Thrifting Basics

People ask me all the time, "How are you so good at finding deals?" The simple fact is, I'm passionate. I love designer clothing the way most people love a favorite sports team or genre of art. That sort of passion really can't be taught - it is what allows me to always want to search.

That said, I firmly believe there is a niche out there for everyone. There is a wonderful gentleman whose blog I often read who specializing in sports-wear. I know many thrifters specialize in unique knick-knacks. But if you have the same lust as I do, and you want to get good at finding designer clothing, you first must learn all about the designers themselves.

1) Check out the clothing itself! Visit Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Barneys - whatever designer clothing stores you have around you. Familiarize yourself not with the specific items of clothing, but the feels, the styles. Material has a lot to do with finding designer clothing quickly. Learn how to detect the finer fabrics and the details. Learn those designers that are easy to pick out of a crowd, first, if you're unbiased.

• Try Emilio Pucci, whose prints stand out immediately.

• Missoni has a ton of striped woven knitwear that are fairly easy to spot.

• St. John knitwear is like nothing else around - learn the texture, and you'll be golden forever.

• Tse Cashmere has an utterly unique feel and look.

2) Once you have a grasp of what you're looking for, you can start in on the online research. Check out sites like Vintage Fashion Guild. They have a label resource, which can help you spot the age of a designer item you may find. I found that knowing the different interior tags really helped me starting out. You'd be surprised - fakes really aren't just for handbags.

3) Learn the identifying factors on handbags though! They're so easy once you understand the patterns. If the stitching looks good, the material feels good, and the purse seems real - you better know how to read that serial code and where it might be located! To me, this is very important whether I'm keeping or reselling. I just don't do fakes. There's enough premium designer merchandise out there waiting to be found for a dime - I don't need to support sweatshops, child labor, drugs, etc.

4) Search everywhere! My first designer find was by accident, at a Goodwill. I didn't actually know what goodwill was - but that's a story for another day. All I know is, I picked up an Armani suit for $3.29, and I was hooked! Look on every rack. I find dresses and suits are the most common, outside of purses and shoes. But check the sweater rack for cashmere. Look for side zips on pants and skirts. There's almost always a treasure to be found.

5) Get picky. People usually donate items for a reason. Really look at the item, and decide the following:

• Do I like it? Can I resell it or wear it?
• Are there any tears, stains, or problems?
• If there are, do the repairs still make the item worth it?
• Will I actually take the time to sew the snag, get out the stain, etc?

If you still love the item and know it will work for you, buy it! And revel in the fact that it costs next to nothing.