If you’re looking to shop the latest trends, I always recommend trying the thrift first. Most clothing trends are directly pulled from the past, meaning someone else’s trash (or previous clothing donations), can now become your treasure! I decided to challenge myself with the goal of finding current 2022 fashion trends I’ve been loving during a trip to Value Village.
Before I hit the racks, I made a list of what exactly to keep my eye out for. I think it’s always a good idea to have a thrift wish-list, so you don’t accidentally miss something just because it wasn’t at the forefront of your mind. Making a list makes the process more intentional and less all over the place because we all know thrifting can be overwhelming. That being said, even though I had a general list, I always go in with an open mind for more. You never know what you may come across!
Some of the general trends and specific pieces I was looking out for at Value Village were: mini skirts, lingerie style clothing, vests, ballet core pieces, coastal grandmother clothing (linen, button-ups, etc), cargo bottoms, beaded bags, clogs, and silk scarves… you get the point. Of course, I didn’t find everything on my wish list, but I am pretty stoked with what I did end up finding!
Take a look at what I found while thrifting current fashion trends!
Shoulder Bags
I always check the purse section first. This time I had my eye out for beaded purses, shoulder bags, and canvas tote bags. I had no luck finding anything beaded, but the other two bags I found totally made up for it. Shoulder bags are definitely having a moment right now! Even when they aren’t specifically “trending”, you can never go wrong with a classic shoulder bag. I came across the one pictured above while searching the purse section at Value Village because I thought the shape was really cool. I turned it around to its front and saw the word “Gucci” stamped on the front of it! I have no doubt that it was a knock-off, but still, a pretty cool find nonetheless.
Tote Bags
The simplest bag trend is taking the world by storm. The classic tote bag. People are ditching structured work bags for relaxed canvas tote bags! They’re just so effortlessly cool. I’ve had my eye out for one at the thrift for a while and coincidentally this time, I found one! It’s branded with Sperry, which gives it that nautical vibe everyone seems to be loving right now, too.
Vests
I’ve been seeing tailored vests everywhere lately! It’s the perfect piece to bring you from summer to fall too, being that it can be worn buttoned-up as a top, or layered over a shirt. This is a clothing item you can almost always find at the thrift! Both in the men’s and women’s sections depending on the overall vibe you’re striving for. The one I found was from women’s, and I liked how it had a satin back, making it a little more relaxed and less stiff than a typical menswear tailored vest.
Lingerie Tops
Another thing I’ve been seeing literally everywhere is lingerie-style tops and corsets worn as going-out tops! Don’t skip out on the lingerie section at VV, there are tons of great finds! I found a pink tank with the prettiest feminine details, that I actually ended up purchasing for myself. I think it would be super cute paired with a simple pair of jeans! I also found more of a lingerie-style top, also in pink (another trend in itself #BarbieCore), that would make for such an adorable going-out-in-the-town top!
Mini Skirts
The thrift has many mini skirts to go around and in a large variety of styles! I checked two trends off my list with this cargo-style mini-skirt I found! It’s actually a skort which makes it even cooler in my humble opinion. This piece of clothing single-handedly fills all of my late-90s and early-2000s style dreams.
Coastal Grandmother
I can’t get enough of the “Coastal Grandmother” trend, made popular on TikTok by creator Lex Nicoleta, and the thrift is the absolute perfect place to shop for it! When I was looking for clothing within the coastal grandmother theme, I pictured any clothing I may see chic grandma at the beach or gardening in, elevated it by picturing said grandmother in The Hamptons. Linen, breezy pants, neutral colours, loose button-ups… you get the vibe. The pieces I found reminiscent of this trend were a pair of white linen loose-fitting pants with a waist-tie and a short-sleeved button-up shirt (which may have also come home with me).
Baby Tees
Baby Tees are something that has been popular for quite a while now and remains relevant today! They’re really not difficult at all to find at any thrift store! I found this cute pastel striped baby-tee with a lettuce hem in the Women’s Tee-Shirt section. It’s such an easy piece to style in a multitude of ways. Bonus Tip: Depending on your clothing size, you may even be able to get away with finding your perfect baby-tee in the kid’s section!
Heels
The last thing I looked at was shoes, and there were tons of cute and trendy shoe options! If you’re a little wary of getting shoes at the thrift I recommend trying out a shoe sanitizing spray and then you’re pretty much set. One of the shoe trends I was looking out for were clogs, as I’ve been seeing them styled more and more. Although I didn’t find actual clogs, I did find a style inspired by them. I also found an adorable pair of black heels with a toe-ring detail, which is super trendy right now!
The bottom line is, I would say this thrift trip exceeded my expectations! Even though I didn’t check everything off of my list, I was impressed with how many current trends I could actually find within the walls of my local Value Village. If you’re looking to test out some current fashion trends, I hope you feel inspired to try thrifting some for a sustainable, not to mention, affordable alternative!
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