January Thrift Finds

January was a fruitful month.  Let’s start with the finds:

Another plaid blazer from Merona, this time in cerulean – such a great combo of navy and bright blue to perk up cold days:

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I’ve worn this puppy several times already.  Here’s an example of it in action:

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I like including awkward outfit outtakes for your viewing pleasure. 

And again:

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More on the blazer here.

 

snow leopard vest from Old Navy, blogged more about here:

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So snuggly in cold temps!

 

Coach riding boots for one tenth of the retail price; more about them here:

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These need some inserts to make the hard soles comfier but so far I’m happy with them otherwise.

Ba-blam:

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I re-found these metallic pants by Rock and Republic which I had regretted passing up several months earlier:

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They fit like a dream. Now I just need to concoct a date night where I can wear them with this:

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Bandolino metallic wedge sandals to replace my worn out Clarks (more here):

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I’ve also worn this chrysanthemum cardigan by Isaac Mizrahi Live! (yes yes, a QVC brand – surprisingly good) several times:

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After thrifting a muted red shirt for a friend, I’ve been looking for one, knowing it would go with pretty much all the clothes. This red Banana Republic shirt gets the color just right, is a great blend of linen/cotton and has a much higher quality than the Old Navy one I’d had my eye out for:

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Sorry about those undergarments showing through.  I should better coordinate my lingerie when thrifting.

Excited to wear this come spring (and maybe even a little bit before the end of winter!).

 

I’ve had the same two pairs of pajama pants forever – one since highschool and the other, preowned by a roommate, for almost 10 years.  They were both baggy and didn’t do a great job of keeping my legs warm.  One day I spotted a man wearing essentially sweatpants but cooler, and it dawned on me that I never felt cold in my childhood when wearing sweatpants with elastic cuffs.  Since these are now popular again (having been rebranded with the fancy moniker “joggers”), I figured I could pick some up at the thrift store and I was right:

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So cozy.  I love that they don’t ride up and feel like a sweatshirt inside and the marled fabric makes them cool.  Plus, pockets!  I promptly donated my other two pants to Le Goodwill (after thanking them of course).

 

At the tail end of the month a thrift-loving friend came to town and we blew through a few thrift stores, including St. Philip Cathedral Thrift House, where I found a perfectly blue casual dress that was just slightly too big – wanh wanhhhh – and this chic little jacket by Kenar:

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I like the texture (surprise) and the cut.  I haven’t figured out exactly how I’ll wear it (apart from over my casual red dress), but I’m sure I’ll think of something.  It may replace my snakeskin blazer…

 

I’ve been looking for a sleeveless denim dress and really dig this number…

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…minus the floppy pockets that add bulk to the bottom half:

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But yes, I got it, with plans to have my mother-in-law help my cut off the pockets and sew the seam closer to the shape of my body.  I don’t think it will be super complicated but her legit sewing skills will help make up for the fact that I can’t remember how to thread a sewing machine.  (Yes I could get it tailored but I’m going for some bonding time instead.)

 

 

 

Blooper Reel

A couple of also-rans in the search for a muted red shirt:

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I have a fondness for Lauren Conrad’s color palette and patterns (though not for her TV shows):

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Sadly, too big.

Looking for a top with some yellow in it since it would play well with the rest of my closet.  This marinière by Gap was not it – it hit funny at the waist.  Too bad ’cause it had a great split hem:

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Oh, how I wish this blazer in my favorite blue hue had been slightly less baggy:

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Oh PS, it retailed for $229.  Wanh wannnnnh.  I suppose I could’ve paid to have it tailored although I don’t know how expensive that would be… but sometimes when I find something expensive and pristine I just want to leave it for the next person whom it *will* fit to a tee.  You feel me?

 

I liked the color on this and the gorgeous buttons but oh hi, that split is getting a little close to my lady parts:

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The side view was pretty revealing in the bustal area as well.

 

This shirt dress with roll-tab sleeves by Speed Control was right up my alley but the color was a little intense and the fabric a little cheap:

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I was so sad about this simple, super-soft, casual dress in my favorite blue also being too big.  It would’ve been a great blue version of my casual red dress which has paired so well with so many things:
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That’s it for January.  What did you thrift/skip this past month?

 

Thrift Finds: September & October

So, these past two months were fruitful at the thrift store.  In fact they were so fruitful that you’d be forgiven for thinking I no longer have an “edited”/”minimalist” closet.  But – surprise! – I also gave away a fair number of things and am still at my self-defined acceptable number of hangers….except for two areas: blazers and pants.

For blazers, I’ve been looking to cross a “statement” blazer off my list, and in exchange for the two I’m trying out

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Snakeskin by Isaac Mizrahi Live!; Plaid by Merona

…I may give up my camel blazer.  It goes with everything but in a way that involves a large swath of what is basically untextured tan – blah.  (And we know how I feel about the necessity of texture or at the very least visual interest.) I do love the contrast lining on the camel blazer but that’s about the only interesting detail on this sucker.  And and, I think the plaid being a size smaller is a better fit than the camel. So I’m sitting on it but it’ll probably get donated and free up some space by the end of the month. <– already in the donation bag

Speaking of texture, my pants drawer is noticeably more full than last time I showed it off (left), and I blame corduroy:

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The photo on the right doesn’t even include the wine cords below which are at the tailor’s. Sheesh.

These two in particular are culprits, having joined the ranks this past month:

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Wine-colored cords by Style & Co.; “Scotch pine” cords by Jessica Simpson

Also joining in the pants department:
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Banana Republic jeans – more on them next week.  Flares, I know!

Here’s a luscious two-texture Joan Vass Studio sweater I wrote more about here and here:

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Still loving this and wearing it regularly.

 

And new (to me) Pumas!

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Also more on them later this week.

And although I just pooh-poohed camel earlier in this post, I did pick up a camel skirt I’d been looking for. I don’t think it made it to a thrift list but it’s been in the back of my mind ever since I got rid of this one – quick recap, I knew I wouldn’t be excited to wear the winter-weight skirt I donated, but I can definitely rock this cotton-based one in fall/spring/summer:

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Pockets!  By Merona.

Looking forward to pairing it with button downs and popovers and maybe even a turtleneck or two! Wild.

 

And throwing it back to a thrift list hole from spring (which was unsatisfactorily filled by this silk first attempt), a blue sheath dress by Ann Taylor:

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Isn’t it lovely? I dig the color and I LOVE the neck; the neckline and the little chain detail at the waist bring some interest without making it overly showy.  It also fits like a glove and is the perfect length.  Can’t wait to wear it (this fall mayyyyybe? If not, definitely spring) and give you better pictures.

In the same outing I found this Virgina Hill shirt dress – after a long drought, apparently it was raining blue dresses:

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Excited about the shirt dress nature of it – it’s basically a dress version of the blouse silhouette I dig.  I also love the gorgeous color and the 3/4 length sleeves (my fave).  The length is a little short for my work/church wardrobe. Since I don’t often wear dresses casually and work/church is 85% of my wardrobe, though, I’m going to have to find a way to wear it regularly – maybe with leggings or maybe out on dates. Thoughts?

And last but not least, by Chico’s – another spring/summer find, inspired by this top I pinned from A Pair and a Spare:
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It’s a popover tunic (my fave!) and has a gorgeous Delft color palette going on.  Now I just have to be patient for several months (or some surprise tropical vacation?) until it’s time to wear it.

 

And now, the rejects!

Mulberry stretch skirt by femme with a cute back zipper detail – love the stretch but it was too tight.

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Textured blazer by… Liz Claiborne I think? Love the texture in there but you can see how big the arms were on me by the funky little pooch on the upper left arm – excess fabric is the culprit:

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Faded Glory 3/4 sleeve striped Henley – loved the colors, the length, and the sleeve, but the buttons made it too casual for my work wardrobe and the pilling made it too lo-fi for my wardrobe, period.  What it taught me, though, was that some tan/gold-ish stripes on cream would work well with the cords-and-blazers look I’m reveling in this fall:

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Oh ps it’s kinda sheer.  Or you just shouldn’t try on your shirts with a darker bra than you plan to wear it with in real life.

 

This was an attempt to carry the cream/tan stripe thing into another shirt, but this shirt – I can’t remember the brand – is definitely too small:

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I love the short hem and gold buttons on this acrylic number from the 80s – it’s very Golden Girls, and would go great over dresses (as modeled below). Aren’t those pockets sassy?  But it had a stain and was too big for me in the shoulders, so back on the rack it goes to be picked up by some deserving bridge-playing lady who needs it for a luncheon out and has better stain-lifting powers than I:
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I loved this top by Pleione (a new-to-me, mid-range Nordstrom brand).  It’s a neutral take on leopard, has an unusual pleat in the middle that gives it good drape and a little swing, and an open collar.  It was too big for me and the drape is not my style, but I think it’d be perfect for Anna from The Anna Edit (basically this plus this):
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Showing off the pleat; a straight-hanging view is on my Instagram.

 

Loved the print on this shirt dress, but body-hugging much??  I think I could make it work if my style was a loooot sexier:
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Loved the diagonal seam on the front of this sweater by Quinn, and the color – but it was sheer and didn’t seem to be high quality, so nope:
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I loved the color on this and the interesting pattern, plus the split t-shirt hem is a great detail.  But it was getting a little close to a tribal motif, it hit me funny in the mid-section (pic on left) and was too tight in the chest (pic on right):

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This great popover tunic by Tiny was, in fact, tiny.  Love the colors, the length, and the pattern (possibly also tribal? I feel like this is a minefield since you don’t know what’s problematic until you know it is) but I am literally holding the top closed over by bosom:
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My favorite kind of business shirt – popover tunic, with great buttons, color detail, and 3/4 length sleeves! – by Express, I think? (Y’all, I’m bad at getting brands on items I’m trying on!) But it was too tight in the midriff as you can tell from the telltale navel dimple shadow just below the placket – like a donut:

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That’s it for this roundup.  What have you thrifted/skipped lately?  Scroll down to comment!