If you are still a newbie at secondhand shopping, I came up with an idea of this thrifting guide to help you in an entirely different way.

Quote of the day: “It is good for a professional to be reminded that his professionalism is only a husk, that the real person must remain an amateur, a lover of the work.” May Sarton

Even if you don’t love the idea of wearing clothing that other’s have worn in the past, this thrifting guide has many non-clothing objects included.

This is not about finding the perfect item, this is not about filling your closet with more stuff. It’s about concept and considerations that you might not have considered for this type of shopping.

Insider tip: These ideas are also applicable to any shopping, even new items. If you find an incredible deal on something, but it’s not something you need or like, then these thoughts might still be beneficial.

You should definitely sign up for the emails below. Besides the free eBook, my email family gets personal tidbits of what’s going on in my life along with other happenings, sales, information, giveaways, extra photos, and interesting articles.

I’ve written many other articles about secondhand shopping

• How to be good at thrifting
• What to buy at thrift stores
• Sizing tips for thrifting
• How to shop on Poshmark

Thrifting Guide-Buy Things For Parts

Parts are parts, right? There are many scraps or bits of items that can be used. So instead of only looking at an item as a whole, inspect the fragments of it also.

Here’s just a short list of the things I consider when thrifting.

• Belt for buckles-Belts are one of the items I always check out while secondhand shopping. Have you seen the price of belts at the stores? They can break my budget. That’s why I check out the secondhand collection.
  However, sometimes the leather is cracking or the color of the belt isn’t what I want.
  In those casses, make sure you check out the buckle because ones that look like this can be used as scarf clips. You would remove the leather or fabric and have one of my Tools of the Trade at hand.
• Shirts or jackets for buttons-Buttons are another item that have gotten increasingly expensive. And you don’t have to be a seamstress to change out the buttons on something you own. It’s an easy way to update a clothing item.
  This means you should inspect not only the overall item, but look at the buttons /closures on shirts and jackets. I found these metal clasps on a thrifted sweater and used them on my fairisle sweater from this article.
• Jewelry to break apart– My friend, Julie, is a master at this. If you are any bit creative and crafty, you can redesign many jewelry pieces in a variety of ways.
• Painting for the frame-When you check out the paintings, make sure to take into account the frames. You can always reuse the frame on a different piece of artwork.
• Purses for their straps-Many purse straps have a clasp on them so they are interchangeable. If the purse isn’t your style or it is worn out, consider if the strap could have another life.

Change Things

As part of this thrifting guide, I like that idea that you can get incredibly creative with many clothing and non-clothing items. Many of these concepts require some sewing skills, but don’t let that fact put you off. There are alteration people that can do it for you. Considering the great deals you found for these secondhand items, shelling out an alterations fee can still be an affordable option.

• Canvas art to repaint– There are a ton of canvas art at the thrift stores. If you don’t like the design, consider painting over the entire canvas with your own designs. Starving artists used to do this all of the time.
• Mens/Womens jeans/pants to make into shorts-How many times have you been discouraged because you can find the right length for pants or jeans? There is no reason you couldn’t take a longer pair and make them the length you prefer. Lesley did this exact trick years ago for this pair of cropped pants.
• Prom/special event dress to make into top- How many of you even look at the special occassion dresses when you are thrift shopping? I didn’t until Lesley would come over with the most beautiful dresses. And then I saw an influencer who had her tailor remove the skirt portion to create a one-of-a-kind statment top.
• Dress to make into skirt-Along the same lines as above, you can just as easily take a dress and remove the top portion to create a skirt. I did this ages ago because I wasn’t as comfortable with the strappy, low cut design of the dress. But the material was beautiful so I just folded a waistband and added a zipper.
• Curtains/sheets as material for all kinds of clothing-Material is material. Sure, you can go to Joanne Fabrics and purchase material for a sewing project. But many times you can find a better deal at the secondhand store by perusing the curtains and sheet sections.

Related: video about how to transform a king size sheet
Or what a bundt pan can be used as

Insider tip: The above videos are not my videos, but they are similar to those I love sharing in my daily emails. If you like these kinds of inspiring ideas, make sure to sign up.

Think of Things Differently

Or as I like to say, “Don’t categorize your items.” For this part of my thrifting guide, I’m asking you to stop thinking of the item as what it was intended to be.
Talk to yourself and describe it instead and you may be surprised at the possibilities.

• Clip earrings to wear as brooch or shoe clips-Clip on earrings can be worn in a variety of ways as I’ve shown in the past.
• Sheets for drop cloths-Used sheets can do double duty as drop cloths.
  Insider tip: If you want to use sheets for this reason, make sure to grab thicker ones.
• Vases for kitchen items – Vases aren’t only for flowers. I’ve been using decorative ones in my kitchen to hold both the dish scrubber as well as for the kitchen utensils near the stove.

Insider tip: Halloween. This is a popular time to scour the thrift stores for items to create your Halloween costume.

Considerations For This Thrifting Guide

There are many skills that can help when you find items secondhand that aren’t in pristine condition.

Many times people donate items because something happens to the garment or because it’s awkward to wear.

A lot of time, you don’t realize these issues until you have bought the item and have worn it for more than 5 minutes.

While I always advocate for looking over the things you want to buy from the thrift store in detail, there are always times you don’t catch all of the specifics.

Stain removal

Even if there isn’t a stain on something you find at the thrift store, removing stains is a life lesson. Just because you spill on yourself doesn’t mean that you should throw that item away.

I keep these stain packets in my purse for on the go, plus many times they are my first attempt to remove a stain. What I like is how they are non-toxic.

Insider tip: The book Laundry Love has been my go to for stain removal. In fact, I have a Laundry Group on my Amazon storefront because anyone who loves clothes wants to be able to take care of them.

Another option instead of removing the stain would be to dye an item. I’ve written and practiced dying clothes in the past.

Be able to alter or fix

Any thrift guide would include the idea that alterations can make an item work better for you. This is no different than shopping anywhere.

It is extremely unrealistic to expect clothes to fit your body perfectly since each of us is built in a unique way. The best way to get a perfect fit is to have it altered.

I’m also a master at finding tools that can help “fit’ an item to your body without sewing.

I’ve discussed options with this tank top, and shared my tricks in this article.

As for footwear, it’s beneficial to know of a good shoe repair near you.
Some of the things that can be done are

• Resole a shoe or boot
• Dye them
• Repairs
• Sometimes you can even have the heel made shorter

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Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.

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Jodie Filogomo Fashion Stylist

Jodie's Touch of Style showcases how it's never too late to look great including other older women and myself talking about fashion, beauty, and lifestyle issues.

As a retired dentist, Jodie takes her love of clothing and shopping and has come to find her superpowers in styling the same item in many ways. She is also a huge advocate for embracing our age and bodies. Getting old is a wonderful thing and learning to love ourselves while it happens is very freeing.

Looking great can happen no matter what age, shape or budget, as we show on Jodie's Touch of Style.