I was dead wrong about thrifted fabric bundles | Fashion Design Ideas

Harper Foster · 2026-06-04T13:20:03.156409+00:00

Last month I walked past a bundle of vintage floral prints at a Salvation Army in Austin for $12. I scoffed at it thinking it was just cheap polyester that would fall apart. Then my friend Sarah grabbed it and made a wrap dress that looked straight out of a boutique. She showed me the fabric was actually a high quality cotton blend from the 80s. Has anyone else found hidden gems in secondhand fabric that changed your mind about thrifting?

logan_young293mo ago

You ever found a tag inside a vintage piece that said "Made in USA" and just knew it was quality? I grabbed a bundle of floral prints last year for $8 and they turned out to be deadstock from the 70s. The cotton is thick as denim and the stitching is still perfect. Sometimes the ugly prints hide the best fabric.

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jasonf173mo ago

Man @logan_young29 you hit the nail on the head with that "ugly prints hide the best fabric" line... I had a similar wake up call when I grabbed a bundle of these loud neon geometric prints from an estate sale for like $5 thinking they'd be garbage. Turned out to be heavy duty cotton from the late 80s that's held up through three wash cycles with zero fading. Now I actually get excited when I see the tacky looking stuff because that's usually where the quality hides. It's funny how we judge a fabric by its pattern instead of its feel.

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carr.lee3mo ago

My friend Jen snagged a bundle @logan_young29 would love, old 70s floral that feels super thick and sturdy.

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