Alright so I graduated college. But I have a couple more blog posts scheduled for the future so don’t give up on me yet; we’ve only just begun! I also traveled to Panama (and Canada) recently (please refer to the photos below to reach maximum jealousy). As a Spanish speaker who has never traveled to a country where the language is predominantly Spanish, I have reassured myself that I am definitely still at the 5th grade level of speaking (the same I level I have been on for the past 3 years; Duolingo, you need to step up your game). But enough of my personal business, let’s get to thrifting business!
A couple days after I graduated university, I visited Community Thrift with my friend, and this post’s model, Sabrina! My roommate, and previous model, Iris, joined us for the ride (and Starbucks) and we had such a blast!
To begin, Community Thrift has the coolest neon turquoise sign above their store front. I wish I had taken a picture of their sign while I was there. If you’re curious I’m sure you can find it online. But besides the sign, this store has many other great qualities: everything is very well organized, they have a large selection, the staff is super friendly, and they always have a discount on their already discounted items.
The discounts are a little complicated, and it took me a visit and a phone call just to get everything straight:
There is a 25% military discount every day.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, senior citizens get 25% off.
On Tuesday and Thursdays, students and teachers get 25% off.
PLUS
Everyday two colored tags are discounted, one at 50% off and another at 35% off, except Sunday, when there are three colored tags with a 50% discount. With these discounts, I honestly don’t remember ever paying the full tag price for any item.
This store is also relatively quiet; whenever I want a super relaxing shopping experience (i.e. no maneuvering around shopping carts in narrow aisles and no waiting in line for a fitting room), this is the first place that comes to mind.
We spent about an hour browsing and Sabrina and I ended up finding some really cool items. I left with a new pair of shoes and a handy-dandy purse that traveled with me to Panama, Canada, and back to Texas. My total purchase cost me ~$10 and a tear after I had to leave behind the cutest pair of cheetah print boots which, sadly, weren’t within my price range. Sabrina also found a few super cute items so let’s dive in to some pictures, shall we?
The first item Sabrina bought was a red top, which caught her eye because of the unique flowy collar. This top cost her $6 and she paired it with a previously thrifted tan skirt that she was gifted. So this outfit cost Sabrina a total of $6 (excluding her cute shoes from Urban Outfitters).
What I really like about Sabrina’s first outfit (and the next one too) is that the items she found are totally work-appropriate, and finding work-appropriate clothes can be a difficult (not to mention expensive) task at any store. But finding work-friendly clothing at thrift stores it totally doable, it just takes a little more patience while browsing. Plus, since thrifted items tend to be a bit more unique, your work outfits will be less bland and, perhaps, a little more memorable.
Sabrina’s second outfit consists of a skirt that she found in a two-piece set and a relaxed black button-down. The two-piece set cost her $10 and the top $4. Again, a totally work appropriate outfit for a total price of $14 (excluding the cool clogs from Free People); if you can find a better deal than this at a mall retailer then I applaud you, you shopping genius.
So what is another reason why Sabrina looks so bad-ass in her thrifted outfits? Maybe it’s because she knows her purchases indirectly benefited charities: Community Thrift supports the DAV (Disabled American Veterans), AMVETS (Americans Veterans), UCP (United Cerebral Palsy), and Easterseals. Or perhaps Sabrina knows that her purchases at Community Thrift allowed her to play a key role in reducing her environmental footprint by reusing clothing items that others have recycled.
Either way, I think we can all agree that it’s super rewarding to wear an outfit that makes you look and FEEL fabulous!
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Here are some of the more peculiar items we found at Community Thrift: