Stuff 135: Thrifting

By JJ Atwell

Inexpensive Shopping

Have you ever gone thrift-store shopping for your girl self? I see two big attractions: the thrill of the hunt and the huge potential savings.

I was recently introduced to thrifting by the wife of a good CD friend, and I’m hooked! As an aside, this is one of the unexpected benefits of belonging to a local crossdressing group: you get to learn from others—not just other CDs, but their partners, too.

Thrill of the Hunt

When I was little, I used to accompany my dad on our weekly runs to the dump. This was long before sanitary landfills and transfer stations. Dumps were where people brought trash and things they no longer needed or wanted. It wasn’t uncommon for us to come home with something someone else had discarded but that we decided we could use. Remember the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? We found treasures.

At a thrift store, you’re searching for a crossdresser’s treasure, but the hunt can be a little messy. You may be confronted by row after row of clothing arranged roughly by type and size—and every item is one of a kind. Where do you start?

At Goodwill, first look for the sign identifying the current sale color. Items with tags of that color are half off the marked price, making them a double bargain.

If you enter the store looking for a particular type of garment, you can head straight for that section. For example, perhaps you want a pair of casual, wide-leg pants, which is what JJ was seeking on a recent visit. Just go to the women’s pants section and search through the size you need. Then scan the racks to see whether any colors or patterns catch your eye. I managed to find four pairs of wide-leg pants that fit perfectly.

Found something? Great! But wait—is it the right size? Does it have any imperfections, such as excessive wear, stains or other marks? Examine it carefully before placing it in your cart.

Speaking of size, your local thrift store may not have a dressing room. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to be good at judging how something will fit just by looking at it. Try holding the garment against yourself to see whether the length is right and the waist looks as though it will fit.

Savings

While you’re there, be sure to look at items that may not be on your shopping list. You might be surprised by what you find. Perhaps you weren’t specifically looking for a prom dress—but what if that prom dress costs only $10? Or how about a sequined top with a matching scarf for $7?

You’ll probably leave the store with things you never expected to buy when you walked in. Prices are excellent, and you can find some wonderful pieces that coordinate with clothes already in your wardrobe. A recent thrift-store excursion added eleven items to JJ’s closet for only $80. Even if a few of them don’t quite work out, that’s still a bargain.

Bonus

Thrift shopping offers another bonus: you get to observe lots of bargain-hunting women—and possibly other CDs—in their native habitat. Between that experience and the savings, it’s a BOGO!

On one thrifting excursion, I visited three different shops with two other members of my local group and their significant others. While browsing, it occurred to me that our situation might be unusual: there we were, three crossdressers in the same store.

Then another thought occurred to me: were there only three?

Yes, there were three of us for sure—but how many other CDs were shopping there at the same time? I feel fairly certain that we crossed paths with at least one. I’m equally certain that we weren’t the only CDs ever to visit a thrift store.

I’ll Be Back

I’ll be back with more Stuff in the next installment. Comments are welcome either here on the blog or by email at Jenn6nov at-sign gmail dot com. JJ is always looking for more Stuff, so let me know what you would like to read about.

Wearing Shein

Lena from Australia