Everyone always says they want to go thrifting with me, which I understand in theory. It sounds fun! It sounds like a treasure hunt, or like we’ll just casually be popping into a few stores and leaving with a bunch of incredible finds.
The reality is that going thrifting with me is a full day of work. It is a lot of walking, a lot of digging, a lot of video- and photo-taking, alot of decision-making, and a lot of restraint.
I recently spent a month in Atlanta and had a lot of full days of thrifting, so I thought I’d share something of a daily diary detailing what that looks like — where I went, what I ate, what I wore to do it all, etc.
GETTING DRESSED: I get dressed to go thrifting pretty strategically: by wearing things I can try stuff on top of. Estate sales and thrift stores are not known for their fitting rooms, and even when they have them, you do not always want to wait! A bodysuit or a slim base layer makes it easy to slip things on and keep moving.
In this case, that meant my favorite v-neck bodysuit, vintage jeans I thrifted in Duluth, Minnesota (brand is Monique and they made all sorts of fun embellished jeans in the 1980s!), new ankle-wrap sandals that I play with by tying over my jeans, a thrifted jacket by Gene Ewing, and my The Row bag worn crossbody (so my hands could be free while shopping).
This is the truth: You need both hands free when you go thrifting! You are pulling things off racks, checking tags, measuring, texting photos, carrying piles. A shoulder bag will start to feel like a bad decision very quickly. I love a crossbody or even a waist bag.
Beauty-wise, I wear sunscreen every single day (especially if I’m going to be driving around all day) and cover any blemishes with my obsession: No Makeup Makeup’s foundation. I use their blush, too — it’s the most buildable and natural I’ve found. I also bring water with me when I’m out thrifting! In the morning, I add a scoop of something for flavor and added nutritional benefits (I like this, which has caffeine, to give me a boost or this one for hair and skin health).
BREAKFAST: I started the morning at Little Tart Bakeshop with a coffee and a pastry (on weekends they make fresh biscuits and you can get them with chicken sausage and egg or fresh jam and butter and they are divine). You have to eat before you start thrifting. Once you are in the zone, you will forget and you will get hangry and it will just be a disaster.
ESTATE SALE: Estate sales are always my first stop if I can manage it. I did not buy anything at this one (it was the final day of the sale, so already picked over) but I did enjoy poking around!
GOODWILL: I never treat a Goodwill run like a quick stop, and instead prefer to take a full pass through, especially the sections where things are often misplaced (kid’s toys, end caps, etc.). This is where you find the pieces that should not be there in the first place. I scored this wonderful child’s painting, titled, “Man With Bicycle Shoes Holding a Funny Tomato Plant.” Brilliant.
ANTIQUES & BEYOND: This is more high-end, but expertly curated. Any time I go to an antique mall, I am shopping and also doing research. You can learn a lot just by looking — how things are priced, what styles are showing up repeatedly, which makers are holding value.
LUNCH: By this point, it was time for lunch, so I went to Little Rey. I always get the same order: queso, salsa, tacos (chicken al carbon taco on a homemade flour tortilla and the shrimp el diablo on corn), and an agua fresca. The perfect meal.
AFTERNOON STOPS: I stopped into The Design House in Old Fourth Ward and found a great selection of vintage clothing. I shared the haul on Instagram, it was killer (McQueen! Chloe! Celine!). This is a great shop with so many beautiful things.
Next, I grabbed a coffee at Comunidad Taqueria up the street and then made my way to 14th Street Antiques & Modern, where I found a vintage Saks Fifth Avenue clutch. It is exactly the kind of piece I am always looking for (great material, a little cheeky) and feels like a little treasure box.
Also popped in to one of my favorite Atlanta thrift stores: Lost-N-Found, which had some great things!
DINNER: I love Little Bear in Summerhill, which was recognized by the Michelin Guide (I first went right after they opened and it’s fun seeing a place grow to gain national recognition!) This night my mom and I ordered everything on the menu except for two dishes. It was perfect.
END OF DAY: One of my post-thrifting habits is to peruse Pinterest to get ideas on how to style my finds. I’ll make a little ritual out of it — removing my makeup with my fave cleansing balm (VIRGINIA20 for 20% off), firing up a red light mask (VIRGINIA15 for 15% off), and scanning and saving the images that most resonate with me.
After spending an entire day looking at objects, I find it helpful to look at them again in a different context. Sometimes I’ll search for a very specific material or silhouette I picked up that day — a marble lamp, a burlwood box, a chrome magazine holder — just to see how other people have incorporated similar pieces into a space. Other times, I’m more interested in the overall feeling of a room: the balance of textures, the way scale is used, the tension between something ornate and something modern.
It’s honestly one of my favorite parts of the process because it turns the day from pure sourcing into something more creative and editorial. By that point, the finds are no longer just objects I hauled home from a thrift store. I’m already imagining where they could live, what they could sit beside, and how they might completely change a room.
My skin drinks up this calming rescue mist.
These jade capsules make vitamins/creams/jewelry look chic (and are travel friendly!).
A really good pair of day-to-night makeup palettes.
Architectural Digest toured the homes of vintage-obsessed Las Vegas showgirls.
The first thing you should do when you wake up in the morning: tell yourself you’re lucky to live the life you do.
Mildly obsessed with these pieces-of-vintage ephemera-turned-necklaces.
My favorite reset is 25% off for Mother’s Day (I do this once or twice a year).
So fun! My shopping day is a bit different: I eat a big breakfast and slightly dehydrate before getting going (there’s no break until I’m done!), and then I shop for about 5 hours straight. I often shop with friends and we do a 2-3 hour shop, but every so often I let them come with me on one of “my” shops and they are boggled.
Hey, you’re shopping with ME, now!
Love seeing all the cool things that catch your eye, Virginia! I also use browsing to educate myself on what people are into. Would love to shop with you sometime! 💕🤘
Solid day! I went to my first garage sale of the season yesterday and walked away with so many vintage Christmas ornaments. I went thrifting with my cousins and aunts last weekend, and was a nice change of pace, as I normally shop alone.