Fall and winter are finally on their way out and it’s time to welcome spring and summer! With the warm seasons approaching, it is about time to switch up our wardrobes. A great and definitely less expensive way to do this is by thrift shopping.
We take advice and learn a great deal from our teachers about school matters, but why not step out of the classroom and get their advice about shopping? It turns out that Ms. Michelle Crincoli, Mr. Jason Feld, and Mr. Noam Weissman all shop at thrift stores and were happy to offer some tips on the most effective ways to do it. And even Registrar Lili Einalhori chimed in.
Ms. Crincoli reminded me of our responsibility to give back to the world. Thrift shopping, she pointed out, is a way to recycle and stay green. She went on to tell me her goal when “thrifting”: Rather than picking up basics among other people’s recyclables, she goes to thrift stores to find extra-special things.
“A good white t-shirt is just a bonus,” Ms. Crincoli explained, adding that while being frugal is always a plus, thrift stores have some incredible items – things that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else because you wouldn’t shop in the high-end stores where they’re sold new.
Mr. Feld said he had had awesome experiences thrifting in New York, but wasn’t able to share any wisdom on the subject.
“Shopping is a talent,” Mr. Feld said. “You can’t teach talent. Either you have it or you don’t.”
Can this be true? Thrift shopping isn’t really as easy as it looks. A true vet such as Mr. Weissman wouldn’t have been able to find his Banana Republic sweater for $2.99 if he wasn’t aware of what Banana Republic merchandise looked like to begin with.
Lili Einalhori said thrifting success may lurk in the racks towards the back, which presumably have been picked over by fewer customers. There you may find big floral prints, cool biker t-shirts, long skirts, small purses, and maybe even an awesome broach. Eclectic jewelry such as chunky bracelets and long necklaces are totally in style.
If you are on your way out to shop, head to Hollywood, Melrose or even as close by as Fairfax Avenue, right up the street, where Out of the Closet does a bustling business in new-for-you’s. The National Council of Jewish Women has two thrift stores near Shalhevet, one on Pico near La Cienega and the other on Fairfax between Pico and Olympic, just south of school. And those are only a few.
Don’t judge the store by what you see in the windows but go inside and look around. Then, when you get home, do as Ms. Crincoli does and wash your new treasures in the washing machine, or take them to the dry cleaners, before you wear them for the first time. It may be new for you, but there’s no telling where it’s been.
