Thrifting with Sarah and Kimberly

About two years ago, I went through a phase during which I bought most of my clothes at thrift stores. This wasn't because I was broke or particularly liked what the thrift stores had to offer, but rather because I thought I would be very cool to have a skirt last owned by somebody's grandmother. Of course when I actually wore these thrift store "finds," I would invariably realize that they were not only outdated, but also unflattering and fairly ugly. After a summer of dressing this way, I ventured back into the mall, rediscovered the joys of H&M and began to dress like a normal person again.

Until yesterday afternoon, the urge to go thrifting had lain dormant for about a year and a half, but then, for some inexplicable reason, I decided that it would be fun to check out the new Volunteers of America Thrift Store. The fun didn't manifest itself immediately, and as I stared blankly at the racks organized by color and ran my hands over the synthetic fabrics, I considered how some past version of myself would have probably bought that floor-length, button-down, rose-printed monstrosity of a skirt, full of honorable intentions to cut it shorter for improved cuteness. Current me, though, was looking for usability and practicality.

I got relatively quickly back into the rhythm of thrifting - working through the racks; giving each item a quick glance; assessing for color, pattern, cut; subjecting anything that passes on the three previous counts a closer inspection - and within 10 minutes I had picked out a handful of potentially wearable skirts to try on. In the dressing room I remembered the first rule of thrifting, namely try everything on.  In the case of thrift-store clothing, it's impossible to know whether the size listed on the tag (if there is one) corresponds to current standard sizes, so I always - absolutely always - make that often frustrating trip to the dressing room.

After much debate, I ended up buying two floral print skirts and a red vintage purse.

I wanted to end this post by saying something really discerning about how my decision to buy usable clothing at a thrift store marks some profound change in the way I view myself, or how buying cheaper used clothing means that I've become more financially responsible. Really, though, I don't think either of these things are strictly true. What is true is that I've been reading too many of those Thought Catalog essays, and they're filling me with this desire to make every minor detail of my life sound much more significant than it actually is. Sometimes a skirt is just a skirt, and even if you only paid a dollar for it, owning it doesn't mean that you've grown up. It just means you have to find another skirt hanger.

How to Pack Within Reason*

* Or, more accurately, how to pack for a relatively short trip to a city, where you want to look cool without having to carry a ridiculously heavy bag through the airport. Also note that this packing advice really only applies to women. I've seen men pack, and they have an unfairly easy time of it - I mean, unless they are the rare men who have special attachments to their clothing.

Anyway, I guess the first piece of relevant information is that I'm going to San Francisco for the first time. The second piece of relevant information is that I am a relatively terrible packer. I always just barely manage to fit everything I "need" into a carry-on, and even then I have to re-fold everything at least three times to make it fit. For this trip I decided to do something different. I decided to try to be a good packer. Will I succeed?

Here are the items I have selected:

Okay, I know I'm not a great photographer, and I'll spare you the list of all the things I'm bringing. I think, though, that I have learned some packing strategies.

1. Pick solid-colored clothing. It's easier to combine these into multiple outfits. For example, I'm only packing two skirts and three shirts, but I've determined that (combined with the things I'm wearing on the plane) I can make at least 8 outfits with these items.

2. Wear bulkier clothes and layers on the plane. If you want jeans, sweaters, boots, etc. (all of which I usually want on trips) wear these one the plane. And the added benefit in this strategy? If it's cold on the plane, you'll have a sweater, and if it's too hot, you can use the sweater as a pillow. Another added benefit? I've noticed that airlines are getting stingier about providing pillows and blankets, but if you wear a sweater and a relatively large scarf, you're wearing your pillow and blanket. This strategy made my recent trip to London infinitely more comfortable.

3. Pack lots of accessories. My choices: scarves, belts, colorful tights, jewelry. These things don't take up much space in a bag, and they disguise the fact that you're wearing the same clothes everyday.

4. Be prepared to take some fashion risks. You're going to have a limited number of things, so if you want variety in your outfits, you may need to combine them in ways you've never considered before. Also, if you're going to wear something more riskily trendy than usual, why not do it somewhere where no one knows you? I mean, colored jeans with a non-neutral shirt? Does this scare me slightly? Oh, yes, but the internet says it's acceptable, even stylish. And if it turns out to be a total failure of an outfit? Well, I know no one in San Francisco, and no one in San Francisco knows me. So if I look stupid, any judgements I incur will be completely inconsequential. Fine, mostly inconsequential. The Moment of Judgement is humiliating in every situation.