Stella Valentino sees a blank slate when she looks at the plain, white, Hanes tank top in front of her. She views basics as opportunities to show off the more eye-catching pieces in her wardrobe. Those eye-catching pieces consist of interesting combinations of textures, patterns and fabrics, all from the thrift store. Since eighth grade, Valentino has been avidly thrifting. She now finds that her best pieces in her closet came from the thrift store.

“I like to think that they’ve got a history behind them, and they’re just more authentic,” Valentino said. “You weren’t looking for this specific thing, but you happened upon it and now, it’s your favorite thing ever.”