3 Fresh Tips to Guide Your Thrift Shopping This Season

First of all, I was totally blown away and flattered that my friend Denysse asked me to collab with her on this post. Her photography business, Love Denysse is growing, and she came up with the idea to shoot a fall lookbook.

I'm so happy with how it turned out. She chose the perfect location for autumn looks, and I began building looks around that vibe. The majority of the pieces in this post were thrifted at my local resale shop and were under $10.

When I go thrift shopping, I feel free of trends that stores are pushing, I get to challenge my creativity, and l begin to understand what my personal style really is.

Here's some things that I realized while putting together this lookbook.

Thrift Tip #1

Don't be afraid to wear something oversized.

Everything is too large on me, so this is just a fact of life. But models wear things that are over-sized all the time, and they look cool. It really comes down to what makes you feel comfortable. For example, I love this blazer and I don't care if it's big because I feel good in it.

Note: Primary colors are perfect for fall and back-to-school looks. While I was shopping, I kept thinking about quotes from the movie You've Got Mail about New York in the fall.

Thrift Tip #2

You will need to make adjustments.

These pants took a bit of creative thinking to make work, because off the rack, they were pretty funky shaped. I loved the color palette, the fact that I could wear them to work, and the $2 price tag. I took in the elastic waistband and turned them into high-waisted, wide-legged pants. I'm not great at sewing by hand, but sometimes all you need are a few stitches to make magic happen.

Note: This top came from a swimsuit that I accidentally ordered too large, so I re-purposed it here as a crop top. The cardigan is a perfect beige, and I've worn it constantly since I thrifted it for this shoot. I will never go back to buying sweaters new.

Thrift Tip #3

Pair knits with knits.

Double up for sweater weather. Before this year, I probably would have never thought to match these colors together, or even knits on top of knits, but I am so in love with how this turned out. The different textures of the sweater and the skirt are what makes this perfect for fall. Don't I look like I could have played a role in a Halloweentown movie?

Note: I've been wearing these same boots pretty much everyday since last October...

This was actually my first official fashion shoot, and I had so much fun. Denysse was open to all of my outfit ideas and she was so encouraging when I was a bit nervous modeling. I can't wait to work with her again!

Follow Denysse on Instagram and show her some love. You can also contact her through her website to book a session, www.lovedeny.com

What's your biggest challenge while thrifting? What's your best advice? Let me know in the comments.

xoxo,

Sydnie

P.S.

Subscribe for behind the scenes stories and a cute note from me every time I post!