How can Hilary Erickson's thrift shopping tips help in building a budget-friendly wardrobe?

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson from The Pregnancy Nurse and Pulling Curls. I use thrift stores constantly to build my own wardrobe, and a lot of what I teach is designed to make it budget friendly without looking “cheap.”

Here’s how my main tips help:

• Go without kids and plan time: Thrifting is “work.” When you’re focused, you find more gems and waste less money on rushed, bad buys.
• Know your shape and shop above your size: Thrifted items are often shrunk or misfiled. Being flexible with sizes lets you grab high‑quality brands that actually fit your body.
• Learn brands and fabrics: I gravitate to Talbots, Ann Taylor, Loft, etc. You get expensive quality for a few dollars, which makes your whole wardrobe feel elevated.
• Try a lot on, then inspect: I always check for stains, pilling, crotch wear, armpits, and decide if a small flaw is fixable. That’s how you avoid “bargains” that you never wear.
• Use thrift to experiment: Because pieces are $2–$5, you can test new colors, silhouettes, or styles (like belts, animal prints, “Dressing Your Truth” types) without a big financial risk. Some will be duds, but the learning is worth a few dollars.
• Don’t skip shoes and accessories: Goodwill often has great shoes, watches, and necklaces. A few well‑chosen accessories make simple thrifted basics look intentional and pulled together.

Put together, these habits let you slowly build a closet of pieces you love, that fit, and that work with your style card or color palette—on a very small budget.

Are you mostly wanting work clothes, everyday casual, or special occasions from thrift stores?