Style doesn't have a price.
It just has standards.
Look at-ease. Look confident. Look put-together.
In short, look like you care about how you look.
As long as those basic requirements are met, no one will be able to tell how much that button-up cost or which store those flats came from.
So take advantage of everyone else's ignorance and be stylish for cheap by tapping into the unassuming fashion treasure troves known as thrift stores.
Yes, I said it. THRIFT stores. Yes, like where people donate items and they are USED.
Germaphobes and other pretentious-types who are freaked out by used clothing might view thrifting as outlandish or, even more naively, unsanitary.
To such individuals: Try to hear me out.
Times are tough. That's a cliché, but hey, they really are.
Money doesn't grow on trees. That's another cliché, but hey, it really doesn't.
Just because the rest of the world seems to be falling into an endless downward spiral doesn't mean your closet has to collapse into an equally miserable oblivion.
Lincoln is home to a hefty offering of thrift stores, supplying penny-pinching shoppers with tons of affordable, stylish and sometimes hilarious wardrobe updates.
For example, a few years back I went on a T-shirt search with my brother. We stopped by St. Louise Gift and Thrift Store (2201 O St.), and he kept finding all of the good ones. I was growing disheartened and, being the angst-filled teenager that I was, wanted to call it a day.
Just as I was about to stop my search, there it was.
The. Coolest. T-shirt. Ever.
According to the logo on the front, it had belonged to a City of Lincoln Parking Services employee. On the back, a ‘50s Dick Van Dyke-type bobble head sat in a car next to a caption that read, "Don't Run Me Over!"
I'm still not sure if it was the screen-printing or the hilarity of inevitably getting mistaken as a Parking Services employee that sold me on the T-shirt. But ever since that purchase many years back (OK, it was like four years ago), I've been a thrifting advocate.
Conveniently enough, O Street is littered with shops like St. Louise, The Arc, American Thrift Store, Family Thrift Center, Timeless Treasures and – of course – Goodwill to satisfy any thrifter's craving for cheap style.
Timeless Treasures is the secret home to Rialto, a high-end vintage boutique that closed its doors two years ago. While the structural store is long gone, the Rialto name is still very much alive.
Over the summer, I stopped by completely on a whim and nabbed a classic, dark blue Gucci monogrammed purse for $14.
Needless to say, that made my year.
While Gucci purses aren't exactly stockpiled on thrift store shelves, the quest for such an epic discovery is what makes thrifting a true thrill.
While on this thrill ride, keep a few tips in mind:
1. Avoid purchasing anything felt, satin and/or velvet.
The only good things about ‘90s fashion were babydoll dresses and distressed denim – both of which have already made their comebacks, so stay away from those awful fabrics.
2. Come with inspiration; don't try to muster it up.
It's difficult to envision something stylish coming out of racks and racks of seemingly terrible, outdated clothing. Have faith, the gems do exist – just bring a magazine bookmarked with the looks you're trying to recreate for guidance.
3. Thrifting is an art form.
Consequently, a thrifter is an artist. As with any art, in order to be talented and successful, one must practice, practice, practice.
Goodwill offers students 20 percent off all merchandise on Wednesdays.
Isn't that today?
Lucky you.
mekita rivas is a junior news-editorial major. reach her at mekitarivas@dailynebraskan.com.
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