How To Style Thrifted Clothes

Hey guys and welcome to the part of the video where I tell you what you could probably already infer from the title, which is that today I'm going to be styling some thrift store outfits. The thing that I used to find intimidating about thrifting is that nothing looks perfect on you when you just try it on plain in the fitting room, and it took me a couple years to figure out that thrifting is really all about the styling. So in this video I thought I would dispel my years of thrifting wisdom upon you guys and share my tips and tricks for how to style the most common pieces of clothing that you find in thrift stores, from graphic t-shirts to oversized blazers to vintage dresses, and turn something that you bought for like five dollars at Goodwill into a really cute outfit. So that is the video you're watching right now. Let's get started. So I am starting with the most basic of all basics, a thrift store t-shirt. T-shirts are obviously really easy and affordable to thrift, but of course normally they end up a bit oversized on me, especially if I find them in the men's section. So I have a couple techniques for how to make this look a little bit cuter and a little bit less lumptastic. My first technique is literally the thing I've been doing since I was 11 years old in band camp in middle school, and that is tying a knot at the front of my t-shirt. I am just gathering the fabric in the front and tying it around itself into a regular knot like so. You want to make sure when you tie the knot that there's just a little bit of fabric peeking out here. You don't want it to be like super long because it does look a little bit penile, so I just keep it short and like a little micropene or like a clitoris or something. I don't know. This is too sexual already. I apologize to any children watching this video. Now if your shirt isn't long enough to tie itself in a knot, you can also use a little hair tie. In my opinion, the thinner the better. So this one is a tiny little clear elastic. Since they're so small and clear, they don't really show up when you tie your shirt, so it looks a little bit more... I wouldn't call it chic because it's literally a knotted oversized t-shirt, but like it looks it looks nice. Here we go, same technique. I'm basically just twisting the t-shirt a little bit, pulling it around itself, and then putting that elastic on top. It's basically just like making a little bun in your hair. So this one is really cute as well. It doesn't have the nub sticking out the middle, so if that bothers you, this is a good technique. If you're feeling a little bit extra, my last option is to use a scrunchie that matches one of the colors on your shirt. So I have a little bit of dark red on this shirt, so I'm going to use a dark red scrunchie. This is a little bit chunkier and more noticeable than the other styles, but if you want to go for that like faux 90s nostalgia, because let's be honest, none of us remember the 90s. I was born in 98. This is the look for you, and it can be kind of cute to have a little matching color going on. And if all of that is a little bit too middle school for you, you can of course just tuck your oversized t-shirt into a high-waisted pair of denim. Since this t-shirt is so long, like you really gotta get in there when you tuck it in. Smooth that fabric all the way down the booty. Fist that down there. Okay, once you get it all tucked in, what I like to do is kind of judge the extra fabric onto the back so that the front looks a little bit smoother and less like crinkly. Judge this part out a little bit so that it looks a little bit more relaxed. To finish up this outfit, I'm going to throw on some vintage-y accessories that also tie in the color scheme of this top. Take a shot every time I say vintage in this video, and you will need to go to the hospital by the time you're done watching. So I have this headband from Madewell that I'm going to tie on top because I think it ties in with the whole like vintage summer vacation vibe, and it also has the same color scheme as the t-shirt. For shoes, I'm going to go for these vintage-inspired Nike shoes. Again, I'm saying vintage so much in this video. I am mildly infuriated that these are pure white and this is more of an eggshell, but we're just going to ignore that for the sake of this video and pretend like they match perfectly. Here's our completed outfit. You know, pretty basic, but I think the accessories tie it all together, and considering that I got this t-shirt for like two dollars, I think we're not doing too bad. Next up, I wanted to talk about how to style a men's blazer from the thrift store, and particularly a men's blazer with a ---- ton of shoulder pads. I don't know what it was about the 80s, but oh boy, did they love their shoulder pads. Oh my gosh, is that Kanye in the I Love It music video? Because those are some ******* chunky shoulders. So first up, I wanted to show you guys how not to style this blazer, which is with a bodycon dress. Especially for me, since I have pretty broad shoulders, the shoulder pads on this jacket are just going to create a really top-heavy look if I don't have something to balance it out at the bottom. So instead, I'm going for something that has more volume at the bottom. This is a fit and flare skirt, so it flares out and makes my hips look a little bit wider. And to complete my professorial vibes, I threw on this turtleneck, which is also thrifted. So now when we put the blazer back on, the volume of the shoulder pads is balanced out by the volume in the skirt a little bit better. Another thing I look for when I'm styling a longer jacket is something that defines my waistline. So with the color difference between the sweater and the skirt, you can actually see the waistband where my waistline is, which helps give me the illusion of that hourglass figure that we're constantly searching for, apparently. All right, I picked out some matching shoes and a bag, and with that, we have a complete Blair Waldorf meets Heather's outfit. Of course, you can't make a thrift store video without talking about vintage denim. Now unfortunately, I have the absolute worst luck thrifting jeans, so these shorts are the closest thing that I have. Originally, these were like size 40 men's Levi's that I turned into shorts. I actually call these shorts my poopy shorts because they look like a giant diaper that I like took a poop in because they're so big. I'm a classy gal. Yes, I am 21 years old and still laughing about poop. I like to balance out the generally looser silhouette of vintage denim with a girly crop top. I've said this in so many videos before, but basically if one item of clothing is loose, I like to balance it out by showing more skin, like the sexy, sexy midriff skin that's showing right now, or by having a tighter article of clothing up top, and vice versa. If my top was really loose, I like to have something more form-fitting on the bottom. I'm going for these platform espadrilles because they're funky, they're summery, and they match the white in my top. And then I'm going to add this beachy bag to complete the summery look. Ahem, voice crack. I am too old for this. And here is the finished look. Even though these are shorts, the same technique pretty much applies to looser-fitting vintage denim in that you could just pair it with a tighter top, maybe with some platform shoes or pointed toe to add a tailored detail, and you're good to go. Another common problem that I run into in thrift stores is finding an adorable vintage dress like this one, but the fit is just a little bit awkward. You guys have seen this dress before, so I won't spend too long on it, but basically as is, it's a super cute print, but the fit is just sactacular. It's not great. So my technique for making ill-fitting dresses fit a little bit better without having to grab a sewing machine is to tie something around the waist. This is a scrap of fabric that I bought from a Goodwill outlet for like 10 cents, but you can also get creative with it. You can buy ribbon from Joanne's or Michael's. It should cost you only like around a dollar or two dollars for a yard. I just go ahead and tie that baby around my waist. Since this one is a little bit long, I'm looping it over twice, bringing the bow to the front. So now we have this nice defined waistline, but the dress is still a bit long. So what I like to do is zhoosh up the top section of the dress. I'm basically pulling it up out a little bit. This will make the top section more drapey and make the bottom section a little bit shorter. All right, and now the fit is a lot better. Looks less like a grandma dress and more like a reformation dress, which is always the goal on this channel. And to finish up this look, I'm going to be adding this aggressively oversized corduroy jacket that I thrifted from the men's section. To solve these noodle arms, I always cuff the sleeves of my oversized jacket a couple times. This helps an oversized jacket look a little bit more tailored and less like I'm swimming in corduroy, even though that would sound lovely and incredibly cozy. Lastly, I'm going to add this little wooden bag and then our look is complete. I actually wear this outfit a lot. This is like my favorite. Going to a cafe, I want to be cute but also stay comfortable and snuggle inside a nice warm cloud of corduroy type of look. Here is another example of a vintage dress that fits a little bit awkwardly. So I have this gingham strip of fabric. Same as before, I'm just tying this around my waist. I really like that this has a bit of a thick waistband because it basically creates a new waistline. Before the waistline was up here, now the waistline is here, right around my actual waist. To finish off this look, I'm just going to add some white accessories. I thought these boots would be a cool 60s go-go dancer inspired look and be a little bit less basic than just pairing it with sandals. I actually broke the zipper pull on this boot because they forgot to take off the security tag. I was like smashing the security tag on the counter and lo and behold, it took off the zipper pull too. So now I just have to zip it up with my ******* fingernails. And I'm also adding this fun little crystal bag that holds absolutely nothing inside it, but it looks really pretty and it's white, so it matches the rest of the outfit. Another really common thrift store find is this type of lacy silky cami. I always find them in the pajama section because this top has such thin straps. I personally prefer just to go braless, but you can also get those little sticky nipple covers and stick those onto your boobs. Honestly, I'm like past the point in my life where I'm going to adhesive things to my nipples. Like if people see my nipples, they see my nipples. It's fine. I was doing a shoot yesterday and my nipples kept falling out and like the entire crew saw my nipples and like honestly that was like a four out of ten embarrassing moment in my life. It was fine. The editor is gonna have a lot of fun with that one though. If your boobs need a little more support, a little more loving though, I would just recommend a bra or bralette with a lacy strap so the parts that peek out still look nice and dainty. Since these camis are so soft and feminine, I like to, say it with me kids, juxtapose them with the casual vibe of a high-waisted pair of jeans. Like I do with all of my tops, I'm just gonna tuck this baby in to define my waistline. By the way, somebody asked me on one of my last videos, what does it mean to lose your waist? So by that, I mean like losing sight of your waist. Like here, it doesn't look like I necessarily have a waistline because it's not defined or cinched in at all and especially if you're a little bit more of like a boyish straight up and down figure like me, it's really important to define your waistline so it looks like you have a little bit more of a hourglass figure or so the traditional rules of fashion go. After I tuck this top in, since it's a little bit big for me still, I like to the extra fabric like to the back. So I just pull these sections backwards so like I have more poof in the back and the front looks a little bit more streamlined. I have this, again, incredibly impractical purse, but it's a super cute leopard print and I like this gold chain because for me like having a crossbody chain is basically like having an extra piece of jewelry because it adds that extra piece of embellishment. It just goes across your chest instead of like being a necklace or an earring. As you can probably tell from like all of my outfits, I'm really into matching the little details and colors and patterns in my outfit. So it makes me so happy that my leopard on my purse will match the little leopard detail on my shoes. Alright, here is the finished look. I feel like a sassy 2000s Paris Hilton ready to like flip off the paparazzi. Wearing lingerie as a top can of course feel a little bit uncomfortable for a lot of people if you aren't like just as liberal with your boobs as I am. So you can also layer a t-shirt underneath for something that feels a little bit more conservative. Okay, not that conservative because my skirt is literally like four inches long. I went with this black t-shirt because I like the contrast between the black and the lighter color of the cami and it also allows this lace to like really pop against the dark background. And for the rest of the outfit, I just chose accessories and a skirt that had both the tan tones of the camisole and the black tones of the top. So the whole outfit looks nice and cohesive. Now one of my favorite things when thrifting is finding silk button-ups because they are so expensive if you buy them regular price and they sell them for like under $10 at thrift store. But of course they're not always the perfect fit. This is a theme in this video. Again, this top is very oversized. I basically unbutton all of the bottom buttons and do a little sexy stripper dance to it. That is a required part. And then I just grab the two ends, tie it in a knot once, get that nice and tight around my waist, tie a second knot to secure it, and there you go. Now my top cinches in my waist, it fits really well, and it has this cool bow detail. And to finish off this look, I'm going to add some lavender heels just because I've been loving pastels recently and I thought it would be a cool little pop of color. Recently, I've thrifted this dress and I ---- you not, if I am still alive by the time the man proposes to me, I genuinely think I would wear this to my wedding, which is amazing, but then also poses a problem when I'm trying to wear it in everyday life and not look like a runaway bride. Now you guys might not have found your wedding dress at the thrift store, but it is pretty common to find a fancy prom dress or gorgeous vintage slip dress and you want to be able to make it more wearable for every day. So first up, I'm going to add these boots. I chose boots rather than heels obviously because they look less like an event type of shoe, and I also like the juxtaposition between a boot with hardware that feels more edgy and industrial with this ultra-feminine dress. I also threw on these little girly socks though so that when I put my boots on, I have this frilly detail peeking out the top. And then to dress things down even more, I'm throwing on this denim jacket. This is my Harley Davidson denim jacket that I thrifted for like 15 bucks and it says Love Ride on the back. I also like how many textures we have going on here. We have denim, silk, lace, beads, suede. Oh snap. Especially if I keep this jacket closed, it looks very casual. It covers up all of the fancy beading detail on the front of the dress. We're left with what looks like just a silky skirt underneath a casual outfit. Of course though, my favorite way to wear this is going to be off the shoulder. This way I get to show off the dress in its full glory, but also have it dressed down a bit by this casual oversized denim. And my final accessory is going to be this industrial fanny pack. Yes, I did just say the words industrial fanny pack together. It has the silver hardware that ties in the kind of like edgy detail on the jacket and the boots. And also something about having a crossbody bag always makes an outfit look more casual. Here is the completed look. I think it looks a lot more casual. And now instead of a runaway bride, I look like a runaway bride going through a goth phase. All right. Those are all the outfits that I have for you guys. As always, I hope that this was helpful. I don't know why I bother saying this part. Do I ever say like, I hope this video was incredibly useless. I hope this video was incredibly useless. You hated it. Please dislike. Please unsubscribe. I will not see you next week. I will see you next week. Also, thank you for 2 million. Let me know also if you guys have any ideas for what to do for 2 million subscribers. I do not want to eat 2 million pieces of cereal because my stomach is still recovering from the first time I ate a million pieces of cereal. So other suggestions are welcome. Cereal related or not. Otherwise, thank you guys so much. Like seriously. More like thank you guys cereal-sly. And I will see you guys next week. Bye.