Thrifted Back to School Style

by Sandy Joe Karpetz | Sep . 12 . 2019 | Autumn / Winter, Fashion, Outfits, Thrifted

How to Thrift Back to School Style

While my schooling days have long since been completed, I still love thrifted back to school style inspiration when autumn rolls around. I’m a firm believer that one does not need to attend school to achieve a studious look!

And for those who are actually heading back, thrifting is definitely the way to go. It’s the best way to find unique pieces for reasonable prices all while reducing carbon footprints. If those aren’t reason enough, maybe this (nearly) monochrome look may inspire you! It’s a creation from my weekly trips to Value Village – my favourite place to thrift.

Whether it’s a new tiki mug or a scarf to tie around my purse straps, I never leave empty handed. As an experienced thrifter, I have a few tips for adding some vintage flare to your back to school shopping.

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Thrifting Accessories

One of the simplest ways to ease into thrifting is through accessories. They can be less overwhelming to sort through than clothing especially since there isn’t a need for them to be the right size for the most part. Bags, hats, and jewelry are easy to thrift pieces. Find one good bag and you can ride that triumph straight to the trickier clothing section.

Vintage Berets

What says back to school more than a beret? I have found so many, I nearly have a colour wheel of berets including this wool pinkie one. They’re so easy to style and go with just about everything. Bonus if you match the beret with your entire outfit like I decided to do. It’s a bold statement but it’s channeling my inner Cher Horowitz from Clueless. Add a dash of the Funny Face THINK PINK song and you’re on your way to a very referential lewk.

Thrifted Brooches

For anyone dipping a toe into thrifting, I suggest hitting the jewelry and accessory sections first. While the volume of items in that area is substantial, it’s also a lot less overwhelming than the racks of clothing. Plus, jewelry is easier to incorporate into your already existing wardrobe.

My favourite accessory to mix and match are pins and buttons. I love collecting my initials, cameo pins, and ones with funny sayings then pinning a group of them onto my jackets. It’s a great way to personalize a denim jacket or add a little interest to an all pink dress. Yes, that collar just needed a little something extra and the polar bear fit the bill!

90s Teddy Bear Backpack

A backpack is a back to school staple. In fact, it’s just a practical bag for life in general. Can you guess the best place to find unique and rad vintage ones? If you guessed thrifting at Value Village, you’d be correct.

I scooped up this 90s teddy bear backpack as soon as I saw it. (TIP: always grab things you’re interested in because they might not be there when you come back!) It really added a pop to the otherwise monochromatic look while giving me even more Clueless-esque accessory points.

Playing with Colour

While basics are great to have in any functional wardrobe, I do love finding outlandish items from the 60s that really catch an eye. Things the colour of candy or patterns that look like a grandmother’s couch will always be welcome in my closet. The only antidote for the proliferation of grey and beige outfits is colour!

Playing dress up is a great way to meet new people – trust me on this one. The people who come up and compliment your outfit could be your next best friend. Walking around my neighbourhood in this look I made a few elderly women smile but also chatted with a girl about her dog after she praised my pink lewk.

A bold look is a great litmus test for finding other like-minded people, that’s for sure. If only I still had my pink hair to take this outfit to the next level of monochrome.

Thrifted Back to School Style

I hope this served as some inspiration when second-hand shopping for back to school clothes! While this is not a comprehensive guide, moreso a jumping off point to make your own personal list of things to look for.

One of my favourite times of year to thrift is right now. There’s so much dreamy wool to layer and tartans to be mismatched. It’s a maximalist power clasher’s dream. I cannot wait to share some more of my fall outfits I’ve thrifted from Value Village like my thrifted winter coats post.

15-thrifted-Back-to-School-Style-Value-Village-Sandy-Joe-Karpetz

If you’re a fellow thrifter, I would love to hear what your favourite find has been so far. Living vicariously through others thrifted scores thrills me to no end.