I live in the suburbs and whenever the blandness gets to me, I take a day trip to one of the neighboring towns. I like to visit art museums and junk stores all in the same day. Just recently, my family and I piled into our little Corolla and drove an hour to a contemporary art museum. We then drove another 15 minutes to a Goodwill store. A perfect day!

One of the things I most love about secondhand shopping is buying summer clothes during the winter. Department stores stick to rigid schedules, clearing everything off the floor as the seasons change. It’s generally not quite as strict at the thrifts so I cheer myself up when it’s freezing outside by having a look at the summer shirts and skirts. Since everybody else is concentrating on sweaters and pants, I find some real deals.  

When the warm weather arrives, I take all my summer clothes out of the closet and mix-and-match. I have a new wardrobe for the new season, having spent very, very little money.

Well, the verdict is in regarding my daughter’s 100% cotton, brand-new tee. On March 31st I wrote about how she bought it from her student bookstore as a fundraiser. Since she bought it new, I was waiting to see if it would still fit after washing. It does, so I’m happy. Sometimes new clothing comes out of the wash still fitting, sometimes it’s too small, and sometimes it fits until you eat an olive. Just one of many reasons why so much almost-new stuff winds up at the thrifts.

I’m out four dollars. That UPS jacket that I bought on April 1 is now clean, dry and in the pile to be donated back to the thrift store. I love most of what I buy, but this one’s gotta go! I just wasn’t sure about it in the store. If you want to go to a department store, they’ll hold things for you while you make up your mind. Since that doesn’t happen at any of the thrifts that I go to, sometimes I make a mistake. For four bucks, I can live with it.

I’m a little embarrassed to write that today I was a victim of Thrift Store Space Out. I was out running errands before hitting the local bargain palace, and although I had a snack before entering the store, I was just too hungry to shop. So sad because all of the winter clothing was 1/2 price. It’s disappointing, but still better to leave empty-handed than to buy something when I’m not thinking clearly.

Today I found a jacket that fits just right and cost four bucks. I’m not sure that I like it because it kinda reminds me of the UPS uniform, but in black instead of brown. I decided to go ahead and risk the four dollars. I’ll either love it, or if not, I’ll just donate it back.

You’d never know it by looking at me now, (which I’m awfully glad you cannot do because it’s 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside and it’s not all that warm inside either, so I’m looking rather bulky because of all the layers), but I own a large closet filled with really great clothes. Because I’m a textile artist, I know quality. Knowing quality and not having a lot of money–a perfect combination to make me seek out the cheapest resources for wonderful stuff to wear. That’s why the vast majority of what’s hanging in my closet is from thrift stores.

 Amazing what you can find in the thrifts if you look. Over the last 30 years, I’ve gotten so good at nosing out the bargains that I decided to write a book about it. The Secondhand Wardrobe: Chasing Down the Deals has an expected release date of September ’08. Meanwhile, I’ll be writing my random secondhand clothing thoughts here, awaiting your comments.