**Late Post: Army & Pinstripes**

 

 

 

E here, sorry it's been so long since my last post. :-( As I've mentioned before, I am in retail management so my schedule tends to be pretty hectic. Also, I just got back from vacation. [Lots of great outfit photos from that trip coming soon.] If you follow me on Instagram you know that this post is long overdue, so here it is finally! 

 

What I love about this outfit is the versatility of it. The fun thing about fashion is that you can take clothes and create a look that is unique to you alone. Don't get me wrong, I do follow the current trends, but at the same time I like to put my own spin on things. What I tried to do here; is take the army inspired piece and mix it with more casual pieces, so as to try and downplay its more rigid, masculine features, and make it appear more feminine and stylish. The trick to pulling off any army inspired look, is to try and deflect the rigid, uniform appearance of the piece, and make it seem more modern and stylish. While the jacket offers warmth and comfort, it also adds a sort of rugged-chic feel to the outfit. The best part? I only paid $22.50 for it, and its original tags were still attached for $115.00. If you think that's a great deal, read below to see what other amazing finds I scored.

 

 

Thrifted items; jeans; Else $9.99 (Goodwill,) pinstripe button down: Gap $10.50 (Crossroads Trading Co,) army jacket: Ricki's $22.50 (Crossroads Trading Co,) *boots: American Eagle $12.99 - $.129 (Goodwill.)

 

 

These boots are cute aren't they? Can you guess how much I paid for them? [Hint: under $5.] That's right, the boots were under $5! I paid a whole $1.29 for the boots which were practically new. Its funny because whenever I wear the boots and people ask me how much I paid for them, no one believes me! Even some of the employees at the Goodwill that I purchased them from were shocked that I found such a fabulous deal. I'll admit, I tend to have pretty good luck at Goodwill on $1.29 days, but I have to say that this is the best $1.29 find, (perhaps Goodwill find of all time!)

 

 

I'm telling you, thrifting is the way to go! Are you convinced yet? If not, stick with me and I'll give you tips and advice on how you can nab fabulous deals for yourself. It's quite simply really. First; find out what thrift stores are located in your area, second: do some quick research and see what stores are top-rated, or have the most reviews. I tend to be a Goodwill/Value Village girl, but I also love to check out smaller, private thrift stores/boutiques as well. After all, you never know what gems you might come across! A lot of times, the places that appear to be small, sort of stereotypical "hole's in the wall," turn out to be quite interesting. Every time I check out a new neighborhood, or visit another state I always check to see if there are thrift stores nearby. Make sure to come back again soon, I'm going to embark on a thrifting challenge with a friend and show you just how easy it is. Well that's all for today. See you next time!

-E

Color Me Pink!

 

 

E here, I hope you are enjoying the holiday season. Working in retail this time of year is pretty stressful so I may not be able to blog everyday. We are now only about 20 days away from Christmas can you believe it? This month is really going to fly by because there is actually one less week between Thanksgiving and Christmas so you can expect to see a lot of advertisements within the coming week for special 1 or 2 day sales in order to make up for missed sales opportunities.

 

In fact, this would be a really good time to take advantage of all the sales either online or in the store. If you find yourself still shopping for those last minute Christmas gifts, think about heading to the mall during the weekdays because it will be less crowded, and you are more likely to find the items on your list in stock before the last haul. Check back soon for more shopping tips.

 

 

Funny thing is, these pants aren't actually as pink as they photograph. For some reason anytime that I wear these pants in photos they come out looking really light. The trick to wearing colored skinny jeans, is to pick a color that compliments your skin tone and hair color. For instance, if you have darker hair like mine, you should wear lighter colors and vice versa.

 

 

Also, when wearing colored jeans, you want to try and wear colors that either compliment or contrast that color. What I did here, is I picked the darker tones in my top that matched my blazer so it would compliment my jeans. I also tried to mix patterns and textures to make the outfit more interesting. The idea is to make the outfit your own, so don't be afraid to go bold!

 

 

Today's outfit is almost entirely thrifted, with the exception of my D&Y scarf from Fred Meyer which was $4.99.  Thrifted items; blazer: H&M $9.99 (Crossroads,) tank: Mossimo $4.99 (Goodwill,) jeans: Mossimo $7.99 (Goodwill,) boots: Deena & Ozzy $7.99 (Goodwill.)

That's all for now! Until next time!

-E

What I Bought: Tips for Success

 

 

 

 

E here, as you have probably realized by now I am quite the avid thrifter and I take pride in my thrifting abilities. Like other thriftnistas, I have a knack for scoring great brands for cheap; whether its by means of thrifting, or selling and buying clothes at recycled clothing stores, or simply on a clearance rack at a retail store. Almost 85% of my wardrobe is thrifted, or I bought it at 50% - 75 %  off in a store. While most people are deterred by the thought of rummaging through racks of other people's used clothing, I look at it as the thrill of the hunt!

 

 

Everything you see pictured was: a) bought as a result of selling/trading @ Crossroads Trading Co, b) thrifted from my local Goodwill. Total cost? I only had to pay for about $35 worth of the Crossroads trade(s) (I sold at 2 separate locations.) As for the Goodwill items I got several of the items on the green tag special which was $1.29 (I will discuss how to shop Goodwill tag specials later in this post,) for a grand total of about $40. [The Goodwill total also includes housewares not pictured.]

 

Price breakdown of traded/thrifted items: 

Crossroads Trading Co.

1. Gap trench coat: $20

2. Beige Gap jacket*: originally $18.50, 50% off - $9.25

3. Express motorcycle jacket: $27.50

4.Steve Madden boots: $22.50

5. BCBG Generation dress: $16.50

6. Nautical sweater: $12.50


 

 



I absolutely love the details of this jacket; from the zippered sleeves to the zippered chest, and the detailing of the white collar flaps, the overall look is sleek and polished - giving the classic motorcycle style a modern makeover. Express tends to put out fairly high quality clothing, and this monochromatic motorcycle jacket is a good example. I was ecstatic when I saw it, and couldn't believe that no one had snatched it up yet! Just my luck I guess. I think out of all my loot, this jacket was my by far my favorite find.



Another trench to add to my collection - check! The best part? Its hooded!



A girl can never have enough boots right? I agree!


 

One thing to keep in mind when shopping at recycled clothing stores like Buffalo Exchange or Crossroads Trading Co, is that there is always a markdown rack. Almost any store that you go into, whether its a department store, boutique, or a recycled clothing store will have a sale rack of items that are periodically marked down to make room for new arrivals, or items that are damaged/defective. I have found great deals this way because an item will be marked "as is" due to a snag, or scuff. This dress for example had a small stain on it, but nothing that a tide pen can't take out.
 

Goodwill

1. Betsey Johnson dress: $7.99

2.Forever 21 dress: $5.99

3. Vigoss jeans: $5.99

4. Beige Ann Taylor sweater: $7.99

5. Loft heart cardigan: $4.99

6. Forever 21 tank*: $5.99 - $1.29

7.Old Navy tank: $4.99

As I mentioned earlier in this post, Goodwill has weekly tag specials in which you can get items for half off, (or in this case for $1.29.) Unique to Goodwill stores, every day of the week is a color tag special (except for senior discount day) and "the manager's special" where a particular type of item is on sale (i.e. - 20% off jeans.) You can find out what the daily tag special is on the Goodwill website, or in store where it is posted on every other rack, and is also announced on the intercom.

 

 

 

I don't typically go for zippered dresses, but this Betsey Johnson dress was absolutely adorable and was such a great price that I couldn't pass it up!

 

 

 

 Hopefully, based on what you've seen here I can convince all of you thrifting skeptics out there that you can find quality, designer, brand name clothing for great low prices. Thanks for stopping by! Check back soon for more tips.

Happy thrifting!

-E