What’s on My Thrift List – Winter Tweaks

Time for an update on my thrift list – both what I’ve checked off my last list and what I’ve added. This is actually self-serving because writing it down helps me remember what I’m looking for when I’m cruising the thrift aisles. But hopefully you’ll find it interesting as well.

From the previous list – found

-Soft-structured blazer – Found!

In retrospect I really should have done the “work” pose featured in the poster on the door. #schuylersisters

-Since this will be the season of turtlenecks, a turtleneck in this color (but not this tight):

I went for a delicious merino crew neck sweater with 3/4 length sleeves, which just felt good (on my skin) and right (in my wardrobe) – a new-to-me color that’s in the tan family but doesn’t look sickly on me:

YES to that caramel/cream combo, and also to this combo:

Statement jacket – Found, in spades! Full post here.

Grey Pumas – Found! Although they’re blue. But I love them. Full post here.

-One or two more thin sweaters that act like shirts; particularly a Donegal tweed version in cream or blue (or juuuust the right red). I have a feeling this might be a long thrift hunt.
I did find another thin sweater but it is kind of a heathered cream, not a Donegal tweed, for which I will keep my eyes peeled. Heathered cream here:

Shot of the awesome split side seams and closeup of the great pattern to come in the Nov/Dec thrift finds post.

-White pencil skirt – found! Will share in the November/December thrift finds soon.

-Sleeveless, collared leopard blouse like this but without cutting off armpit circulation:
wp_20160901_15_52_40_pro
Found! Look at how close this pattern is to what I was seeking, but with dark grey instead of black, which makes it even better, as do the roll-up sleeves which bring it into 4 seasons here in Georgia:
wp_20161102_16_52_10_pro
More on that shirt here.

Still looking

-Ivory puffy vest to go over my shirts when it’s not cold enough for a full-on coat
Still looking, but did find a taupe version that I will showcase in the Nov/Dec thrift finds

-Old school sleeveless denim dress – still looking

-Silk/nice poly blouse in cream with tiny red polka dots
I thrifted the below shirt months ago for my friend who is afraid red will wash her out, thinking that a sort of chambray-like take on red would do wonders. I told her she could pass it on if she didn’t want to keep it – and she did, which is fine, only now I wish I’d asked for it back to wear it as a version of tiny red polka dots. #thriftregret but also #thrifthope because I’ve found duplicates of other Old Navy shirts often enough that I may yet find this one too.

Additions to the list:

-Cream blazer to go over a red dress, a caramel sweater, a blue dress – oh, so many things! – the likes of this Banana Republic one. It was too small, I cried:

Does this make for an over abundance of blazers? I think I’m headed for my typical pattern of “get too many then pare it down to what you need.” What can I say, it works for me!

-Riding boots in brown or cognac. Most tall boots I find at the thrift store are either cheap or heeled (or both) so I may need to start looking at consignment stores.

-Navy blue velvet blazer. Hoping to find one to replace my wool one – to take the whole look up a notch, as it were.

-Brown leather bag to replace this one which is doing fine in the body – but the arm straps are covered in cheap thin leather that has split in multiple places and they’ve come out of the body

-Navy polka dot short-sleeved blouse in silk or nice poly because this one has a rip in the back :(

-a cream-based plaid scarf with some red in it to go with/pop my red winter coat; something like this:

A photo posted by Ranisha (@the_cost_conscious_fashionista) on Dec 10, 2016 at 10:13am PST

The end! What are y’all on the hunt for lately? Scroll down to share.

Leopard Print – Solved

I wrote here about my love of leopard print and the search for a way to do it in more of an all-over fashion – i.e. a shirt. I postulated in that post that perhaps a sleeveless number might do the trick, thinking that less fabric = less overwhelming.

But then, on a thrifting trip at the beginning of this month, I found this number by Banana Republic Heritage:

BR’s “Heritage” label features “easy-care, natural fibers” for “sophisticated women on the go” – whatever that means. One thing it does mean is that this baby probably retailed for $80-$100+.

It has a tailored fit (signified by a numbered size instead of just S/M/L/XL); it has roll tab sleeves (my favorite!) and button tabs on the shoulders as an interesting detail; but most of all, the print is more muted, more neutral, thanks to an absence of the brassy yellow tones found in classic leopard:

I’ve already worn it several times (as you have probably noticed on Instagram) and I look forward to working this baby in all year round. The silk blend contributes to its ability to be worn hot or cold; I’m thinking it will look great with skirts, white or red pants in summer, and of course my ever-growing collection of winter corduroys.

An IG outfit outtake, because I love you.

How do you feel about this version of leopard? Scroll down to comment!

Thrifting for Blue Jeans – a Thrift Upgrade

When was the last time you called your denim “blue jeans”?

I mentioned here that after many faithful years my Forever 21 jeans were wearing out and I was looking for a thrift upgrade. The other week I had a chance to thrift; after a quick browse-through for other items on my thrift list came up empty, I decided I had time to devote to an initial round of denim hunting.

The search for jeans can be overwhelming even when you’re shopping retail. My approach to searching racks and racks of secondhand choices while maintaining my sanity involves keeping in mind two things:

It will likely take multiple visits to find a winner.
Priorities – what features (fit, wash, cut, fabric, brand, etc.) are most important to me?

In this particular search, my priorities were the feel and the wash – I wanted something supple and thick in a darker, richer blue than my current pair. Color is a quick visual differentiator, so I looked first for the right hue. Next, with a brief touch I could tell whether a pair I’d spotted in the right color met my “feel” requirement. Only then did I check to see if the size/cut was right. If you care about pockets, this is also a good time to check whether the pockets are heinous. (One disadvantage to this method was that I sometimes got excited about a pair only to find it was capri.)

Next: given that sizes vary between brands – and within brands between seasons! – I pulled anything that was my size or one size bigger/smaller. (It helps here to know what your waist size in inches – e.g. 29/30/31 instead of 8/10/12 – since many brands now size this way.) I was also flexible about cut, given that I’ve had success getting a wider leg tailored to a slimmer cut. (If you don’t want to pay for tailoring and have access to a sewing machine, Thriftanista in the City has good tutorials on DIYing a hem or a altering a pant leg at home.)

Here’s what I took to the dressing room:

Pair #1 by Not Your Daughter’s Jeans: too short for pants that are supposed to get me through cold weather. Also I was least impressed with this fabric – fell short of my expectations for NYDJ given rave reviews I had read on retail style blogs.

Pair #2 by J. Brand: too skinny to even get all the way up mah legs. I so detest pants you have to literally peel off. (I have seen this pricey and popular brand several times at the thrift store but have yet to find success with them.)

Pair #3 by Banana Republic: great cut but didn’t button. Wanh wannnnh.

Pair #4 by Banana Republic: same brand AND SIZE as the previous number, and yet they fit perfectly in the waist. As you can see, the pant leg is just a little more flare than your average bootcut; not my preferred cut. But it checks off my priorities: the feel is luscious and the color is a gorgeous deep blue with stitching in a great contrasting rust color. Bonus: the length is already just right, as evidenced by the break.

Attitude.

Per rule #1 above, I fully expected to leave the thrift store with nothing other than more information about what I would look for next time. But given my priorities, these last ones were winners. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll get them tailored; unexpectedly, the wider leg feels like a fresh option to call on amidst a wardrobe of slim fit pants.

Here’s how they look next to my old F21 pair:

And next to my newly thrifted Pumas LINK – great match in color:

What do y’all think of the pair I picked? What do you prioritize when shopping for jeans (thrifted or otherwise)? Any tips for thrifting for denim? And most importantly, SHOULD I TAILOR THEM TO A SLIMMER CUT?? Scroll down to comment!

New (to me) Pumas!

This has been a rough week in America. When things get tough it can be nice to think about something fun and lighthearted like thrifting – but the last few days it’s felt odd to visit a favorite site and not even see the election mentioned. So I want to acknowledge the pain and grief and division in my country. I am convinced that the way forward lies in listening to one another and in working every day for a more just and compassionate community, country, and world. That ain’t easy but that’s why we have each other – and thrifting, for the days when it’s really hard and you just need a rack of obscene polyester jumpsuits to make you smile. Now back to regularly scheduled programming.

I first fell in love with 70s-style sneakers the year I lived in Europe during college. The market near my apartment had all the great foodstuffs you’d imagine, but what I kept being drawn to was a table full of shoes I associated with a very European (read: nonchalant, utterly cool) style. They looked almost like soccer (football) cleats – minus the cleats of course – and they were just so different from anyt hing I’d seen on American feet in my lifetime, somehow dressed down and chic at the same time. The pair that caught my eye was a subtle gold (is it possible to be subtly gold? with shoes?) and I lusted over them for quite awhile.

Kind of like these but with more logos/contrast happening. Source

I never pulled the trigger on that gold pair – I was a poor student who needed to afford things like wine and Nutella. But I kept an eye out for similar styles and eventually bought a more reasonably priced pair of Pumas in a two-toned lavender that was muted enough to read like a neutral. The rounded toe and sloping upper recalled what I had loved about the styling of the gold pair – very understated and a bit retro:

Not my personal pair, but this exact model. Love that color! Source.

When the lavenders finally gave out, I found another pair at the Salvation Army in mint condition (!) – suede chocolate brown with camel stripes and coral piping. I wore the heck out of those things and eventually the piping started to come undone and the stripes were pretty dingy:

I probably would have taken this last pair to a cobbler to get cleaned/repaired, but by that point brown had transitioned completely out of my wardrobe and I wanted something that would play better with the rest of my wardrobe, so I donated them in the hopes that someone else might see their potential and fix them up.

Thus, as you may recall, I added to my thrift list a pair of cold-weather sneakers: specifically Pumas since the previous two pairs have worn well and are super comfy – hello, arch support! – and specifically grey or another neutral that would play well with my fall/winter color palette.

I looked all summer and into the fall with no success – all I found were running shoes and canvas sneaks with no cushion. More than once I was tempted to just buy something close-ish and make do, but my inner thrift conscience reminded me that I usually regret it when I don’t hold out for just the right item.

And then, lo and behold, last week I stumbled on these beauties in my size, with little wear, and featuring a color combo that couldn’t have been more perfect – blue, cream, and a touch of gold:

The arch support when I put them on was like a chorus of angels singing. They’re a little wide for my narrow, narrow feet, but that’s the beauty of lace-up sneaks – you can secure ’em to the narrowest of feet.

Just looking down at that little gold puma on the heel makes me happy:

What’s your favorite kind of sneaker? When have you held out for the perfect thrift find and been rewarded accordingly? What thrift find are you currently trying to stay strong on and not give in for a lesser version? Scroll down to share!

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…

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:

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:

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

Also joining in the pants department:

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:

Still loving this and wearing it regularly.

And new (to me) Pumas!

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:

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:

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:

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:

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.

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:

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:

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:

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:

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):

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:

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:

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):

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:

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:

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

Thrifting Trends: Pantone “Evergreen”

I’ve mentioned before that I like browsing my boss’s Talbots catalogue for inspiration – go ahead, judge me. One of the colors they featured this fall caught my eye in this corduroy pant. Talbots calls the color “Scotch Pine,” which is a great name – and I am a sucker for well-named colors. But basically it’s just their take on Pantone’s Evergreen, one of the colors they’ve selected for fall/winter 2016-17. (For the record I like Talbot’s version better, but it might just be the depth added by the corduroy.)

Pantone Evergreen; Talbots Scotch Pine

As mentioned above, I really dug how luscious this color looked in corduroy; since there is nary a green in my wardrobe color palette, though, I had resigned myself to admiring it from afar. But when I tried out adding color to my wardrobe via pants, which didn’t require much matching elsewhere, I realized I wanted to do it more. And why shouldn’t I give Evergreen/Scotch Pine (or its thrifted equivalent) a try?

So last time I went thrifting I made a quick run down the pants racks to see if there were any evergreen-ish pants hanging around. It can be a bit tricky to find Pantone colors of the year/season in the thrift store since retailers are still peddling the new hues in stores. But even though Pantone likes to make us think they invented the color wheel, the truth is these colors (or ones very similar) have made the fashion rounds before, as evidenced by the kaleidoscope of colors at your local thrift shop.

I had already spotted two great blazers in a serviceable Scotch Pine on a previous trip:

wp_20160912_12_32_07_pro
I think Talbots called this “Hunter Green” last time it made the rounds.

wp_20160901_15_45_17_pro
Blazer with contrast lining by Merona; I own the same one in camel.

This time around I found an overcoat by Forecaster of Boston (Made in USA) – apologies for the blurry photos!

wp_20161021_14_16_47_pro
Wouldn’t a coat in this color make a smashing statement?

And in the pants section, I spotted these M Missoni pants (retail $300+ !!) whose color did not photograph well but was close to this:

wp_20161021_14_29_23_pro

The M Missoni were alas, too small – and also rather lightweight.

But then I found Jessica Simpson cords (retail $59) that were just the right color, weight, and cut – if a little low in rise. Lowrise waists, you are so tiresome.

Love this slim leg that keeps from veering entirely into skinny territory (and Holy Mirror Smudges, Batman):

wp_20161021_14_30_06_pro

I’m bringing window cleaner and a rag to the Goodwill next trip.

Here are some eBay photos of the same pants if you wish to view sans mirror smudges.

For $6, they came home with me so I can experiment with this color. I don’t know if I’ll love it or leave it, but this will definitely be a fun, affordable way to find out! And lesson learned – don’t be afraid to look for current trends at the thrift store!

What trends have you had success thrifting while they’re still in retail stores? Flares come to mind as another surefire find these days…

What’s on My Thrift List – Transition to Fall

Somehow my thrift list has recently exploded even though I thought I had a pretty solid handle on my cold weather styling revamp. I think it’s because I’ve had a few style epiphanies lately about what I want for my fall/winter wardrobe. Continue reading “What’s on My Thrift List – Transition to Fall” →

July / August Thrift Finds

August ends tomorrow, so I think it’s pretty safe to say that I’m done thrifting for the month. (But now that I think about it, I could conceivably hit up one last place Wednesday after work…tempting….)

Although I’m still feeling pretty satiated as regards my summer wardrobe, I have picked up a few new things since my last Thrift Finds in June, so I thought I’d share what I found.

Continue reading “July / August Thrift Finds” →

Currently on My Thrift List

Here’s what I’m looking to thrift these days as I head to my neighborhood thrift stores:

Sleeveless or short sleeve shift dress in a blue anywhere from robin’s egg to “medium” blue – royal is a bit too deep for me. Other qualifications: cotton would be nice (like this placeholder I shrunk in the wash); just above knee; no cap sleeves (someone please explain to me why these
Something like either of these would do nicely:

source; source
Pajamas for my toddler. She’s busting at the seams of the 2 footie pairs we have (1 gift, 1 thrifted) and doesn’t like to sleep in the short-sleeved Red Sox bodysuit I thrifted for her. (To be clear: she does like to wear it awake. We’re raising a big time baseball fan; “Go Red Sox!” and “Go Cubbies!” are frequent refrains in our house.)
Corduroy pants in a medium-dark blue. This is part of my top-secret* strategy for Phase 2 of revamping my winter wardrobe. (*Not really that secret; just haven’t written about it yet.) Other qualifications: not “skinny” but fitted, or tailorable to be fitted (I’m still stubbornly refusing to wear flares); mid-to-high waist (am I the only 30-something who can’t stand low-cut waists anymore?); thick luscious texture. These need to keep me warm, not feel like cardboard!
Legging shorts. You know, the above-the-knee kind that give you some extra coverage for shorter skirts but don’t make you feel like you live in an oven? I want them to go with this dress which I love but which is a tad too short for work, and which sadly has not been worn much since June started (hello ATL heat).

What are you currently keeping an eye out for during your thrifting excursions? Scroll down to share!

Thrift Finds: June Edition

As I mentioned in this post, it’s been awhile since I’ve done a “Thrift Finds” post – partly because once my summer capsule wardrobe was set, it felt like I should quit shopping for warm weather clothes. That’s part of the point of a capsule wardrobe, after all; you confine yourself to a certain set of clothes to help you realize that you need fewer duds than you think. (The punnery. I die.) Continue reading “Thrift Finds: June Edition” →

Building a stylishly edited wardrobe from thrift store finds

Category: Thrift Finds

What’s on My Thrift List – Winter Tweaks

Leopard Print – Solved

Thrifting for Blue Jeans – a Thrift Upgrade

New (to me) Pumas!

Thrift Finds: September & October

Thrifting Trends: Pantone “Evergreen”

What’s on My Thrift List – Transition to Fall

July / August Thrift Finds

Currently on My Thrift List

Thrift Finds: June Edition

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: