I'm very aware that for many people the word "thrifting" carries certain connotations, the most common of which associate it with millennial "hipsters" in ironically ugly sweaters and over-sized flannels, "dirty," "old" second hand items, or both. I remember the first time my boyfriend and I went thrifting and came home with an assortment of really nice clothes his mother reminded us that "an elderly man probably died wearing that shirt."

Although she was joking, I've been met with tons of similar reactions when I tell people I really enjoy thrifting for a lot of my clothes. So many people are really reluctant to try it for a plethora of different reasons, and I'm here to tell you that you're missing out on some great fashion. Seriously guys.

Recently my boyfriend, who is also an avid thrifter, and I were having a conversation about it and he said something that I found really interesting. He mentioned how stores at the mall give you the illusion of being able to choose what you wear while predominantly deciding what you wear for you. There are only certain choices of what to wear, the stores style their mannequins to show you how clothes are "supposed to look," and surprise surprise, everyone comes out with the same sense of "style." He made the argument that thrift shopping demands that you develop a real eye for what makes a good outfit, because every item is unique and quite frankly there's a lot of damn ugly stuff on the shelves in thrift stores.

Thrift shopping takes some serious patience and practice, but I urge you guys to try it. The following are a few tips that I've picked up:

1. Keep a clear picture of your current wardrobe in your brain while shopping.

Most of the time, you aren't going to go into a thrift store to find a complete and cohesive outfit. You're going to want to mix and match your thrifted pieces with your more modern pieces. Pick thrift store items based on what you have in your current wardrobe to pair them with.

2. Mix the old and the new.

While you really can find a lot of modern pieces in thrift stores, I generally gravitate towards the older looking items. If it looks like a third grade teacher in the 1980s would have worn it, chances are I gravitate towards it. On their own, a lot of these pieces can seem dated (shoulder pads...yikes) but when paired with modern pieces can look beautiful.

3. Be realistic about your alteration abilities.

When I first started thrift shopping I had this tendency to pick out pieces that had really nice patterns, but didn't fit me at all with the intention of altering them to fit me. They were usually over-sized dresses I wanted to take in and extremely long pants that I wanted to hem. I had a pile of them sitting in my room, before my better judgement reminded me I have no sewing machine and absolutely zero knowledge of how to sew clothing. I know those Pinterest tutorials look so easy at first glance, but if you don't know how to sew, I promise those ill-fitting clothes are going to sit there unworn for months until you donate them back.

4. Be discerning.

Try everything on and picture what it'll look like when styled with pieces you already own, and if you don't absolutely love it, leave it behind. Don't expect that you'll come home with a huge haul of stuff every time you thrift shop. Building your wardrobe is a gradual process.

5. Donate your items.

One of the great things about thrift shopping is that when you get bored of your clothes, you can donate them and buy new ones essentially guilt-free because you pay so little for thrifted clothes. Also, why wouldn't you donate your old clothes, I mean, what else are you going to do with them?