Life Lessons from the Thrift Store

How Knowing What You're Looking For Helps You Find It

I just returned from 3 glorious days with my uber-adored Emily P. Freeman, hunkered down in the feral winds of Northern Michigan, where May still feels wintry, but we didn’t mind. We call this annual meet-up Shamily, because we are two writers who have spent decades honing our craft. Our combined potential is limitless.

For 72 hours, we shared all the stories we’d been saving for the occasion. We brainstormed about work and dreamed about life. We watched the sun set over the lake - twice.

And baby, we thrifted.

one of many trips to various fitting rooms across NW Michigan

We both found so much gorgeous, perfect-for-us stuff! But it didn’t begin that way.

On our first full day, when we pulled up to a small and very basic Goodwill in the middle of almost-nowhere (in a good way, Northern Michiganders!) my expectations were ankle-high. But we got out of the van and walked through the doors anyway.

Any seasoned thrifter will tell you, the golden rule of secondhand shopping is just to go. You don’t know what you’ll find if you don’t go looking for it. The first rack I met at the front of the store did nothing to beef up my initial projections. All I saw were poly-blend tank tops and fading youth. I assumed we’d be back in the van within fifteen minutes. No harm done. We tried!

I couldn’t commiserate with Emily over the bleak offerings because she was somewhere near the back of the store, in housewares. So, I shrugged to absolutely no one and wandered over to the tiny men’s department. I’ve been thrifting for too long to believe all hope was lost.

That’s when the Michigan clouds parted, so to speak.

But let me back up. Over the past year or so, I’ve made peace with my soft spot for menswear. I can’t explain it, but the better news is, I don’t feel the need to try. My friend Marcie described my style as “femme boy” and that felt right. I’ve been paying attention to what makes me feel the most Shannany and shopping (almost exclusively secondhand) accordingly.

Pinterest (remember?!!) has been helpful as I (re)define my style at this moment, in this body. Here are a couple screenshots of my fashion inspo board:

Looking for what I liked online helped me understand what I love. From there, I was able to narrow down the hunt for specific pieces, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the thought that every single item in a thrift store is unique. (A complaint I hear often!)

Here’s what I look for at a thrift store: