Tag: H&M

Thrift Finds: Dressing My Kid for Fall

Since we have recently moved from Hotlanta to a place with real fall (hello, New England), here’s a round up of what I’ve thrifted to help my kid keep from freezing on the playground.

My strategy was to keep the pants fairly neutral so I didn’t have to worry whether the tops clashed; and to skip the uber-girly stuff – I’m allergic to pink in high doses, and my kid doesn’t care yet (unless you’re talking about unicorns or T. Rex; then she has an opinion, which is “YES, ALWAYS”).

First up, tops:

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Gap, Gap, Vince, Carter’s, Gap 

That bunny hot air balloon shirt is much more of a coral color than the intense tomato it looks like here.

Sweatshirts
Worn with or without a shirt underneath, depending on the weather:

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Jumpin’ Beans, H&M, Oshkosh

Check out the little sweatshirt V on the heart top and the t-shirt hem on the bow top:

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My kid’s clothes are cooler than mine.

 

Next we have pants:

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H&M, Garanimals, Nannette Girl, Oshkosh (the dirt is my child’s, not from the thrift store; laundry day!)

Both pairs of non-stretchy jeans have these genius adjustable elastic inside the waistband that means my skinny lil’ kid can wear pants the right length that don’t fall down to her ankles:

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You move the button to whichever slit you need, and there’s one on either side to keep it even. PS See the polka dots on these? My kid is way better at patterned pants than I am.

 

Next up, dresses:

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Gymboree, Old Navy, Carter’s

The one on the far right is obviously meant for summer, not fall, but our sweet neighbor nabbed it for us at the Goodwill a few months ago and I couldn’t leave it out! I love that orange embroidery.

Hoodies

The one on the left is like a fuzzy stuffed animal inside. The one on the right has a detachable hood, retails for $38, and was $6 in the boy’s section of the library consignment shop. Don’t be afraid to check both gender sections for your kid – you might find a gender-neutral classic or something marketed to a different gender from how your kid identifies but that your kid loves. Because how else am I supposed to find dinosaur shirts for my dino-loving daughter?  (Still on the hunt for that one…)

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Xhiliration; Polarn O. Pyret

 

Shoes & Underwear

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Same for undies – the minion underwear was in the “boys” section but my kid loves them, so I bought 2 pair. Plus that extra elastic seems to fit better on her bum.

She’s currently wearing the shoes on the left (Saucony) and will grow into the ones on the right (Stride Rite). Between the two pairs there was only one pair of inserts, so I moved them to her current shoes and will put them back in the bigger ones when she grows.

These $2.50 rain boots have gotten some good use – both for puddle jumping and for playing pretend around the house.

 

Tops for end of winter/spring
In general I try to avoid buying clothes for my kid to grow into because I can’t predict in what season she will be in which size. But with cold weather that lasts into April here, I figured these next-size-up long-sleeved shirts will get some good use before she outgrows them:

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Circo, Land’s End, Carter’s

Those of you with supernatural memories out there will recognize the floral ringer tee from my kid’s thrifted wardrobe a few seasons back. We got a ton of use out of it so when I saw it in the next size up I couldn’t refuse. Also, that coral-looking tee in the middle is significantly pinker in real life. In case you were wondering.

 

Still on my list: a proper winter coat and winter boots. The consignment shop at the library may come through. The consignment shop also sells kids’ figure and hockey skates – welcome to New England! – and I am waiting to see whether we skate enough to justify buying a pair since they’ll only be good for one season.

Do you thrift for any kids in your life? If so, what do you look for?

 

What I Wore: Pink & Wine

I don’t know if the color of this scarf is properly called “wine” but I’m going with it:

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Dress: H&M
Blazer: Cartonnier
Scarf: no label – I think it’s wool
Sandals: Clarks (retail)

Here’s a closeup.  The “wine” color is a bit intense/saturated compared to my normal wardrobe palette, but the pink/gold/orange tones in it lighten things up a bit, as does the pink jacket and the white dress:
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Mmmm, print-mixing…

I don’t do square scarves very often and this is why:WP_20170509_13_05_12_Pro

I can’t get them to stay where I want/showing the part of the pattern I want. Suggestions? Maybe I’ll just pin the sucker to my dress next time…

Here is the outfit sans blazer:
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Side view:
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Styling: I started with a dress; Tuesday = yoga day which calls for a simple one-piece to change into after 90 minutes of down dog. I wanted to warm things up with some red-based tones after having worn navy blue-heavy outfits the previous three days, and I knew the v-neck of the dress would work well as a spot to showcase a scarf; hence this particular number, with colors that make me beam!
I knew we’d have meetings in chilly parts of the building so I added a blazer, with this woman’s wide range of reds as inspiration for my color choice:

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From this post

That way I could also justify keeping my red nail polish on!

I rolled my cuffs and went to work (literally).

Thoughts: the print-mixing on this is my happy place. I really like how the pink/wine (mulberry?)/red all read together and have Costco lady above to thank for that. In hindsight I would have worn a gold necklace peeping through the scarf and my gold cuff to bring a little more polish (and pick up the gold tones in the scarf).

What are your tricks for making a scarf stay in place? What do you think of my smorgasboard of red-based hues?  Scroll down to comment.

Spring 10×10 Remix: Days 6 & 7

I’m doing the 10×10 spring remix hosted by Un-Fancy and StyleBee. All this work week and next, I’ll be using 10 pieces of clothing to create 10 different outfits, using self-imposed limitations to spark some creativity. All the details – and the clothes (all thrifted)– here.

Leave it to me to forget that work would be closed this past Monday (observance of Easter); I spent the first half of the day in pjs and the second half in workout clothes. And yesterday was a whirlwind of meetings, prepping for church council, and voting in a special election, so today you get TWO 10×10 outfits. Aren’t you lucky? :X

Day 6

Post-vote pics at home from a very fore-shortened perspective (thanks to the Spouse for capturing photos):

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H&M dress; J. Crew belt; Monet cuff bracelet; sandals by Clarks (retail); “I’m a Georgia voter” sticker courtesy of the GA elections department (placement courtesy of my preschooler).

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Blazer by Merona

Styling notes: I did the same trick with my belt as last week, turning the buckle part around to the back so it didn’t weigh down the belt below the waist seam. I’ve trimmed up a bit from running more lately; I think it may be time to put another notch in my belts so this isn’t a problem the rest of the summer.
I’ve stuck with a relatively simple necklace here, in a length that fits the v-neck; come full-on summer I’ll probably pair this with some of my bold, shorter necklaces. I could probably also pair this shorter necklace with a longer pendant, but as I’m a fan of cleaner looks that’s probably a stretch.

Thoughts on this outfit: So this dress is a keeper. I love the cut, the length, and the different (for me) neckline. I’m just going to ignore the odd lining around the neck, or perhaps chalk it up to “character.”
The blazer is super comfortable, like wearing a sweatshirt, and I love the silhouette as well – my ideal blazer silhouette, skimming without flaring. I’m going to wear it with my blue sheath dress as well, but if I can’t convince myself it goes with my grey dress pants, I’m not sure how much additional wear I’ll get out of it. Y’all know I love print mixing, but layering this pattern right on top of my patterned blouses doesn’t always look right. And I want blazers that work with most of my wardrobe, not just 1 or 2 pieces. I’ll probably keep it through this summer and then send it on if I don’t find enough slots for it.

Day 7
Today we’re back in blouse-and-pencil-skirt territory.  Huzzah!

I paired the linen/cotton “soft wash shirt” from Banana Republic with my H&M pencil skirt and the same Clarks sandals (retail) above:WP_20170419_12_11_55_Pro

I had planned to keep the same jewelry as well, until I noticed that the (mostly) solid color blocking here felt kind of… boring. The outfit was asking for a little more interest, so I swapped out my gold studs for dangly earrings I made, and suddenly there’s a bit more oomph happening:
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Closeup on those earrings, made from thrifted parts:
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Here’s the outfit in profile:
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Styling notes: added some pizzazz to plain outfit with a little more “out there” jewelry; rolled those roll-tab sleeves ’cause it’s gonna get warm this afternoon.

Thoughts on this outfit: blouse + pencil skirt = win. Love the earrings.
Still not sold on the shirt; it is very soft but still has more structure/stiffness than my normally silky blouses and thus doesn’t lay as well when tucked in. Relatedly, the texture is a little too…hmm… rustic? for my taste. I don’t hate it, it just doesn’t look quite as polished paired next to something smoother. But my white skirt is also textured and this skirt is rumpled enough to pass as textured… ha.
I know I want to be able to wear it out over pants, and that would involve tailoring (either by myself – yipes – or an actual tailor), so I might just leave it as is and donate it for someone else to enjoy. When you’re using two paragraphs to convince yourself about a thrift find, it may be time to let it go.

 

How’s your 10×10 going? Whether you’re doing one or not, is your spring weather throwing you curveballs fashion-wise?
I’ll be away from the office this Friday and Monday as well, so look for Day 8 tomorrow and Days 9 & 10 next week.

 

10×10 Spring Remix – Day 2

I’m doing the 10×10 spring remix hosted by Un-Fancy and StyleBee. All this work week and next, I’ll be using 10 pieces of clothing to create 10 different outfits, using self-imposed limitations to spark some creativity. All the details – and all the clothes – here.

Day 2: white H&M shift dress paired with the same dress coat (Tahari by Arthur S. Levine) as yesterday, Clarks sandals (retail), and a little added interest with a leopard print belt by J. Crew and my new (to me) cuff bracelet (Monet):

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This dress. I love the length, the neckline is new (to me) and fresh, and the sleeves aren’t so cap they feel like afterthoughts:
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It has interesting structural details – 2 subtle pleats up front, diamond-shaped bias seams on the side (I’m making up these terms as I go along), and a strange, Jessica Rabbit-reminiscent lining showing through at the bust :
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Styling note: I turned the belt around because the weight of the metal buckle was pulling down in the front and keeping it from lining up with the very obvious waist seam. Ta-da:
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It’s hidden when I wear the coat but makes for an unexpected detail even when not hidden:WP_20170411_11_23_23_Pro (1)

This outfit is my sweet spot – a classic sheath dress with something a little funky to keep it from being boring. The coat is, again, super elegant and I dig that it’s not the exact same length as the dress, which keeps the pairing from looking too matchy-matchy or cutting me off at the knees.

Though I’m still not sure how I feel overall about this dress (that weird lining!), I’m excited to style it a different way next week to get a better feel for  whether it’s a keeper – which is, after all, why it’s in my 10×10.

What’s your Day 2 look like? What do you think of this look? Scroll down to comment!

10×10 Spring Remix – Day 1

I’m doing the 10×10 spring remix hosted by Un-Fancy and StyleBee. All this work week and next, I’ll be using 10 pieces of clothing to create 10 different outfits, using self-imposed limitations to spark some creativity. All the details – and all the clothes – here.

So Day 1.  I paired my peach leopard print blouse by Forever 21 with my taupe skirt from H&M and topped it all off with my coat dress from Tahari by Arthur S. Levine. The slides are Bandolino and the cuff is by Monet; everything except my earrings and necklace (heirlooms) is thrifted.

Still trying to figure out my camera set up… so you get a few early-morning closeups in my bathroom and a few blurry front-facing phone camera selfies. Good times.

IMG_5626Love this button detail: IMG_5628  IMG_5631

Sleeves worn long for chilly mornings:WP_20170410_10_34_33_Pro

Or rolled to get to work:WP_20170410_10_36_30_Pro

I was worried this lovely lined dress coat would be too warm for days with highs in the 80s, but man am I glad I wore it today. It was quite chilly this morning both outside and in my office when I first arrived.  Good call.  I wore the blouse sleeves long and rolled them up over the coat cuffs to bring a little pattern to the extremities of my outfit and make it all look a little more purposeful:WP_20170410_10_34_10_Pro

Bonus shot:WP_20170410_10_36_42_Pro

You’re welcome. Ha.

This outfit feels really “me” – classic silhouette and proportions with the subtle leopard print thrown in for a dash of interest. The coat is still a newer (to me) piece but every time I put it on I feel like Jackie O. Bam, done – call the elegance paparazzi.

If you’re doing the 10×10, how did your planning go? How’s your first outfit?  Have a great Monday!

 

Thrift Store Review: Out of the Closet

Last week my friend Allen tipped me off to a new thrift store in town, and it was not 48 hours before I had to go see it in person.

Out of the Closet  at 1858 Cheshire Bridge Road is an outpost of a California-based chain of thrift stores of the same name.  They opened about 4 months ago and are a non-profit with proceeds benefiting the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.  Here they are all decked out for Valentine’s:

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The store is a respectable size, clean and well-organized, and even has some decorative touches (do you spy that cowboy boot banner up top?).  Plus there were free Snickers! (Oh, and condoms.  Yay for sexual health!)

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The prices were reasonable – on par with Goodwill in our area, some cheaper, some a bit more expensive.  The staff were personable and helpful, and they provide free HIV testing, which I am totally down for.  And in fact, while I was there, someone came in for a test.  Know your status, people!

They have a stellar men’s section, which is exciting because my spouse is always complaining that he can’t find good men’s stuff at the Goodwill.  I picked up two shirts for him right off the bat (Happy Valentine’s Day, darling!  #GivetheGiftYouWishYouCouldGet).  Here’s one:

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But he’s looking forward to visiting on his own to try on all the things.

On the flip side, the sales associate told me they need to grow their women’s section a bit – bring them your women’s clothing donations!

Still, I managed to find a dress I liked and a bag I probably didn’t need.

This dress by H&M is my favorite sheath silhouette but with more structure in the bodice.  It’s quite similar to my cream sheath dress for winter but lighter, and with a longer hem, both of which mean I can wear it in spring, without leggings.  Score.

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Sorry it’s blurry!  The line you see on the skirt is from my dark leggings; won’t be a problem with just underwear.

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Where the bodice and lining meet shows through in a way that is…interesting?  Reminiscent of a sweetheart neckline (or Jessica Rabbit), I’m not sure how I feel about it.  We’ll see if I embrace it or use a scarf to cover it up.  (It’s not ideal to buy something you’ll have to keep covered, but I may end up loving the unusual detail, so I took a chance.)

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Here’s the bag – no label.  It’s made of vinyl (I think) with an embossed snakeskin pattern.

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It’s faux-suede inside which makes for an interesting texture contrast. The little stitched circles conceal a magnet closure.

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Love the zipper details – and they give a little extra room when unzipped:

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The pocket flap inside that is only attached to the bag in one spot instead of being sewn onto the inside wall.  That might get annoying, can’t tell yet:

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What do you think of my finds?  If you’re in Atlanta, have you checked out Out of the Closet yet?  (See my other Atlanta thrift store reviews here and here.)  Scroll down to share!

 

Fall Closet Clean Out

I mentioned in a recent post that I had been making room for new thrift finds by chucking some things that weren’t getting worn.  Since we all love a good closet clean out, I figured I’d give you the run down.

First up: Coral Loft dress.  This baby got a lot of high fives on Instagram (below), but it gapped in the shoulder blade area, the fabric was stiff and draped more like an A-line than a sheath, and it cut under the armpits just a bit.  I didn’t thrill to put it on and that’s all that matters.  I’ll keep an eye out for a true sheath in a similar color since it looked so great with my blue patterned cardigan and with my fresh white denim jacket.

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on

 

Next: when something is so right on paper…  My two-toned striped tee by Madewell.  This had it all: colors in my color palette, an exposed zipper on the back, my favorite sleeve length.  I thought I would wear the heck out of this, but I’ve only reached for it once (pictured below).  Why?  It was a little too casual for work and a little too fitted for the weekend.  And it was two different tones of blue in a wardrobe that already had a lot of blue in it.  I don’t need to be THAT monochrome.

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on

 

Two textured tees from last year – one of which I wore a lot but which just feels too frilly for my style (blush lace overlay tee by Loft) and one which felt like something I should wear on dates, not to work (sheer polkadot sweetheart tee by H&M):

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on

 

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on

I was on the fence about both of these but then realized they weren’t getting worn and someone else would find JOY in them instead of me holding on to them in lukewarm fashion.  Passed ’em on to a friend (more on how to do that here.)

 

Old jeans: I wrote about this here.  I realize the below silhouette fits the on trend “boyfriend jeans” look, but although I like that look, I don’t have a particular interest in creating it on myself…maybe because I’ve spent the last several years wearing these jeans and it doesn’t feel fresh to me anymore.  I *might* keep these for things like Habitat for Humanity work days or hiking in cool weather, but I could probably just as easily go buy a “new” pair of Dickies at the Goodwill that have a higher rise and thus involve less risk of crack.

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Palm print maxi dress: I was ambivalent about this even the one time I wore it and have not worn it since.  If I could magically have made that sheer palm print into a top (without paying the tailor a fortune), I would’ve.  But instead I left it intact for someone to find it who will fall for it just as hard but who will actually wear it.  (And spotted it back on the rack at the Goodwill!)

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Camel blazer: as I posted here, I ditched this puppy in favor of two statement blazers (one of which is the same brand/style but a better size and more visually interesting).  Haven’t missed it yet.

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What have you cleaned out lately?