I want to dedicate this post to Crossroads Trading Co., one of my favorite thrift shops. I'd say about 50 percent of my closet or more is made up of Crossroads finds. I like to make my rounds at each of the Crossroads locations from time to time because they each offer their own unique benefits. I learned this fact in New York when I found myself constantly going to the Crossroads in Chelsea and then one day out of the blue I decided to visit the one in Williamsburg and Greenpoint and my mind was blown. The one in Greenpoint is ginormous and the options are endless. For me the Greenpoint location was a bit daunting as I am the kind of person who likes to look through everything and there that is practically impossible. The one in Williamsburg is smaller and has more trendy designer and vintage pieces for a younger crowd whereas the one in Chelsea has more upscale designer brands for a more wide variety of people. I am still learning the ins and outs of the Crossroads here in LA but I have found that the Santa Monica location in my neighborhood has more casual brand names. Which totally makes sense seeing that Santa Monica is a beach town and casual is the unspoken dress code of its inhabitants. Whereas the one in Fairfax has more trendy, upscale pieces and brand names.
For those looking to start thrifting more Crossroads Trading Co is a great place to start. I want to take you through my process of what I do when I go into the store as well as give you a run down of the two looks I created recently at Crossroads Trading Co. I usually go into the store with a rough idea of the pieces I am looking to add to my collection or the colors I want to add to my collection palette. I think it helps to have some idea of what you are looking for or you can feel overwhelmed by the amount of options you have and not know where to begin. Once I've narrowed down a bit what I am looking for I always look at the Trends rack. I always like to see what styles are trending. Then I look at the rack of whats new in the store. Then I just take a quick walk around to look at all the clothing displayed on the walls. Once I have done that I begin to scan the dress and skirt racks. I'm a big dress and skirt girl so I focus on finding those pieces first. I rarely look at jeans and shorts but if that's what you find yourself most drawn to I would start there. I find it's easier for me to match a skirt or pant to a top then vice versa. Plus I find it narrows down your options which in a thrift setting is a pro.
So this most recent trip I was browsing the skirt rack when I came across this Reformation plaid school girl skirt. I have a lot of school girl skirts. I'm drawn to them because they are flattering for my legs as a girl on the shorter side. If you have a style that's flattering for you I'd look for more of it. If it works then keep on trying it out in different patterns or fabrics. Reformation is a brand I love because they are committed to sustainable fashion so I of course added the skirt to pieces I wanted to try on. I also came across this dark green, almost brown French Connection skirt. I've been looking for a skirt that's high waisted like this in this color for a while now. So you can guess I was elated to find this piece. After I picked out these two skirts and various others I started to think about what color tops would compliment them. With the French Connection skirt I was pretty sold on a white or cream top. I ended up pairing it with this American Apparel flower top that I picked up roughly five or so years ago from Crossroads. I was going to purchase a new top when I realized I could wear one of my favorite pieces with the skirt. Re-falling in love with old pieces and pairing them with new pieces has become one of my new practices. It's such a great feeling to come back to a piece you haven't worn in a while and make it feel brand new again. It's also an easy way to practice sustainability.
When I was looking around for tops to compliment the Reformation skirt I was drawn to the yellow details. I almost never wear yellow so when I came across this yellow Urban Outfitters cropped turtleneck top and fell in love it surprised me. Not only did it give a great shape to the skirt but also I could imagine wearing it with jeans and shorts or just lounging around my home. I am trying to make sure I get pieces I can imagine myself wearing multiple ways and as much as possible.
Crossroads is organized by color so I checked out all the yellow top sections as well as black, dark blue, and dark green and was most happy with how this yellow sweater made me feel. In it I felt happy and cozy and I liked the way it made the skirt pop. So that was my journey in creating these two looks at the amazing Crossroads Trading Co. I would love to do a partnership with Crossroads where I style a bunch of outfits together using their clothing, jewelry and shoes. That's a dream of mine.
I always wash the pieces I get from Crossroads or anywhere I pick up second hand clothing to ensure they are fresh and clean. I know some people are turned off by second hand shopping because they think it's dirty but as a master thrifter I have never contracted any kind of skin rash, foot rash, or disease from thrifting shoes and clothes. In fact, so many of the pieces I get are new with tags or barely even worn. I would just trust your intuition though. If you have a feeling about a piece that isn't good then don't get it and always make sure you wash your clothing after purchasing it before you wear it.
Finally I finish my time at Crossroads looking at the shoes and jewelry. It's easier for me to mix and match with accessories once I have created a full look. Hope this post on thrifting tips, Crossroads Trading Co, and how I styled these two looks brought some joy to your day.
All photos taken and edited by Blake Riesenfeld