Friday ReBlog: 2 (Well, Really 3) New Blogs

Conscious by Chloé features French blogger Chloé Lepeltier’s adventures in simpler living, including making hip outfits out of secondhand finds and ethically made clothing.  Don’t worry, it’s in English (she’s based in Portland).
Bonus for any of you francophiles out there, though: her friend Alyssa Pacaut blogs on her transformation into a full-blown Frenchie at Modern French.
Conscious by Chloé has great ideas/resources for nontoxic makeup, using less plastic/going zero waste, and other creation/wallet-friendly stuff.  Modern French features great recipes and wine.  Both blogs have a lovely clean look to them and beautiful photographs; get amongst them!

The Ethical Wardrobe by Aussie Sophie O’Shea is a high energy, snarky, millenial take on giving up fast fashion and exploring more ethical alternatives, including secondhand clothing.  Buckle up for lots of incomrephensible slang, ridiculous photo illustrations, and parrot playsuits.  It’s refreshing (not to mention fun) to see someone from the typical target demographic for “shopping haul” vlogs and merry-go-round style blogs take it to another level.  Plus eye-opening if you’re a regular at H&M, Zara, or other fast fashion hotspots.

 

What are your favorite thrifting and thrift-ish blogs of late, Thrifters?  Scroll down to comment!  And happy weekend already.

 

3 Mini-Tips for Thrifting in Style

Today I’m throwing atcha 3 quick tips that have helped me out recently. (Check out thrifting strategies Part Un et Part Deux and some more tips for a lot more ideas on how to successfully thrift.)  

  1. Start with the special price section.  Easy to overlook, especially if you don’t know where a particular store puts the “designer” items. (Common locations include behind the checkout counter, in racks near the front, and in racks near the back.)  Not all the designer/quality stuff makes it to these racks, of course—employees sorting the clothes don’t always catch all the pricey stuff—but if you’re limited for time and only want quality goods, make the pre-sorted system work for you.
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    PS don’t be afraid to spend more on a really excellent pair of shoes/bag/dress if you love something and it’s a luxury/designer brand.  $20 feels like a lot when  you’re used to price tags in the single digits, but if it’s a quality piece you love, it’s worth it—and still a heck of a lot cheaper than retail.

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  2. Check the clothes someone else tried on.  That sounds a little gross as I write it…but we are talking pre-owned clothes, after all.  You don’t want to miss the good stuff just because someone else took it off the rack, tried it on, and then put it on the back of the fitting room door or on the rack for tried-on clothes.  If it was in good enough shape and stylish enough for someone else to try on, it might just work for you, too.
  3. Use the couches to minimize buyer’s remorse.  Most thrift stores have a furniture section which you may overlook if you’re focused on clothing.  But it’s really your secret weapon: when your arms are full of “maybes” and you start to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of decisions to be made (this is a thing) and are in imminent danger of committing thrift lust, go sit down on one of the couches (if that’s allowed) and take a deep breath.  You can set your things down and go through them one by one; but more importantly, you can take a mental breather in order to bring to mind what’s already in your closet at home and what among your selections will work well and what won’t (or what you already have 5 pairs of).

 

What are your favorite thrift tips?  Scroll down to share!

 

 

Friday ReBlog: Reconciling Your Thrifting Habit with Minimalism

Dina over at Dina’s Days has a great post on how to embrace minimalism when you’re a thrift addict (or maybe how to live with your thrifting habit if you’re an aspiring minimalist?).

I consider myself minimalist-in-the-making and loved her tips. I find getting rid of the unwanted excess in my life helps hone my thrifting skills; it’s so much easier to identify perfect fits and say no to everything else when you’ve pared down your belongings enough for a clear vision to emerge.

My favorite insight from her post? “Give yourself the chance to miss something” instead of fretfully imagining that you could never live without it. What a paradigm shift.

Dina’s got great thrifted style and her own thrift boutique up in Akron, Ohio; if you live in the area, go check her out.

 

Happy weekend, Thrifters!

 

Loungewear

Loungewear, aka what I wear on lazy Saturday mornings/to sleep in at night.  (Check out winterized weekend style—not the stuff I sleep in—with this post.)

I can’t say that I thrift much of my loungewear, because I’ve had most of it forrrrr everrrr.  I mean, isn’t loungewear just stuff you’ve had so long it’s not in decent condition to wear out of the house anymore?

I jest—most things that have gone all holey on me saw the garment recycling bag long ago.  (PSA: if you live in Atlanta they recycle textiles here.)  But most of my pajama-like garb is, in fact, decades-old retail purchases/gifts, or a hand-me-down from someone who didn’t want it anymore.

I’ve thrifted a few pieces and, tell ya what, if you’re like me and want that exquisitely worn-in feel (see below), thrift stores can be the PERFECT place to find something quality (won’t shred on you) but also pre-worn (someone else has already done all the work to get that cotton t-shirt to the ideal softness).

Now I know some folks advocate scrapping all the crappy stuff and buying yourself nice silky pajamas and robes because YOU ARE WORTH IT.  (Or you need to say goodbye to a bunch of clothes that are past their prime.  On that part, I agree.)

But, guess what: comfy, holey clothes that have been worn in just right feel so much more luxurious to me than the fancy stuff.  Maybe it’s cause I grew up sleeping in a t-shirt instead of night gowns or pajama sets, but I like my loungewear more on the “worn” side and less on the “lounge” side.  What about you?

Without further ado, my loungewear lineup.  Hold your snickers, please. Continue reading “Loungewear” →

Weekend Staples

My capsule wardrobe is pretty much geared toward work/church: business casual, jeans only on Fridays, dressier shoes, etc.

On the weekends and some weekday evenings, I dress things down.  I like to be comfy/practical and not have to worry about getting dirt/paint/food on my work wear as I dig for compost worms/make art with my kid/cook with my spouse.

Having a mini capsule for the weekends that’s mostly unrelated to work wear also gives me a chance to wear colors/types of clothing I love but that don’t really fit with my mix-n-match capsule.  And since nobody’s keeping track of rigid rules here, a few things that do match my capsule aesthetic bleed into the work week on casual Fridays, for maximum usefulness/awesomeness.

 

Here are the main things I wear on the weekends and post-work evenings in cooler weather.

Land’s End oversized sage green roll neck sweater:IMG_3194
Thrifted from the Salvation Army.  Comfiest ever, plus very chic with leggings when One is pregnant (which One is not).  Looks stellar with a pendant necklace but that ain’t how I wore it here…this was a purely temperature-driven fashion decision.

 

Seafoamy green knit sweater, Old Navy; thrifted.  A little bit shlumpy/odd length at work:

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on

But so comfy and a great color, so I kept it for home:IMG_2927

…and cut small slits in the sideseams to let it fall more naturally:
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Ombre H&M sweater, swapped from a friend.  IMG_3262  

It was too itchy for her, but luckily not for me.  I generally don’t wear black as it’s harsh on my skin tone, but the greys and whites soften this up a bit (and my toddler does not care if I look like death warmed over while we read together).  Plus, it’s just the right length to pair with leggings.      

 

I nabbed this stripey Mossimo number straight off the rack at the local Junior League thrift shop without even trying it on.  It was a brand and size I knew typically fit me; it was 50% off day (aka $1.50 grand total); and my child was about to come unglued that we were still—horrors—shopping.  Done. Happily it fit like a dream and goes perfectly underneath my lone hooded sweatshirt as a base layer, or singly when I work up a sweat but it’s still cold in our house. IMG_3249 Bonus: these colors are not in my capsule nor are they my favorites in real life; but they are quite lovely, and they just spoke to me: wear something DIFFERENT!  Even if it’s only on the weekends.

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And now for your pieces that fit right into the capsule vibe without missing a beat:

Ol’ faithful plaid shirt right here—worn many a casual Friday and weekend.  Seriously, this gets worn pretty much every. week. end.  Why fix what ain’t broke?

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Yikes, that mirror needed cleaning.

With camel blazer + brown suede boat shoes for Friday at the office:

  A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on

 

Moving towards warmer weather, we have a 3/4-length sleeve Breton stripe tee from the Gap, perfect for when it’s just a tad too cool for short sleeves/no sleeves:IMG_3189

I pair with a blazer and jeans in cool-ish weather and frequently wear to work on Casual Friday, à la this very look ^^^.  But it also works peachily with shorts or knee-length cutoffs as the weather warms.

 

Do you have a mini-wardrobe that’s just for weekends/evenings, or just for cocktail parties, or just for ladies’ night out?  Or do you fit it all seamlessly into the same wardrobe because your style is just that consistent?

Scroll down to share, or click back to this post for some ideas on how to spread your style across your life so some pieces can play in all your wardrobes!

 

What I Wore: Changing Temps

We’re having warmer weather here in the ATL but the mornings can still be cool.  Add to that a sometimes-chilly office or church space and you gotta figure out how to transition across a variety of temps in one outfit.

Yesterday my solution was to wear warm but unlined pants on bottom and 2 light-ish layers on top.

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It’s what I like to call my “excited to preach” face.  Ignore the random crumpled garment on the road…not mine. Continue reading “What I Wore: Changing Temps” →

Friday ReBlog: Capsule Wardrobes on Wardrobe Oxygen

Alison Gary over at Wardrobe Oxygen has been postin’ away on capsule wardrobes this week.  Check out her posts below, and check back here next week for my casual/weekend capsule…this might be a shock, but I don’t wear sheath dresses on Saturday mornings!

My Real Life Capsule Wardrobe

What to Do When a Capsule Piece Is No Longer Wearable

How to Merge Weekend & Work Capsule Wardrobes

 

 

Have a great weekend, Thrifters!

 

 

Jewelry with a Purpose

A few weeks ago I wrote about retail companies with a conscience—places where your dollars go to a good cause as well as towards a beautiful bauble.  I mentioned Starfish Project and that I planned on supporting them in the near future.

Well, the future has arrived:

IMG_3201 IMG_3199Please excuse the banana my child wiped on my lower lapel two seconds before this picture was taken.

 

Isn’t it lovely?  It’s their Avery necklace and although it comes in a variety of colors, mine showed up a lovely purple.   I’d been wanting a long necklace to go with my winter capsule that was a little more lively than the thin-skim-milk bluish-white and blue of this necklace. (Seriously, I love the dangles I added on, but the large pendant disc colors are kind of sad in person.)

I perused Starfish Project’s selections, made by women who are rebuilding their lives after being caught up in human/sex trafficking, and this big ol’ hunk of crystalline rock caught my eye.  Equal parts chic and funky, right up my alley.

My friend and consultant in all things natural healing reminded me that amethyst is the stone of self-love, so some kind of meta double points there since that’s what Starfish Project is all about.

 

What do you think of my selection?  Does anything on their site catch your eye?  If you mostly stay away from retail, are you more likely to buy something from a company with a social mission?

Scroll down to comment!

 

 

PS I have yet to take on any kind of partnership, sponsorship, ads, or other $$ deals through this blog, so this necklace was not a gift from the company.  Disclaimer-y language and all that.

Thrift Hacks: Running Shorts Rehab

Even though I rely on running for my primary exercise, I haven’t been running very much the last, oh, month or so?  (Maybe 6 weeks.)  I blame it on being dark when I get home and sometimes cold.

Lucky me, days are longer and temps are warming up a bit—time to pull out the sports bras and the running shorts!

Only the tie on my lovely thrifted baby blue Adidas shorts was broooooken, which made them a little hard to keep up.  I posted briefly about their rehab previously but thought I’d go into a little more detail now in honor of it being running season again.

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Yes those are POCKETS!

 

These beauties, also thrifted, came with 2 pairs of ridiculously long shoelaces that, when in use, make the poor shoes look like a little girl with one of those GIANT bows in her hair (if you grew up in the South you feel me):

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I don’t usually keep extras like this sitting around when I know I’m not going to use them (they get donated to keep my house from getting cluttered up), but for some reason I kept these tucked away.

So when my spouse suggested I use the extra laces to fix my broken shorts instead of tossing them in the donate pile, I went for it.

 

The side seams go all the way to the top of the waistband, so the first thing I did (after removing the broken tie) was cut a small slit on either side of the seam so that I could thread the pink laces all the way around.  You can see the slits where the two small sections of pink laces pop through on either side:IMG_1216

Then I tied the two pink laces together (yes I could’ve used the white pair but what fun is that?), attached one end to a safety pin, and scrunched it through the hollow part of the waistband, jumping over the side seams at the slits on either side.

Et voilà!  Shorts back in action.

Now I just have to get *me* back in action, ’cause I got a 5k to run over these serious Atlanta hills in April and it ain’t gonna be pretty if I don’t train.  Wish me luck!

 

Have you ever used one part of a thrift to fix another?  Do you tend to get rid of bits you’re not using right away or store them up for just such an occasion as this?  Do you thrift workout wear? What’s your favorite secret for jump-starting your workout routine?

Scroll down to share!

And click here for tips on thrifting your workout clothes and to check out my (mostly thrifted) workout capsule wardrobe.