'I outsourced my op-shopping to a professional. Here's how it went.'

I love op shopping. I love second-hand bargains.

But what I don't love is the sorting. As someone who is quite time poor right now, I don't have the oomph to sift through the thrift shops and find the gems – and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

So I decided to outsource my op shopping (this is so freaking cool). 

My Curated Collection is founded by Courtney Kanas, and it's an Aussie small business that designs hand-picked thrifted fashion capsules based on each client's preferences. 

"I had seen a few women in America on TikTok who were doing similar things, and I just thought it was such a great idea. I already work as a personal organiser, so a lot of my clients are getting rid of so much stock from their wardrobes," Courtney tells Mamamia. 

Watch: Courtney shares with Mamamia her process behind choosing out the pieces for the writer's curated box. Post continues below. 

"I figured I could turn this into another business, where I'm able to reuse all these great items and also pieces from op shops that need a new home. A lot of people feel very passionately about sustainability and they want to thrift but either find it a bit overwhelming or time-consuming. So outsourcing a personal thrifting shopper felt like one solution."

Plus, with the cost-of-living situation right now, a lot of us have had to cut back on spending. But we crave the fun feeling of getting new items. 

The process was as follows – I got in touch with Courtney, purchased my curated box, and then gave her an idea of my aesthetic. This was done by answering a series of questions she sent me, and I was also asked to make a quick Pinterest board that reflected my fashion vibe.

Two weeks later when my box arrived... I was excited, to say the least.

It felt like Christmas opening each piece. 

SO KEEN. Image: Supplied.

Of course I was a little nervous things wouldn't fit. But I'd provided my measurements and sizing to Courtney and thankfully they all did!  

Some quick maths for you all – the cost of the box on offer is $200, and you get 10 items in it. That means you're paying $20 per item, and in this economy, $20 for a good-quality clothing piece is delightful.

 Also, thrifting is great for the environment, so you feel rather smug. Or at least I do. 

I will note that I decided to shorten two of the dresses as they were a bit long for my liking, but that was personal preference — so I paid $50 in total to alter them. 

Now let's get into the items.

Coral dress.

When I saw the colour of this dress, I was obsessed. I don't have anything like it already in my wardrobe.

It's originally from DISSH, which is one of my favourite brands, and the straps are tie-yourself which I like for adjustable sizing. It's such a good summery dress, and one I could definitely dress up or down depending on the situation. 

The perfect summery dress. Image: Supplied.

White dress.

I'm a fan of anything linen. This is such a great casual, easy breezy dress for me. I've worn it lately either with a standard pair of slides or cowgirl boots for a bit of pizzazz.

It's originally from Humidity Lifestyle, an Australian-owned brand which is known for its use of organic fibres.

Yay. Image: Supplied.

Mustard racer tank, linen pants and some good ol' jeans.

We have three items on show here, three birds one stone if you will. 

First the mustard top – it's a racer tank style also from DISSH. It's a colour I've always been a bit unsure of, so I think this is a great way to give it a go and not spend a lot of money in the testing process. And it's growing on me.

The great thing about the top is that it went perfectly with two of the pants in this thrifted box (we love versatility).

There's the nice and cool linen pants, and these jeans are from Abrand which is available on The Iconic, and they're a high-waisted slim but not skinny fit. Both outfits I tried with a trusty pair of slides, but I've also worn the outfit on the left with tall brown boots. 

We love some versatile staples. Image: Supplied.

Pink top.

Next, we have this super sweet pink patterned top. The vibe reminds me of Love for Lemons and Princess Polly. The square neck detail and floaty little cap sleeves also make me feel adorable. 

Once again, I've found that this piece fits with the same two pairs of pants in the box, as well as other bottoms already in my wardrobe. It's super important for me that I have items I can mix and match, and this is a priority for Courtney when she curates the boxes, she tells Mamamia. 

A spring dream. Image: Supplied.

Blue dress.

I really love a '60s mod dress or anything adjacent. That was something I had flagged with Courtney and she found this shift blue dress with a high neckline. I really love how vibrant the blue colour is. 

Blue is fun. Image: Supplied. 

Champagne silk shirt.

I have a thing about women in crime drama TV shows wearing silk shirts – think Hannah Stern in The Split or Gillian Anderson in The Fall. It's so darn chic. 

I have an olive green silk shirt that I wear a lot to work, so I was keen for another if Courtney happened upon a good one. And delightfully she did, picking up this champagne-coloured blouse.

I've styled the top with three different types of pants from the box, which you can see below. And as for the green pair of pants in the middle... read on. 

I want to be Hannah Stern. Image: Supplied.

Navy vest and green dress pants.

Last but certainly not least, we have the two final items from the box.

This vest goes with all the pants in the box, and the lining of the vest is also patterned inside which is such a cute detail. This style of top is super trendy at the moment, so I'm really excited that I now have one to wear. 

Then we have the fabulous sage pants which are from Kookai – I don't know how to explain the material of the pants, only that it feels very luxurious, velvety and exactly like all the other Kookai garments I have. 

I've never felt trendier. Image: Supplied.

I was super stoked by what I received. 

Keen to get some thrifting advice, I asked Courtney for how she finds the best pieces and what we can all be on the look out for when op shopping next. 

Op shopping tips from the expert.

1. Shop for colour.

"So many of the charity shops now have their garments colour coded, and also organised by size, which is amazing. Use it to your advantage," she notes.

So if like me you despise the colour purple... not looking at the select purple section will save you time and energy.

2. Go in with a vision. 

You never know what you're going to get with thrifting – that's the fun of it. But instead of going in blind (which can feel a little overwhelming) Courtney recommends having a list of items you would like to be on the lookout for, as a means of inspiration.

"Manifesting doesn't hurt either, going in with an idea of what you're looking for. It doesn't mean that you will necessarily find it immediately, but it goes help narrow down the search, rather than you buying a bunch of jeans that you actually don't need."

3. Take your time.

Op shopping is an art form. It takes patience and consideration.

"It is time-consuming, so I would say it's important that you keep that in mind when going off to op shop. If you can, try not to rush through the racks either – going through each piece methodically will mean you're more likely to find a hidden gem," she explains. 

But if you happen to be a bit time and energy poor like me, then outsourcing your op shopping is a lot of fun too. 

For more information on My Curated Collection, you can follow them on Instagram here.

Feature Image: Supplied.