*This comprehensive guide is written in a friendly, approachable way, as if your cool aunts took you along to their favorite Salvation Army shop. It's much more than a thrift store junket, though. All three authors are seasoned thrifters and have years of writing and TV experience (twins Allison and Margaret Engel collaborated on plays and Food Network's Food Finds; TV producer Reise Moore has worked with A&E's Biography and for Animal Planet). Here they canvas 165 stores around the country and then stage a "fashion shoot" using real people in all-thrifted ensembles (Roger Snider's photos are charming and plentiful). The book also features trips to the tailors, dry cleaners, reweavers, and sewists who help whip the bargain finds into shape—a nice touch to see the people behind the scenes. Throughout, the authors convey the joy of discovering designer pieces for pennies, and the chapters on defining your own style and developing your eye to find those hidden treasures among the racks are informative. An extensive resources list includes many online and app options, from finding a store to learning to sew to stain removal. Lightly laid atop the shopping advice is an admonition against fast fashion and waste. VERDICT: Slip this into your valise the next time you visit thriftlandia.
—Library Journal, starred review