Thrift...For Your Wallets Sake

Since I've rediscovered my love for thrifting and rekindled my talent for finding the fashion needle in the uninspiring haystack. I've been trying fruitlessly, to encourage my fashion forward girlfriends to join me, and what I got what this…

Aren't you worried someone will consider you CHEAP?!

Cheap? CHEAP?! I don't know if they've been looking at the news, reading the papers, checking their bank accounts or empty gas tanks. But, the economy isn't in a better place. Gas is going up, along with food,
clothing, electronics, and anything that's driven by a big gas guzzling truck.

So in the spirit of being frugal, economical, prudent, cheap…and parsimonious (;-)), here are my top five list of why it's important to thrift:

Thrift Store Prices Don't Change with the Price of Gas or Oil…YAY!!!
Because people donate goods sold in thrift stores are sifted through by volunteers. Since there's no one on the payroll, prices don't have the gas or labor tied to them.

No Coupon, Text Message or Code Needed to Enjoy Discounts
Most thrift stores, like my favorites Community Aid and Salvation Army, offer 50% off every day (depending on the designated tag color). And of course there's Wacky Wednesday where the entire store is half-off, except collectables or extremely new items.

Thrift Stores Change with the Seasons
People have to remember, thrift stores are still retailers. They know you're most likely not going to buy a $2.99 cable knit sweater instead of a lace cami in the beginning of summer. Thrift stores are marketing to you the consumer, just like any other store. So when you come in that sweater will be rows away, while the tanks and shorts will be some of the first rows you see.

Access to VERY Deeply Discounted Vintage Items
Thrift stores are a fantastic way to add individual style to your wardrobe and set yourself apart. No one is going to style pieces you buy the same way. Especially if you deliberately, but successfully, search for brands
that don't exist anymore, like me!

Thrift Stores are Inspirational
You may be surrounded by odd smells and you may sneeze every time you shift a hanger, but for those of us who don't live in New York, Boston, Philadelphia or some other metropolitan city, we need inspiration! Take the items below...

The dress is imply 70s; what some call a Midi (not really full-length, not short, just in the middle).  It fits perfectly at the smallest part of my waist and flares out at the bottom.  As soon as I saw this, I stood in awe. I pictured this cool rosie color against my milk chocolate skin and I thought, rose bush. I needed something green…leafy green so I when I found this cloisonné necklace I knew my vision was meant to be.

After those two significant purchases, everything else fell into place easily. The earrings were free, something I found in my mother's jewelry box, the cognac belt from Goodwill broke up the dress and the cognac wedges complimented everything nicely. What a pretty rose bush I made!

As always…Keep on Thrifting!!!

Cobalt Blue Kind of Day

Filing never looked so fashionable! 

The Run-Down: 
Blue and Tan Stripped combo top from Ross - $9.99
Cognac Braided Belt from Goodwill - $2.99
Cobalt Blue skirt from Salvation Army - $1.50
White cut-out flats from Goodwill - $4.95

Can You Dig This Bunny At Her Gig?

Can you dig the mixture of pulsating color and retro texture?  Can you dig the A line dress that is neither too long nor too short…it’s just right?  Can you dig this assemble created by this blossoming thrift stylist/blogger?

I definitely did! When I finally gathered the pieces to this ensemble, I felt like a transfixed suburbanite transformed into a little caposhi dudette (=cool chick). At least that’s how I felt yesterday. What makes it even better, it’s my 1st all thrifted outfit!

The dress is an authentic vintage piece of 70s history. And, even more rare, it’s in perfect condition! I didn’t have to mend a single stitch. I wish I could tell you the brand, but the “label” (a piece of ribbon stitched with the brand) is curled up from old age. But, the Union Made tag is in-tact. It’s a vibrant Cerise (thanks Neckties.com) and looks as if it was dyed yesterday, with a cloth belt in the same color.

I paired it with light brown sugar colored leather and cork wedges (Community Aid -$4.50), a cute but basic addition. The cognac braided belt (Goodwill -$2) adds some texture, draws attention to the smallest part of my waist, and breaks up the dresses strong color.

The faux jade necklace (Salvation Army -$3.99) is my 2nd favorite thrifted piece and my wild card. It doesn’t seem like it would be matched, but if you take a closer look the “jade” is intermingled with a heavy white bead, etched in gold rose that is painted in with such a close shade of Cerise that it makes the necklace an unpredictable, but obvious choice.
Til I catch you on the thrifty flip-side…Happy Thrifting!!!

Dandelion Wishes and Cerulean Blue Dreams

I needed to wear this outfit today.  It was the perfect Moody Monday buster.

From the simple white cotton t-shirt, the frilly navy blue top, blue flowered patterned skirt, burgandy belt to call attention to my small waist and cognac brown wedges serve as the perfect neutral.

But let's focus on my favorite item, the skirt,for a moment.  It was thrifted for $1.50, circa early 90s, perfect condition; polyester-cotton blend with a slight sheen.

It reminds me of my childhood summers lying on green crab grass, making numerous dandelion wishes to the cerulean blue sky.  The skirt is my childhood, made perfectly for my adulthood.

My Holy Trinity of Thrift Stores

If you love to shop like me, then you know that shopping for authentic, mint-condition vintage is work!

Coordinating your wardrobe and transforming your closet to accommodate your evolving taste in clothes, shoes and accessories isn’t easy and you have to be prepared.  I mean the kind of preparaed that takes packing food in your car, also some baby wipes and hand sanitizer in your cross-body satchel!

I'm a Thrift Road Warrior, with only three stores to choose from...My Thrifty Holy Trinity are so reliable and easy on my wallet...I would lay my right hand on the Bible and swear by them!  Here’s a nice run down of my loves:

• Community Aid
It has everything a thrift store should: easily accessible location, big parking lot, 50% off sales almost  every day, large quantities of gently discounted but high quality goods…and the best Wacky Wednesday in town.

I’ve garnered the most inspiration, clothes and shoes from this one store. There’s never a day when I go to “browse,” that I don’t find some piece that would suit my flourishing throwback Spring wardrobe perfectly.  Just this last Wednesday I acquired these lovelies...

Authentic 70s Party Dress for $1.00...AND it's in perfect condition

Cream Floral Blouse from Foxcroft for $1.50

Sheer Black and White Blouse from H&M - $2.00



Sheer Cream Blouse for $1.50

•Salvation Army

The second most important store to me is the Salvation Army that’s 2 miles away from my abode. It’s filled with goodies as soon as you enter and it’s the place where if I go looking for something specific whether it be a brown braided belt, cross-body satchel or floral skirt, I will go home victorious.

And, not only does it have the second largest amount of skirts and dresses out of the three, it carries accessories that aren’t locked behind a glass case.

Faux Jade and Flower - $3.99

• Goodwill

It’s half the size of the other three stores in the area, there isn’t much in this store and the prices are close to co-signment store prices than a thrift store.  But, what my local Goodwill lacks quantity and low prices, it makes up with the quality of clothes and accessories.  Even though...I have nothing spectacular to share with all of you...nothing has been worth me buying.  Wah.  :(

But I have one gripe...Now I understand that thrift stores can only offer the quality and quantity that's donated. And, Goodwill has better stock thanks to partnerships with stores like Target, Gap and the Bon-Ton (department stores) for items that wouldn’t sell, unlike the other thrift stores. But, that doesn’t mean the prices should reflect that. The whole point of a thrift store is to offer deep discounts to reel in consumers and the proceeds go to charity.  If you want people to come in, you offer deep discounts, with additional percentages off without having to buy a discount card.

BlogThis!

Ladies and Gentlemen...Welcome Aboard!

I meant to go nautical and went flight attendent instead yesterday.  Overall, I'm proud of the ensemble.  It's quite charming and interchangeable!   I plan to wear the shirt with dark denim jeggings, snake skin open-toed flats and something in Cobalt blue (one of summers hot colors) will brighten it up. 

Skirt: Community Aid - $1.50
Shirt - Community Aid - $1.50
Shoes - Nine West
Jewelry - Old Navy

I also shared this with my Trimirror app buddies who adored it.  Too bad I don't have a better camera so you can see how chic and expensive this outfit looks!  Ohhhh well!  On to my next post, til then....Happy Thrifting!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Small-City Thrifters Unite!

The more I read some of these fantastic thrift and discount fashion blogs written by Metropolitan Fashion Amazonzians, the more I realize that we small city women need a voice.  We don't have access to big city thrift fashion like the DC Goodwill fashion blog.  We are smack dab in the middle, with access to malls where we have to hunt down trendy and cheaply made deals, hunting for the next carbon copy but cute outfit right next to girls half our age OR head to strip malls only to find robo-mom attire desired by...robo-moms.

But we thifters...we are rebels...

We crave a closet other women would drool over...

A closet that allows us to complie and create some of the most authentically thrown-together and chic outfits without having to haggle with a 17 year-old over a fitted red stripped t-shirt or stalk a mom through clothing isles who picked a dress that's too small for her, but would be perfection on you...

Yes, we thrifters, we crave, and are in desperate need of, a thrifty fashionable outlet...

Keep on Thrifting!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

"Clutch"ing to fashion

After a very unsuccessful thrift/discount shopping day this Saturday, I trudged into my local Salvation Army (it’s literally right around the corner) and found this beauty as soon as I walked in…





Tan leather clutch for $3.99

What a steal for a genuine leather clutch!  The detailing on the front is what drew me to it, and the fact that its real leather without the overpowering leather smell is definitely a bonus and makes this my Find of the Month!

Check back for the outfit I style this with!

Happy Thrifting!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Welcome to my closet!

I'm busy building the best closet of my life...
I'm more than a fashionista, more than a TJMaxinista...I'm the future of fashion on a dime...
I'm the sparkling example of a thirft shopper who knows the perfect find takes time...

A great sense of fashion isn't nature, it's nurtured, and my parents did a smashing job without even trying.  I had the "matching without trying" outfits, the jellies before they were popular; the shoe collection that could've fit more than one child.  I was bred to find the best pieces at a fraction of the price everyone else was paying.  And because of that, I was always the girl with the ripped, sequined, embroidered jeans before anyone else, even though I was plus-size.

My sense of fashion was cultivated by working in a plus-size clothing store and  rippened over the years after I shed over 90 pounds.  Now,when I see the potential in frocks others scoff at and create an outfit that would be in a fashion magazine...

So this is an invite to my closet!  WELCOME!...


Where I Shop: Thift shops like the Goodwill, Salvation Army, Community Aid and Volunteers of America, a pletora of Co-signment stores (that are all in a 5 mile radius), plus the discount stores like Marshalls, Ross, TJ Maxx, and sometimes from the generic mall/department stores if something is on sale. 

Where I Don't Shop:  Department stores and typical mall stores (unless I need a t-shirt for less than $5).  I actually hate department stores because they supply clothing and accessories that anyone can get.  And I don't want just anything that anyone can get, I want something that only I can get, only I have, only I can put an outfit a certain way.  Because I'm an only child and I'm greedy like that.  ;D


What I Bought (as of 4.18.11):


Goodwill: Straw purse with genuine leather handles and non-removable strap for $2.97!!!

 How perfect would this be with a royal blue sun dress, off-white cut out flats, simple and tortoise shell wrap around glasses?!  Unfortunately, I couldn't envision this outfit because the dress (to come in a different post) wasn't in my possession yet...I ended up giving this purse to one of my girlfriends...I wonder if she'd loan it back to me...


Community Aid: Crimson and cream knee length skirt for $1.99

When I passed this skirt I gave it a double take.  It's hard to see from the picture, but there are three different patterns.  Most of the skirt is covered in different sizes of cream hearts, while the underlying pattern is paisley which is only apparent where there's cream.  It also has pockets...(Ahem, SOOOOO 80s.).  It's the oddest skirt I've ever seen, but once on I knew it had to be mine.  It fits perfectly at my waist and flares out past my knees.  Of course, I started brainstorming outfit ideas and made plans to have the skirt shortened and have the pockets sewn shut.  (Watch out for a future blog post with the transformed skirt!)


 Community Aid: Vintage Cream ruffled shirt for $1.99!!!

 This shirt may take another blog entry to explore and explain.  It's quite a find for two reasons: 1) It's vintage.  I came to this conclusion when I was inspecting the inside of it for a tag and came upon a tiny, and very worn down, tag that said it was "Union made."  Hardly anything says that anymore, and if it does the tag isn't worn down.  2) It was in perfect condition.

Since a vintage and perfect shirt is RARE in a thrift store, I'm going to dig into the shirts past.  I have to know where this perfect little piece of fashion history came from!


So that's a little sneak peek into what I find fashionable.  Please check back to see how I transform that crazy heart covered skirt or what I pair with the vintage frock...and what did my friend wear with the adorable straw bag...Hmmm!  ;D

Til then...Happy Thrifting!!!