad as running out of printer ink! I decided to stock up on a 12 pack of tape rolls so I can minimize the panic as much as possible. Oh, and although I already have one of those handheld box tape dispensers, I found it cumbersome when trying to dispense tape for anything other than taping up a box. So, I got this great dispenser that fits the large rolls of packing tape. I love it soooo much!

Another must-have is poly mailers. I mainly use these for shipping Mercari items. Since Poshmark allows us to use any priority mail packaging, I order that for FREE from USPS.com. Thank you, USPS!

I love these hot pink 10×13 mailers. They are pretty and the work really well for shipping clothing. I will typically wrap the garment in the plain white tissue paper and then insert into the mailer. I like that I can sort of adjust where I seal it to best fit the item.

I used to send a personalized “Thank You” card with every order I would send out. After I started doing some pretty regular sales, this became pretty time-consuming. I do still sometimes write a personalized card for a larger order. But, I think these little stickers are a nice touch and they make the packaging look super cute. Sometimes I put them on the outside of the box. Sometimes, I’ll use them to seal the tissue paper. Sometimes I do both! They are pretty inexpensive and just add that extra little touch of professionalism.

What’s Next?

These are my favorite reseller buys from Amazon….SO FAR!!! What do I have my eye on next? Welp, who wouldn’t love a thermal label printer…amirite?

This is an even larger expense than the steamer so I have a certain revenue goal that I would like to hit before I feel I can justify the investment. I do sometimes ship items for my husband’s business, so that might be another reason to justify this expense! Oh…the things small business owners dream of!

Do you have one of these label printers? If so, how has it changed your business? Was it worth it? Drop me a comment and let me know what else is on your “must have” list as a reseller. Share your favorite reseller buys from Amazon.

If you are new to reselling, check out my free guide on how to Flip Your Thrift Finds for Profit. In this guide, I share some of the best tips that I learned through trial and error over the last year of reselling. Simply fill in your name and email below and I’ll send you the guide along with other helpful tips!

Thrifting for Profit

by Angelique | Business, Thrifting & Upcycling

Thrifting for Profit is Possible

In the Beginning

I first got the idea about flipping used items for profit back in the early 2000s. I was living in Phoenix, AZ and eBay was pretty much the only game in town when it came to buying and selling used stuff online. I’ve always loved yard sales and one day, I happened upon a very unusual looking clock at one of these sales. Something told me that this item was worth something…something more than they were selling it for. I bought it for $8, I think. I took it home and did a little research. (This was before the days of smartphones, mobile browsers, and 4G). I learned that this was in fact an antique clock. I sold it on eBay for $75 in about a day. I attempted to repeat this process in a bit of a half-assed way and eventually gave up on the idea of thrifting for profit. Life got busy and I wasn’t making THAT much money.

New Inspiration

Fast forward to 2019 when I decided to leave my corporate job and work for/with my husband. I now had more freedom and flexibility to pursue other interests. (This blog is one of those interests!) I had started thrift shopping more frequently because I could now hit the morning sidewalk sales that I couldn’t when I had my 9-5 JOB. One day I overheard one of the ladies working at the thrift shop mention that a lot of their customers come to their $2 sales to resell clothes. I had been shopping for myself and my daughter. But I once again was intrigued by the idea of thrifting for profit. So, I started listing items I found on Poshmark. I had been buying on Poshmark since 2014 and loved the concept! Why pay full price for something when you can get it slightly used for much, much less?

Figuring Things Out

When first starting out, I didn’t fully know what I was doing. I would source brands I recognized and that seemed decent quality. I also sold stuff from my own personal closet that I didn’t use anymore. I started to make a little money….but not much. But it was fun so I just would tell people that I had a “hobby that makes me money.” But, there was work involved. I mean I don’t LOVE ironing and steaming the clothes to get them ready for sale. Figuring out how to take the best pictures was also a challenge. I’ve never been good at photography. But, I knew that there were people who were flipping and thrifting for profit full time so I knew there was a lot that I well…didn’t know.

So, I joined several Facebook groups just for resellers. I started to learn some important tips and tricks. Like how relisting a stale item can help get new eyes on it. Or, the importance of cross-listing. (Cross Listing is when you offer your items on more than one platform.) For example, I cross-list to both Poshmark and Mercari. I also have a few items on Kidizen and Depop but Poshmark and Mercari are where 98% of my sales come from. I also started getting active with other sellers on Instagram and I realized that there were a lot of folks new to reselling, looking for a way to make it a real business. COVID has impacted a lot of people’s income, my family included.

5 Tips to Flip Your Thrift for Profit

The more I learn, the more success I have in reselling. So, I thought I would share a few tips for those who are new and looking to become successful quickly. So, I created The 5 Tips to Flip Your Thrift for Profit Guide. Thrifting for profit can be done, whether you are only a part-timer like me or looking to make it your full-time business.

If you are 100% new to thrift store shopping, I recommend you check out my 5 Tips for New Thrifters Blog Post.

If you’re ready to start thrifting for profit, CLICK HERE to get the FREE guide and I’ll continue sending more tips and useful info your way.

Thredup Coach Rescue Unboxing

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling

Coach Rescue Unboxing from Thredup

Sorry, it’s taken so long to get this video posted. I thought I would share my experience with the Coach Rescue. box from Thredup. I paid $90 and received these five bags. Check out my Coach Rescue Unboxing video and let me know what you think.

Want to learn more?

Check out these awesome blog posts:

Thredup Rescue Mixed Clothing Unboxing

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling

Thredup Rescues

Since all the thrift stores are closed right now, resellers like me are getting creative with how we source clothing to resell. First, I started cleaning out my family’s closets. My daughter’s closet had the best stuff. She tends to only wear a small percentage of what is actually in there. And, her closet is super small. So, I was able to purge and list a lot of items that sold quickly. Then What? I turned to Thredup Rescues!

A lot of resellers were putting ads in Nextdoor to ask for free clothing donations. The idea being that if foods are stuck at home and cleani9ng out their closets, they would want to get rid of those items without having to leave the house. So, resellers were posting in Nextdoor asking to do “porch pickups” of unwanted items. I tried this, got no interest, and then pulled my post down. It technically violates my state’s stay-at-home order so I just didn’t feel right about it. That left me with the popular option of sourcing on Thredup.

Thredup Rescues tend to go fast. As soon as they post them all the resellers dive on them. So, sometimes you have to take what you can get. For this particular rescue box, I ordered 25 pieces of mixed clothing in various sizes for $60. Shipping was free. I made this video to share what I got in my Thredup Rescue of mixed clothing. I also ordered a Coach Rescue box which I’ll post about later.

If you want to see my other Thredup Rescue unboxing, check out this blog post.

Thredup Rescue Unboxing

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling

Have you tried Thredup? If you’re not familiar, they are one of the largest, or maybe THE largest, online thrift store. You can shop and sell. My first experience with them came from a recommendation from my pastor. She said that they will send you a “closet clean out kit” and you just fill a bag or a box with your stuff and they provide the shipping label. They will review your items and they will post what they think they can sell on their site. Anything they don’t sell, you have the option to have it returned to you, or they will responsibly recycle it. I figured I’d try it with some items I didn’t think would do well in my Poshmark closet. They did accept a bunch of my items, I think two of them sold and I wound up with an $8.00 credit. I probably won’t do that again. I can do much better on other sites. In this post I want to share with you my experience with a Thredup Rescue Box.

I heard through the Poshmark community about these Rescue boxes and was immediately intrigued. You pay a flat fee for a certain number of items in the size you choose and you get a box filled with surprises! Because I had a credit and a free shipping code, I figured I’d give it a try. So, here is my live unboxing video for you. You get to see my reaction as I unpack this little mystery box!

If you’re totally new to thrifting, I suggest you check out my 5 Tips for New Thrifters blog post.

Update:

I’ve sold two of the items from my Thredup rescue box and those profits have already made me my money back on my rescue box purchase. To see the rest of the items, there’s a link to my Poshmark closet in the sidebar.

What are your favorite brands? Drop me a comment and let me know what you’ve got your eye on these days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a Thredup Rescue Box?

A: Rescue boxes are like a mystery box from Thredup. They will pull together a random selection of items within a certain category. They are considered “rescued” items because they are items that went unsold and this is their last effort before the clothes are recycled.

Q: How do you order a Thredup Rescue Box?

A: You can only order a Thredup Rescue box from the Thredup website on the desktop. From the home page, select “Rescues” from the top navigation bar. You can also click HERE. You’ll want to check the site often as many boxes sell out quickly.

Q: Which Thredup rescue box is best?

A: I have only purchased their mixed clothing and Coach boxes. I would say that the Coach box was the best one. I was able to sell all items fairly quickly and at a decent overall margin.

5 Tips If You’re New to Thrifting

by Angelique | Sustainable Fashion, Thrifting & Upcycling

Do you love to shop but hate the impact that the fast fashion industry has on the environment? Thrift shopping just might be the answer. Whether you are shopping for yourself or for resale, there are some things to keep in mind. In this post, I am sharing my 5 Tips for those new to thrifting.

My thrift store shopping habit is probably half for me and my family and half for resale. It’s been a fun hobby/ side-hustle that I’ve learned more and about over the last couple of years. Enough of you have asked me for advice about where and how to shop that I thought I’d but together this little blog post….from my perspective.

1. Do a Touch Test

I stumbled upon this trick accidentally, before I read other pros post about it. Somtimes thrift stores can be intimidating. Sometimes? Most of the time. They are often big and messy and organization can vary a lot. When you’re looking for the proverbial needle-in-a-haystack item, the gem in the rough, etc. you may not always have time to sift through every single item in the store. This is especially true if you’re shopping in large bins, sidewalk sales or other mass piles.

When this is the case, you need to FEEL your way through the clothes. Even if you don’t necessarily know a lot about designer brands, you will often intuitively know if something is expensive by touching it. The fabric will feel softer, like in the case of a cashmere sweater. Or, it might feel sturdier, like a good pair of boots. I was once digging through the tables at a sidewalk sale and my hands came upon something very soft and very large. It turned out to be a very nice Saks Fifth Avenue men’s wool and cashmere coat. It’s available in my Poshmark closet if you’re interested. 🙂

2. Don’t Go With an Expectation

Part of the fun of thrifting is the surprise. Rarely have I gone in looking for a specific item and found it right away. It’s just too random to expect to find that just right item you want.

The inventory in thrift stores tends to turnover quickly but this can be a good thing. If you are a regular thrifter, returining week after week will enable you to find great gems that you never knew you wanted, but now cannot live without. I had a faux white leather jacket that I picked up in a thrift store a few years ago. It wasn’t the greatest quaility and after a while it started to fall apart. I was so sad because I loved that look of a white leather jacket! The other day, I was shopping a sidewalk sale. As I headed to the register, I looked up and saw a lovely white faux leather jacket on a mannequin. I ran over there and it was just my size!

If you do have something specific in mind and don’t have time to hit the stores on a regular basis, I suggest using online thrift and resale stores like ThreadUp or Poshmark. My daughter wants to get her Valentine’s dance dress at a thrift store, but she is looking for something specific (light pink) and her school has a dress code (shoulders must be covered) so I am hunting for it on Poshmark. I’ve already found several good contenders!

3. Pay Attention to Sale Days

When I first started shopping in thrift stores, I wasn’t really thinking about trying to get a bargain. If I’m at thrift store, the bargain is implied. But, thrift stores do have sales and specials because they need to move merchandise. And once I started reselling getting the lowest cost possible became really important.

I started to learn and keep track of the best days to shop. For example, Salvation Army stores tend to do something called “Wacky Wednesday” when all clothes and shoes are 50% off (with the exception of red tag items). Other stores like Goodwill will have Fan Fridays that offer a percentage off regular price. Smaller independent shops have their own sales too. For example, one of my favorites, The Collection at Casa Teresa does a sidewalk sale every Thursday when select items are just $2. A lot of stores also do “fill a bag” sales that allow you to pay a flat price for as many items you can fit in a bag.

4. Find the Rejects

I read this tip somewhere and I started trying it out. Basically, figure out where people dump their rejects or go-backs and look there. In some places this is just the racks near the fitting room. This is a prime spot to find good stuff that people have tried on but didn’t want to purchase. The end of racks is another great place to look. Some nicer thrift stores might have an actual go-back rack. When visiting a location that is new to you, take a moment and make note of where the rejects and go-backs are likely to be. If you are short on time this can save you trips through endless aisles because other savvy shoppers have already picked out a lot of the good stuff for you.

Speaking of rejects….if you’re in a gambling mood, you might try a Thredup Rescue Box. Check out my blog post to see what that’s all about.

5. Check the Zippers

Other thrifters will tell you to check your items carefully. This is good advice. You always need to be on the lookout for stains, tears or other defects. But, there is one thing I overlooked for the longest time….until I almost got burned – Zippers! Most specifically – jeans zippers. When you’re looking at a pair of pants or jeans on a hanger the zipper is somewhat hidden. If you’re trying it on you’ll probably notice a broken zipper. Often though, I’ll either be looking for something for my daughter or to re-sell. So, it didn’t always occur to me to check the zipper. One day, I found a cute pair of PacSun jeans that I thought my daughter would like. They looked like they might fit her. But, when I got them home, she said that she couldn’t get them past her hips. No problem, I thought. I’ll just list them on Poshmark. When I went to take the pictures, that is when I noticed something wrong with the zipper. Ugh! Luckily, a quick YouTube video later I was able to fix the zipper enough that they could be worn. I still listed them on Poshmark, disclosing the zipper problem. Luckily they sold quickly and they buyer was happy with them, even with the zipper work-around.

BONUS TIP: Shop Your Own Closet

If you’re trying to stick to a budget or want to cut back on buying clothes for any reason at all, a great way to still feel fashionable is to shop your own closet. I’ve put together a quick guide – 6 Ways To Shop Your Closet – with my personal strategy for shopping my own closet.

Drop me a comment below if you have questions or you have a thrifting tip or adventure to share. I learn a lot by hearing from others.