Living Large On Little: Knowing Your Style

So, in the last post I gave three tips for thrifting:1) Understand that thrifting is addicting2) Have a list3) Practice Self ControlI kind of got ahead of myself with these tips, so I'm going to rewind a bit. I think one of the most important things to understand BEFORE even stepping in the thrift store is figuring out your style (which will allow you to create a list of things you are looking for). "Figuring out your style" may sound corny but it actually will help you greatly. How can you know what to look for if you don't even know what you really like? This carries into your home decor, clothing style and more. Let me explain...My mom taught me at a young age, how to find a great deal. We would rush to the clearance aisles and kind of make a game of who could find the best bargain. I can't even tell you how many brand new clothing items we found for under a dollar! Most of the time we would buy these items in bulk, package them up and send them to our family in the Philippines. But it taught me to never pay full price for something (which I will get into more on another entry). The bad thing is that it got me into the habit of going on "clearance shopping sprees." I would spend a day going to the mall and walk into every store that appealed to me, looking through the clearance for a steal. If it was a good deal and I liked it, I would get it, leaving me with a closet full of "mix and match" clothes. I found myself frustrated "never having anything to wear" when I literally had a closet full of clothes. It wasn't until recent years that I realized my problem. I heard a friend once say, "If I don't love it, I don't buy it," and that really changed the way I shopped. This goes back to the self control point I mentioned in the previous post, about how we shouldn't buy something just because it's a good deal. If you don't love it, you won't wear it, so why buy it? So what was the solution to my mix and match problem?  Pinterest. I'm sure many of you have heard about it and maybe even avoided it but let me just say that Pinterest has been a huge creative blessing to me. I'll explain more in a bit.When I first began to take photography seriously, I was told that I needed to create a "brand" for myself. Target, for example, has a brand. White floors and bright lights.  Red shopping carts. Trendy and modern products. You know exactly what to expect from them when you enter into their store...no matter what state you are in! How would people recognize "JAGOFOTO"? A few years ago, my photographer friend with a marketing background, sat with me and began to ask me a series of questions to help me out. If I wanted a consistent brand, I had to figure out what I liked before I could project my brand to a future client.

• "What kind of magazines do you read? Real Simple or Better homes and gardens? Vogue or Shape?" The problem was, I didn't read any magazines!
• "Where do you shop? Gap? Banana Republic? Anthropologie or Urban Outfitters?" The problem was, as I mentioned above, I shopped at every one of these stores!
• "How do you want to decorate your new home? A country style or modern-Ikea style?" I had absolutely no idea!

Back to Pinterest....creating a visual collage of all the things I loved helped me find consistency in the things I liked. Whenever you see something on Pinterest or on the Internet, you "pin it" and it automatically sends the picture to a board you have categorized. If you look at my board on clothes, you will see a common pattern: I love comfortable, neutral clothes with a vintage/boho feel. I really love skirts and dresses. If you look at my home decor board you will find a common pattern: I love rustic pieces, lots of wood, vintage items -- all with a modern twist. I never would've known this, had I not pinned things I was drawn to.So how does this help you thrift or shop in general? By creating pin boards, you will begin to discern what you like and love. When I first started, I just pinned anything and everything that looked pretty. Now, I can appreciate other pretty things, but I can discern the distinct taste I have. Wood. Rustic. Neutral colors. I know what I like isn't for everyone and that's why I wouldn't want anyone to try and thrift for things that Dianne would like....I want you to thrift or shop for things that YOU like.So, if you haven't already, start a Pinterest account and create at least two boards -- one for clothes, one for home decor -- and pin away. Don't pin it unless you love it! Once you have at least 100 pins (yes, 100! -- this may take time) look through your board and find common colors, patterns, textures. Because of pinning, I don't even walk into a Banana Republic anymore because I know that their clothing style isn't for me because they have distinct brand/style. I now know specifically what items I'm looking for when I walk into a thrift store. Also, knowing my style saves me money because I now buy things with purpose.Hope this helps! Stay tuned for next week, where I will share the rest of my thrifting tips.