Thrifter Profile: Zachary

This post may seem out of the ordinary, but starting now I want it to become a regular thing. As this blog runs its course I want to take time to feature other thrifty folk around Winnipeg. If you or someone you know thrifts and would like to be featured, please comment on this post or get in touch with me here. Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to my friend Zach.

Name: Zachary Oulton
Age: 21
Occupation: Communications Coordinator at Riverwood Church Community

Q: Why do you thrift?

A: I thrift for a few different reasons. One of those is definitely because it was engrained into me as a child. My family didn't have a lot of money growing up so my parents were huge advocates of thrifting. I also definitely have a style that makes it easier to thrift; things like an oversized sweater don't look out of place in my wardrobe and are fairly easy to pick up at a thrift store (At last count I owned upwards of 30 sweaters...). I really enjoy the process of thrifting. I like going through everything and then finding great things for a good price. I will often get people asking me where I bought something and I tell them that I picked it up at a thrift store.

Q: What's the best thing you've ever bought from a thrift store?

A: Oh man, picking just one is hard! In terms of home decor, I recently picked up a really nice typewriter from Value Village with the traveling case and all for $8. That was a good one. I also got a film SLR that I use all the time from Value Village that came with two lenses and a camera strap, so I'd say those two are tied. When it comes to clothes, I've had so many good finds over the years but one that I'm still proud of is my camel peacoat. I picked it up at Value Village 3 or 4 years ago and it makes a regular appearance in winter.

Q: How do you choose what is worth buying?

A: I definitely want something to be clean and in good condition. I think the key to thrifting is knowing when to abandon something. I've had countless items that I love but have left behind because there was a rip or a missing button or something like that. Sometimes items can be saved, but you also don't want to spend tons of money fixing up a thrifted item or it defeats the purpose of thrifting. Generally I go through and take all the items I have a mild interest in and throw them in the cart and then try them all on at once. After that I eliminate things based on fit, condition and if I've already got something else that's similar.

Q: How do you incorporate thrifted pieces into your wardrobe?

A: Make them the statement item! Generally I try and buy staple items that I wear all the time (dark wash jeans, plain t-shirts, etc.) at a regular store and then use a thrifted item as the focus of my outfit. This makes it easy to have a versatile style because you can swap out older items for newer ones and not break the bank while still staying current. I also keep a running list in my head of things that I'm looking for and then whenever I go thrifting I keep an eye out for those items.

Thrifted items in this outfit: H&M Beige Trench Coat - $12 (Value Village), Green School Sweater - $8 (Value Village), Brown Aldo Dress Shoes - $7 (Salvation Army)