Thrifty Thursdays: Thrifting Tips - Try it On

Happy October 19th, everyone! Kiss a baby! Give a gift! Hug a stranger! 

It's October 19th!

I implore you to watch the return of Community tonight. Or, if you don't plan to watch anything this evening, turn the TV to NBC when Community airs, and just let it run. Boost the numbers.

In other Thursday news, today I'm bringing you my second Thrifting Tip!

This is Part Deaux in my How-to-Shop-Cheap series. If you missed my first Thrifting Tip, you can check it out here. 

The reason I encourage you to grab everything that even REMOTELY piques your interest is because you must put it on your body. Sometimes the most bizarre things will flatter you in ways you never dreamed possible. Remember this beauty?

Never forget.

On the hanger, it's revolting. On my body...well, it's still a little revolting. But in a way that I adore. Of course, no one has the time (or patience) to try on literally everything in a store. That's why I gravitate towards extremes - I try on the ugliest and prettiest things I find. Every now and then, I'm pleasantly surprised.

Sometimes, not so much.

There's a practical element to this, too, as vintage sizing is very different from modern sizing. If you avoid the Large section, you may miss out on something old that's labeled "10." A vintage 10 is a modern 4, so oftentimes you won't know how well something fits until it's on your body.

This dress is a great example:

Acting naturally.

When I saw it on the hanger, it looked very wide, but I loved the fabric so I decided to try it on. I was amazed when I zipped it up and found that it fit perfectly.

The same is true of this beauty:

Not over it.

These dresses are both made of fabrics that have zero stretch - something we don't often encounter at Target or Forever 21. I can usually tell on the rack if something is my size, but these two dresses radically changed my perceptions. Now, everything that catches my eye comes into the fitting room. Yes, that means fitting sessions can be very long - but it also means I find a lot of really great stuff.

Also, vintage styles and cuts can be extremely different from modern ones, and you may have no CLUE how something will fit just from looking at it on the hanger. Every time I've ever seen a jumpsuit in a store, it looks like it's seven feet long - but then I put it on, and it fits my 5'2" frame like a dream. If you have the time, take it into the fitting room - and bring your camera.

My second official Thrifting Tip: Try it On.