There is nothing like the thrill of unearthing an op shop bargain. For a seasoned thrifter, it goes a little something like this…
You spy something that looks right up your alley, but you don’t get your hopes up yet. What if it is a bit frumpy? Or too short? You have done this before, so you use all your willpower and rational thinking to curtail your excitement… but your heart isn’t listening and starts beating quickly anyway. It longs for a good deal, not logic, and the prospect of a bargain is just too exciting.
Then you do an excited fist pump in the fitting room when you realise it does fit, it isn’t frumpy and it looks pretty damn fine, actually… especially for the spare change price tag. That elated feeling is addictive – and unlike your chocolate habit, you can feel good about this particular addiction.
That is because each year, the average Australian buys around twenty-seven kilograms of clothes, and throws away around twenty-three kilograms of clothes (according to research by YouGov). This creates a long list of problems for the environment and the welfare of garment workers.
“My own version of slow fashion is my practice of op-shopping and vintage shopping. And then more importantly, being able to integrate those purchases into a modern wardrobe and creating my own style – that’s my slow fashion.”
When fashion journalist Joanne Gambale reached a point where she could no longer turn a blind eye to this, she made some big changes. She hasn’t purchased new clothes for three years, and has never felt more confident about her own personal style.
“Everyone has a different way of doing slow fashion,” she says. “Some people buy handmade stuff. Some people mend things they already have. Some people buy sustainable labels. My own version of slow fashion is my practice of op-shopping and vintage shopping. And then more importantly, being able to integrate those purchases into a modern wardrobe and creating my own style – that’s my slow fashion.”
Now a slow fashion advocate and wardrobe stylist helping clients dress in secondhand and vintage finds, Joanne has collaborated with Lake Macquarie City Council to host workshops on op-shopping like a pro, and now runs monthly online workshops on finding your personal style. Though she still contributes to fashion publications, she now focuses her prose on sustainable fashion. Bask in her wisdom if you’re keen to style yourself more sustainably.
Get confident with your own style
Being a conscious shopper means being more intentional with your purchases. “Fast fashion shopping is passive,” Joanne says. “You just look at a whole row of the same floaty dresses and you’re like, ‘Oh, I like floaty dresses, I’ll find my size and that’s it, done’.”
In an op shop setting, you do not have curated displays giving you this paint-by-numbers approach to the latest trend. That’s a good thing, because then you start to think more consciously about your own style rather than making impulse purchases.
To get better acquainted with your own style, start by looking at what you already own and asking yourself what you like about certain pieces. Then you will start to understand which colours and cuts suit you best, and which ones to avoid. This instantly gives you cues about your own style, plus the gaps in your wardrobe. For instance, maybe you don’t wear that bright patterned shirt because nothing you own matches it. Once you know your gaps, you will have a better idea of what you need to shop for.
“The biggest problem for people is they buy, buy, buy, often because it’s therapeutic and it fills a hole,” she says. “Then you put it in your wardrobe and you forget you have it or gets lost in the crowd. You never give yourself time to spend with your wardrobe.”
Knowing your style and what you need means you’ll only bring home pieces you will want wear time and time again.
“The biggest problem for people is they buy, buy, buy, often because it’s therapeutic and it fills a hole,” she says. “Then you put it in your wardrobe and you forget you have it or gets lost in the crowd. You never give yourself time to spend with your wardrobe.”
Don’t buy something just because it’s a bargain
Even if it something is a bargain, tell your beating heart there are always going to be bargains in op shops. It is easy to get overexcited, but remember you are here to break that cycle of buying too many clothes.
Plus, Joanne says, you will be doing your future self a favour. “A five dollar garment might not feel like a big deal buying it right now, but it’s going to be a big deal when it’s taking up room in your wardrobe,” she explains. “If your wardrobe is jam packed, it is overwhelming and you can’t work out what to wear in the morning if you can barely see what you have. So I would always think of a potential new purchase as a potential pain in the ass.”
Have a strategy if you get overwhelmed
While some people delight in the process of rummaging through crammed racks of clothes, for others it is overwhelming. Everywhere you look, there is stuff, so where do you even begin?
Joanne has a simple trick for this: start with shoes and accessories. “They are easy to scan and not too squashed in together,” she says. “Then the overwhelm subsides and you can move on.”
It also helps if you know what you are looking for – and this is where knowing the gaps in your wardrobe comes in handy. Without knowing the gaps, you can easily fall into the trap of buying the same thing over and over again (and let’s be honest, you probably don’t need another blue and white striped t-shirt).
If you know whether you need pants, a specific kind of shirt or knits, then you can focus your attention on that section only.
Joanne also suggests that a little fashion education will help you spy great pieces. Learn a bit about different fabrics and cuts that suit you, and look through older fashion magazines. If there are pieces in older magazines you still like today, keep an eye out for similar styles at the op shop, as they have a timeless quality you won’t tire of. With this basic knowledge, you will be able to sort through racks quickly and easily.
Joanne also suggests that a little fashion education will help you spy great pieces. Learn a bit about different fabrics and cuts that suit you, and look through older fashion magazines. If there are pieces in older magazines you still like today, keep an eye out for similar styles at the op shop, as they have a timeless quality you won’t tire of.
Try to avoid last-minute shopping
“Even people trying to avoid fast fashion end up using it when it’s a last-minute, desperate thing,” Joanne says. “For a lot of my clients, the worst part of their wardrobe is the bunch of one-wear dresses they bought at the last minute for a wedding or something. They take up so much room, but my clients say, ‘I can’t throw it away because it cost me so much money’. It’s always last-minute purchases that are the problem.”
The solution is to think ahead and keep your eyes peeled for garments that will work for occasions like dinner parties, weddings and Christmas. If you’re a person who likes to buy a Christmas Day dress, for instance, have this in mind throughout the year. You might spy a red dress mid-year and that will save you searching high and low come December.
The same thinking also goes for people with kids, because finding dress-ups and party clothes is often a mad rush. But there are annual events you can keep in the back of your mind, so you don’t feel guilty buying new.
“Being organised is easier said than done, but we know that Book Week is happening every year,” Joanne says as an example. “So if you are in an op shop looking for yourself and you see a kid’s dress-up, pick it up. And that will come in handy later on for those things. I am always collecting, so we’ve got a massive dress-up box and I very rarely have to buy anything these days.”
Set up notifications
As nice as it is to potter around an op shop, not everyone has the time to do so on a regular basis. The same goes for trawling through second-hand sites like Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and Depop. Plus, the longer you spend trawling, the more tempted you are to buy things you don’t need.
Instead, set up an eBay alert for the items on your wish list, and let the ‘internet gods’ do the rummaging for you. You can be really specific with garment style, colour, brand, size, location and price, and you get an email when something that fits the bill is listed. “I’ve saved searches for a lot of international designer labels,” she says. “You can really make it work for you – whereas it’s so unpredictable when you’re out shopping.”
“I’ve saved searches for a lot of international designer labels,” she says. “You can really make it work for you – whereas it’s so unpredictable when you’re out shopping.”
Joanne’s Tips for conscious op-shopping
- Take a small handbag, as large handbags get in the way.
- Flip through magazines for inspiration of looks you could recreate (keep inspiration photos on your phone for easy reference).
- Have a basic understanding of fabrics and look for loose threads to avoid poor quality garments.
- Have a list of the gaps in your wardrobe, so you know what to look for when shopping and feel less overwhelmed (e.g. a trench coat, something for that upcoming wedding or tops for the office).
- When shopping for secondhand clothes online, know your measurements to avoid the disappointment of buying something that doesn’t fit.
- Find a good tailor for those great finds that need a little tweaking to fit you well.
- Be respectful – the staff are volunteers, so be kind and try to put things back.
- Buying things just because they are cheap will add to wardrobe clutter. So if you love the price tag more than the garment, remember there will be more bargains in future.
With the right approach, you can shop second-hand and still be the best-dressed person in the room. So go forth and thrift consciously – there are gems waiting for you to discover them.
All fashion and accessories from The Retro Wardrobe
