Today’s nifty thrifty lesson:
“Sizes”
A few days ago I put a poll in one of my posts asking people why they don’t thrift. I thought the most common answer would be ‘I don’t have time’ (especially after this article that linked me in it…claiming I somehow have the time to shop ‘several times a week’ totally bullshit false). Turns out, ‘I can’t find my size’ is the most common issue. This is a very valid concern so I’m going to tackle it in this post.
The sizing of clothes can be a source of anxiety for any shopper. It’s not even easy to walk into a retail store and find your size every time, especially since many of
us are different sizes in different stores. Thrift stores can be tricky as well when
it comes to sizes. Since the clothing is from pretty much every store ever, you’re not going to be one uniform size like you would if you were only shopping at The Gap. Also, it can be from different decades, so a size 6 from the 70’s is not nearly a size 6 today. One trick I find helpful is to know what sizes you are in different brands. This way when you’re shopping and come across a certain brand, you’ll have a rough estimate about whether or not it will fit. Again, I can’t believe I’m going to do this but here’s a breakdown of my sizes in different clothing companies. It shows just how much sizing varies
My General Sizing
Pants: 28
Tops: M
Dress: 6
My Specific Sizing
Pants
7 For All Mankind: 28/29
Citizens of Humanity: 27
J. Crew: 30
Old Navy: 6
Forever 21: 28
Tops
Old Navy: S
Ann Taylor: 8
J. Crew: M
Dresses
The Gap: dress size 6
BB Dakota: dress size 4
H&M: dress size 8
New York and Co: M
J. Crew: 6
As you can see, I’m all over the place. I have a general idea of my size, and that helps me pick out clothes from brands in which I don’t know my specific size. But, nothing is set. That being said, I highly recommend that you try on a size
below and above your general size because you just never know. Plus, something that is too big can potentially be altered or belted…there are a lot of options.
Those people who are not ‘standard’ sizes (hate that word but not sure what else to say) such as plus sizes or very tiny sizes will have to look a little harder. Some thrift stores will have a plus size section, making it super easy to find clothes and cutting down on the amount of time spent searching. Sorry to the 00’s out there, there’s not a tiny section so you’ll still have to search. I’ve found in my shopping at Goodwill that they typically have a very wide range of sizes. In fact I once found size 26 and size 31 7 For All Mankind jeans in one visit
Not understanding how the thrift store organizes their clothes can lead you to think that they don’t have your size. Thrift stores tend to organize 
differently. Goodwill organizes by color usually. Some GW’s will even organize by size within color (which is awesome). Other stores may just sort by size and others may just sort by clothing type. If a store does organize by size, it usually goes from smaller to larger, so that makes it easy for you to jump from section to section. I highly suggest just walking around the store a few times to figure out how they’ve organized it. Or better yet, if you’re not shy, feel free to ask the sales associates who will be more than happy to explain it to you. I find that once you understand the system it’s much easier to find your right size.
One last tip I have for you is to understand the different types of sizing. You may know that you’re an 8 in pants (and we already talked about trying a size up and down) but that means you’re probably also a size 30. Being a Medium in tops will mean you’re probably a 4 or 6 as well. Here is a really helpful chart I found online.
European sizes vs. American sizes can also create issues, so here are two more charts…one for clothing and one for shoes.
I hope you find all of these tips helpful. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t immediately find pieces in your size, and don’t be scared to ask for clarification of the organization of the store. I know it can be daunting to look at those racks and racks of clothes, but remember to try on anything you’re interested in and consider tailoring. Do you have any tips when it comes to thrifting and sizes? Please share below!
niftythriftygoodwill 
another tip is that vintage sizing is much smaller than current sizing (designers have adjusted for our american widening girth!)… i wear a size 6-10 in newer clothing, but more like a 10-14 in vintage, so i always check all the racks if I’ve got the time!
Great tips! I used to think I could never find my size in thrift stores, but that was because I just felt lost (that was a long time ago!). And you definitely have to try on a plethora of sizes to find something that fits- for me, it highly depends on the cut of a skirt whether I’m a size 6 or a size 12 (or even 14). So I generally don’t even pay attention to sizing– I pay attention to the cut and whether I like the print. If I like those two things, in the cart it goes! And if it doesn’t fit, oh well. On to the next thing!
And it also depends on the garment– I always look through EVERY size of dress, from extra small to extra large, because I’ve found larges that work on me, due to a wrap or a sash, and extra smalls that were cut bigger and fit perfectly. (And I’m definitely not an extra small.)
My Goodwill arranges by color within the sizes. Because it’s that awesome. ;)
Thanks for visiting my blog and making me aware of yours! I just browsed a few of your posts and I’ll definitely be back. I’m looking forward to expanding on my limited thrifting experience. I used to think it was too time consuming, but I think I have a better idea of what to look for so it’s much more fun!
It never hurts to carry a little tape measure with you. If you know what kind of waist and inseam you need, you’re in business. Quite a few thrift stores will have a yard stick taped on a rack so you can measure what you find. Failing that, you could take a pair of known-brand pants and hold them up to pants you do want.
Another handy tip to make trying on at thrift stores easier. The Neck Trick. Take the waistband of the pants or skirt or shorts you’re interested in. Wrap that around your neck. If it “fits” the garment is more likely to work for you. If you can’t wrap it around, too small. If there’s “too much” extra, it’s going to be too big. You have to practice at this to get a better idea of what your range of “fits” will be. But it sure does help narrow down the stack of things to haul to the dressing room.
Very handy tip. I never hear this before! Thanks for sharing. It will certainly save time in the dressing room.
Fabulous Tips! I have such a hard time visually determining my size. I never trust it without a visit to the dressing room anymore. I *wish* I had a size chart like yours!
Super helpful! Especially since in my eyeballs’ opinion I am about 2/3 my actual size, and pants tend to be a little short on me. The tip about knowing your brands is one I’ve unwittingly used before, but I also like the idea of carrying a small tape measure.
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I have now worked for goodwill 10 months and have not much ideal on clothong size. Managers have told me being a man i am not suppose to know this…. no help in find goodwills clothing size chart…. can anyone help because it appears at times no one, not even managers ,really knows…..
Great guide thank you!
you are so welcome!