Fall 10×10 Style Remix: Corduroy Confabulation, or, Part 2

Click here for part 1, an explanation of the 10×10, and what’s included in my 10×10 this round.

Day 6: Olive, Plaid, and Camel Riding Boots

Part of the reason I didn’t count shoes in this 10×10 is because I wanted to mix in fall shoes that either are new to me (hello olive ankle boots) or that haven’t really cemented their place in my wardrobe yet. For example, these Coach riding boots:

This is why you read the blog – so you can see the trash can blooper shots that never make it to Instagram.

As you can read in this post, I was uncertain how their looser shaft was going to look, particularly over skinny pants. I’ve let a mental image of…floppiness? keep me from reaching for them. But how great do they look with these corduroy pants, which are also a touch on the looser side?

I love how the bag and boots play off each other without being the exact same shade. And as someone on Instagram said, that scarf makes the whole look.

Let’s get a closeup on that tan-navy-sky blue plaid over the olive sweater:

10/10 on this outfit. I love that while it’s mostly made up of neutrals, it’s still a very warm and visually interesting palette. Plus the scarf/boots/bag brings the polish that makes me feel really put together for work.

Day 7: Bling Sweater and Bronze Flats

This outfit feels very…ritzy PTA mom to me. It has polish, but in a way that feels less interesting, more expected. I think my olive ankle boots (or taupe/cream snakeskin boots!!) would have kicked this up a notch, but I needed something I could really walk in for the day’s activities, so flats it was. 5/10 on this outfit.

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So shiny!

These socks are meant to be Donegal tweed-esque but in photographs just end up looking like they have lint stuck to them. If my cream/taupe chevron socks hadn’t been in the wash they would have been a much better choice:

Day 8: Navy + Purple

From PTA mom we go all the way almost to athleisure, with that vest and those Puma sneaks. It’s actually the “shop my closet” version of these New Hampshirite outfits I admired a few weeks ago, and I love how the navy and deep purple turned out with the light sweater providing some visual relief from the dark colors:

I love that hi-lo split hem peeking out! Just a little visual interest to keep it fun.

For those of you keeping score at home, this vest was not in my 10×10. Yep, I “cheated,” and it totally made the outfit:

10/10 on this one.

Day 9: Charcoal & Purple

My notes from last week’s outfit with this sweater were right on – the slimmer-fitting pant makes the silhouette. I feel like the 2017 version of the Chico’s women I aspired to be when I was 12:

The colors here are stellar even though, let’s be honest, this pale skin was not made for how dark this all is – at least not without some kind of dramatic eye and lip makeup. 9/10 for that.

You know it’s right when the keynote speaker at the conference you’re attending compliments your boots:

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Day 10: Bling over Cream

Despite the expression on my face, I think this is actually a better incarnation of this sweater than Day 7. Somehow the cream cords instead of dark denim makes me feel less like Alison from Orphan Black:

It also made me look more dressy for church, since this was worn on a Sunday. The expression you’re seeing is my “I just emoted for 6 hours straight without a nap” face. xD

8/10 on this one – it’s amazing what a change of sock and color palette will do!

Wrap Up

Here are my 10 outfits:

What I learned:

My faves are 1, 5, 6, and 8. (Honorable mention to 9 except it’s so darn dark!) I think the common thread there is the warmth of the palettes (except 8) and the fact that they all have some little extra attention to detail – a scarf or a vest that makes the outfit.
I’m excited to keep mixing and matching these sweaters & cords and to bring my green and grey cords and my other sweaters back into the mix (plus the two other pairs of tall boots I bought in preparation for New England and haven’t even worn yet!).
I think I’m honing in on that warm but muted palette I liked here (olive, taupe, caramel, cream, salmon), so it will be fun to try to focus on that amidst all the possibilities in my closet and in the thrift store!
I’m also going to try to continue playing with volume and drape on top, too – the dishwater, batwing, and semi-cropped loose sweaters were a lot of fun and reminded me that not everything has to fit slim for me to like it.

Which was your favorite of my 10? Did you do the 10×10? If so, what did you learn?

Thrift Tips with Public Storage

A little bonus to enjoy with your weekend coffee/tea/etc. :)

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Public Storage about thrifting tips. You can find the post featuring the interview here; and after you’ve had a read, I’d love to hear your top thrift tips!

Have a beautiful Saturday!

Fall leaves at Walden Pond.

Fall 10×10 Style Remix: Sweaters Galore – Part 1

So the other week I said I wasn’t doing the 10×10 because we were still having 80 degree weather. A few days after that post published Mother Nature mocked me by dropping the temperature 20 degrees with winds that made me chilly even with a thick sweater on. So I decided to jump on the 10×10 train a little late and have fun with it!

For those unfamiliar, a 10×10 style remix is a wardrobe challenge that uses limitations to spark creativity. Originating with Lee Vosburgh of StyleBee and now cohosted by Caroline of Un-Fancy, a 10×10 remix takes 10 pieces of clothing and makes them into 10 outfits over 10 days. What you count as an item is up to you (I’m not counting shoes, workout gear, outerwear), and so is the outcome – maybe you want to be satisfied with what you have instead of fighting the urge to shop, maybe you want to find new ways of wearing what you already have, maybe you don’t want to have to stand in front of your closet agonizing over what to wear.

This time around I’m using the 10×10 to test out new (to me) fall pieces as I ease into a climate with real autumn weather. Since I started the remix on a whim (and after I already had other posts scheduled), this post will be a recap of the first half of the challenge. I’ll recap the rest of the remix in the next post.

My 10×10 Line Up

These 10 pieces centered around neutrals with some texture for interest; as you can tell I’m still firmly on #TeamCorduroy for cool weather. I also tried to incorporate a few new silhouettes – the loose crop and the trapeze/inverted hemline, aka the Chic Bat.

Here’s what I’m working with – 5 sweaters, 4 pants, and one jacket:

Olive sweater by Cyn; cream cableknit sweater by Workshop by Andrea Jovine; taupe jeweled sweater by Ivanka Trump (hey, all my money went to Goodwill so I’m cool with it); dishwater sweater by Gap Body; charcoal sweater by 1804 Coin; olive field jacket by United Colors of Benetton; dark purple corduroy pants by Loft; cognac cords by Talbots; jeans by Paige; cream cords by Lauren by Ralph Lauren. All thrifted.

Outside of my 10, I added shoes and a few scarves for more color/interest. Here are the scarves; I’ll include close-ups of the shoes in the outfit shots.

Scottish cashmere scarf, Etsy; merino wool scarf, thrifted

And now, on to the outfits.

Day 1 – Olive + Salmon Plaid

The sweater and ankle boots in this outfit are olive, despite appearing sort of taupe in the picture:

Closeup on this cashmere scarf with incredible colors – salmon, blue, cream, and a color that splits the difference between taupe and olive and thus pairs perfectly with my sweater:

I found this scarf on Etsy and have honestly no idea if it’s actually 100% Scottish cashmere/made in England as claimed, but it’s super soft and warm so I’m sticking with it. More scarves in a variety of colors from the same vendor here.

These thrifted olive ankle boots by Leila Stone look 👌 with this sweater. The higher (for me) heel makes them slightly uncomfortable to walk in long distances, but it’s totally doable on my short commute:

I give this outfit 10 out of 10. I feel chic, put together, and like I managed to add some fall color in a palette that doesn’t overwhelm me.

Day 2: Navy & Cream

This sweater is actually more of a dishwater color…I love the texture and the silhouette (split hems forever!), but I think I’m going to bleach it and dye it cream so that it’s not quite so… grey-ish. Is there such a thing as cream-colored dye?

I like the scarf on top of that big blank slate and the print mixing with the floral sneaks. Now that the weather is chillier, I can easily swap my navy Puma sneakers for footwear warmth. I’d give this outfit 8/10 for comfort and style; -2 points for the dishwater color.

Day 4: Stormtroopers

My daughter and I both wore charcoal and cream this day, which prompted her to declare that we were stormtroopers (don’t worry; she’s usually rooting for the Rebel Alliance):

I surprised myself with how much I like this charcoal color; y’all know I stay away from true black and this is pretty close to it, but the charcoal somehow warms it up enough that I don’t feel washed out. I dig the contrast with my blond hair.

The inverse hem with a bit of a trapeze swing happening is new to me; I like it! It gives some movement and interest to the outfit while the fitted sleeves keep it from feeling completely nonsensical in the oversize department.

I do, however, think that the volume on top might benefit from slightly more fitted pants (e.g. my Paige jeans), so 7/10.

Here’s a close up of the sweater texture and the DIY pendant necklace I made from Goodwill finds:

And the boots – I love the print on these:

Wish I could say I thrifted those puppies, but they were a Christmas present from a few years back. They’re Lucky Brand (thanks Seester!).

Day 4: Cognac and Cream

This day started lazily at home with coffee and oatmeal spiked with locally picked apples, then segued into a visit with Thoreau at Walden pond. I felt absolutely cozy throughout thanks to this super soft cable knit sweater:

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It features another new silhouette for me: a loose, semi-crop with fitted sleeves that once again kept things reasonable. Paired with flared cords (and the Pumas I ended up wearing to walk around Walden Pond – see below), it reads like I finally caught up with 2017 fashion, which long ago dispensed with skinny legs and fitted tops.

I LOVE the cognac color of these cords; it’s really rich and vibrant and would pair fabulously with my crossbody bag. I’ve previously gotten flares tailored, but I think I might leave these as is…they have a hint of a 70s vibe that encourages me to embrace some volume in my silhouettes.

I rate the Puma version of this outfit (which you can see on Instagram) 8/10 because although I felt a little out of my comfort zone, I also felt cool – and comfortable.

Mmmm, cozy:

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Here’s a closeup on those colors:

And the shoes for taking a walk:

Day 5: Field Jacket Chic

Let’s follow that 70s vibe straight into the 80s, where this field jacket picked up its corduroy collar and plaid lining:

Love the colors on this scarf, and the mossy olive green on the jacket:

I’m giving this one 10/10 for color palette, for sweater + jacket pairing so well together, and for the finishing touch of the scarf which really pulls it all together. This would have been pushed up all the way to 11 if I had worn my olive ankle boots, but I had a lot of walking to do which called for the comfort of sneakers.

All right, Thrifters – that’s a wrap on Part 1. Come back next week for Part 2 of my fall 10×10! And share with us if you’re doing (or have already finished) the Fall 10×10.

Thrift or Treat: Thrifting for Halloween at Savers

This is my very first sponsored post. That means that Savers sent me a gift certificate to go check out their Halloween selection. Thanks Savers!

One of the most fun reasons to thrift shop – and a great way to ease newbies into thrifting – is hunting for costumes:

Molly Ringwald costume at a rollerskating party, circa 2008. That sweater was thrifted for the occasion; afterwards I wore it, unironically, in real life. #noaccountingfortaste

Halloween – aka primo opportunity to thrift a costume – is just a few weeks away. So when Savers asked me if I wanted to peruse one of their stores for costume thrift finds, I was all over it.

If you are new to Savers like I was, it’s a for-profit thrift store chain. Although a small amount goes to local nonprofit partners, percentage-wise, the overwhelming majority of what you pay goes to Savers. Nothing wrong with that – pre-owned items still end up with a new lease on life – but since I was confused by some of the messaging in the store about donations and non-profit partners, I want to be clear.

My first impression was that Savers is really on it vis-a-vis Halloween. A lot of thrift stores sort of half-heartedly assume you will come thrifting for a costume but don’t do much to make your search easier. By contrast, Savers has a smorgasboard of strategically organized offerings.

Secondhand costumes
This Savers location had one of the better collections of used costumes I’ve seen, including these gems.

For the Trekkie:

Classic skeleton:

Ms. Muffet:

Merida:

For when your friend goes all out as Thor but you’re lazy and just want to put on a Loki t-shirt:

And Supergirl – which I would have bought for my kid if we didn’t already own this exact outfit (thanks Uncle Chaka & Uncle John!):

Next up: themed costume sections with potential secondhand costume ideas and accessories in one spot. Here we have all things clown, with rainbow craziness as the centerpiece of your costume…

…plus retail accessories to finish it off:

There was a similar pirate section, superhero section, etc.

Then there’s retail makeup (something you probably don’t want to get secondhand):

And for those in a creative rut or working on a deadline, Savers has a line of retail costumes:

The quality on these was pretty low and the prices pretty high – $25 for a cheap Luke Skywalker-esque costume when you could have thrifted an old karate jacket and brown pants and borrowed your kid’s lightsaber – so as with all but the best pre-made costumes, I recommend you skip this section.

Last but not least, and my personal favorite: costumes made out of non-costume thrift finds.

How often do you see hideously out-of-date wedding dresses at the thrift store? Find one that fits reasonably well (or can be safety-pinned), dump some red paint on it, and you have zombie bride, newlywed ghost, or Carrie at a prom-gone-wrong:

Or skip the blood, paint your face white with heavy black eye makeup and some white streaks in your hair and you’ve got bride of Frankenstein.

Next up, the erstwhile Kate Middleton at a disco roller party:

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…right?? Or you could do a modern-day take on Rainbow Brite, a unicorn, etc. etc.

Your preschooler wants to be a bumblebee? Grab this and some pipecleaners for antennae and you’re in buzzzziness (sorry, couldn’t help myself):

This has mermaid written all over it:

SO much leopard print to be had at thrift stores – just grab bottoms like this and a leopard print top, paint your face, stick on some cat ears, and you’ll look purrrfect:

Olive green pants + aviators and you’re Tom Cruise from Top Gun:

This is decidedly Hamiltonian – pull some knee-high socks over leggings or up to meet knee-length capris, thrift some brogues, use a chiffon scarf as a cravat, put your hair in a ponytail, and you’ll look as fetching as a federalist:

This + fedora + one of those grabby arms to reach things on the top shelf = Inspector Gadget:

Throw this over some puffy snow pants and get yourself a fondu fork (there’s at least one in every thrift store) for a 1970s ski bunny ensemble:

Tweed pants (also easy to find at the thrift store) + this gorgeous heather green/purple tweed blazer by Ralph Lauren = Scottish game warden. Put on some waders and carry around a fishing pole and you’ll be a fly fisher. Or slap on your nicest leggings and a pair of riding boots, top it off with a black baseball hat and be an equestrian à la Lady Mary:

Stuff this with a pillow, stick on a sheriff’s badge, top it off with a faux-fur Russian-style hat with ear flaps (also plentiful at the thrift store), and you’ve got Marge Gunderson from Fargo – bonus points if you’re already pregnant:

Y’all, I am not even that creative in the costume department but just by strolling through the aisles I came up with over a dozen ideas. The thrift store is the place to concoct your costume – and Savers’ mix of thrift finds, accessories, and makeup makes it so easy you might even be able to one-stop-shop your look.

Now I want to know – what costumes have you thrifted?

Thanks again, Savers, and Happy Halloween hunting, Thrifters!

Style Sightings: Fall in New England (with a quick visit to New Hampshire & Maine)

If you’re like me and have been stuck in bizarre 80 degree weather for the last few weeks but still need your fall fix, this post is here to help. First up, some fall fashion from around town.

White cords with a matching turtleneck and contrasting cable knit sweater:

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I dig the texture on the loafers (faux alligator?) and the apple as accessory. The sock game is off, though – don’t dilute the high contrast beauty of this outfit with pastels!

Sort of counter intuitively, that bright dahlia red in her sweater is very fall:

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Flowers from down the block.

Out picking pears, I spotted this gentleman sporting some great mustard chinos paired with clogs, that back-in-style-again fall staple:

Honorable mention to the teal chinos on the right!

More clogs, in IKEA, sported by a French woman:

We helped each other load boxes then chatted briefly while my child ran off with her own furniture cart like some kind of demented sled dog driver.

At our local independent coffee shop, this woman was rocking hiking boots + jeans with holes + purple plaid. Not in my wheelhouse, yet her look felt effortlessly cool. The cool factor was increased by the fact that she appeared to be 50+, an age when many women steer away from rocker/grunge style:

A better look at that plaid and hole-y jeans:

Still warm enough for slides on her companion!

This textured sweater + scarf over jeans combo on a woman of about the same age, on the other hand, is perhaps more expected, but it’s also right in my wheelhouse. I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw her look. Check out that luscious cream color of the sweater, its loooong length and split hem, and the delicious texture on the sandals, again a concession to warm days:

Here’s a fun pairing of berry and fuchsia (more pink than the red in this photo) that, like the bright red sweater above, speaks to these hot fall days when flowers are still blooming left and right:

See what I mean?

—

Last week we went up to New Hampshire and Maine for a quick overnight to celebrate our anniversary. First up was a visit en famille to Applecrest farm to ogle the apples and pumpkins and to visit the farm animals. Let me tell you, though, the first thing that caught my eye, right out of the car, was the fall style on these two late-20s-ish women:

Patterned scarves, split hems, plaid elbow patches, a quilted vest, great color palettes…the mix is good enough that I can overlook the matching TOMS. Did they call each other that morning and agree to wear variations on the same outfit?

Same idea, different execution – love the green pants and the plaid shirt with red hair on this mom of a toddler:

And one more toddler mom, this time with shearling and Chucks:

There was another woman whose picture I couldn’t get but who wore a marled oatmeal hip-length sweater topped with an olive green utility vest over jeans and grey suede ankle boots and it was the first time I liked a utility vest.

(Please, after all this time, don’t let me start liking olive green military parkas! Yes I know that field jacket from last month’s finds is awfully parka-adjacent… it’s a slippery slope, people, don’t get on it. Unless you are Une Femme who completely makes it work.)

Next we left the kid with the grandparents and headed north to York, Maine, where we got engaged lo these many years ago (awwww). After a walk on Long Sands beach…

…including the two most gorgeous mussel shells I’ve ever seen…

…and a quick trip to the Nubble…

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…and a stop at Dunne’s for Maine Survivor ice cream (no picture, sadly; we ate it too fast!)…

…we drove through York, where we perused this local artists’ gallery…

Best print storage/display idea ever.

…and spotted this equestrian chic outfit (love that long plaid scarf)…

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…just outside the Wiggly Bridge Distillery tasting room, where we enjoyed a flight – yum!

Then it was off to dinner at The Central, a recommendation from the woman staffing the tasting room. I had the ~~only~~ best! lobster corn chowder of my life and some really delicious beets/goat cheese/Brussels sprouts washed down with local hard cider. I was ridiculously happy to be enjoying wonderful food with just my beloved and no child. :)

Bonus: there was Maine dining-out style to be appreciated! While the apple-picking/whiskey-drinking crowd was on the younger side (late 20s to mid 30s), the women out to eat tended towards 50+ and, to a woman, looked fabulous. Perhaps it was the venue/evening time slot, but they looked a bit more polished, via jewelry and shoes, than the younger crowd, including this chic take on buffalo check paired with a cream down puffer and silver pendant:

…and this just-right goldenrod sweater with split hem and scarf (are we noticing a pattern?) and gorgeous silvery long hair which I’m going to covet now for my future hair color. She was laughing in the most lovely way but since I try to keep people’s faces obscured you will just have to imagine her having a wonderful time:

…and this cool black/marled color block sweater with a shirt collar peeping through at the neckline in a preppy-chic look (which sadly you can’t see; there’s only so much surreptitious outfit snapping I can do without actually stalking people):

Although Bostonians are fun to observe as they dress for fall, my conclusion is that it’s the women of coastal NH & Maine who have fall style down to a science. I am but a mere babe trying to follow in their footsteps; here’s to the fun of trying to emulate their laidback autumnal chic!

What I Wore: Boxy Silhouette

In which I try out a new-to-me silhouette.

I feel like Lee Vosburgh from Style Bee in this top:

Still working on focus, folks…

It’s a much boxier/wider silhouette than I’m used to:

Turtleneck: Coldwater Creek, thrifted
Sweater top: Banana Republic, thrifted
Necklace: DIY from thrifted parts
Jeans: Paige, thifted
Socks: Target, retail
Flats: Trotters, repainted from my mother-in-law

I’m pretty sure that’s mostly due to this being a size too big. Here’s how Banana Republic styled it, for reference:

Source – same top selling for $18 on Poshmark. It retailed for $60 and sold at Goodwill for $9. PS If you love this top, Poshmark is selling it in Medium (the size I’m sporting here) in the source link and in XL here.

And here’s how much – sloppier? – it looks me:

A size smaller would probably still have given the “boxy” effect without being quite so big. And I usually advise against spending money – even at secondhand prices – on something that doesn’t fit.

So why did I buy it? I was really drawn to the boxy cut – something I’ve played with in blouses but never in this sweater/sweatshirt-y fabric. It felt like the overblown boxyness was adding a structural element I tend to stay away from, and I thought it would be fun to play with.

I was also smitten with the the feel of that fabric – it’s basically a sweatshirt on the inside. Plus it’s the exact right color for my cold-weather wardrobe – an eye-matching blue, part of a two-tone knit with some texture/depth that doesn’t just read “solid”:

FWIW Banana Republic calls this “chambray”

And the split, hi-lo hem sealed the deal – I just love that detail so much:

It looks much more reasonable from this angle!

I’m not sure if I’ll keep it as is, living into (over-shooting?) a new-to-me silhouette, or whether I’ll get out the family sewing machine and try to slim it up a bit while keeping the boxy feel. (Keep in mind this would have to be project #3 or #4 after I re-familiarize myself with, say, how to thread the machine.)

Thoughts? Good tutorials for the sewing novice on how to size down sweaters?

PS Speaking of Lee of Style Bee, she’s got a 10×10 fall style challenge going on right now (along with Caroline of Un-Fancy). I have done two of these in the past and really enjoyed them, but I’m postponing this one because despite the cool snap that inspired this post’s outfit, Boston just had the hottest September and first week of October on record (climate change anyone?) and it won’t be letting up any time this week. But I don’t want to miss out on the fun – since I’ve been stocking my closet for my own Atlanta-to-Boston climate change (ahem), I have a lot of new-to-me fall pieces I’m excited to play with. So my current plan is to do my own 10×10 in a few weeks when fall is actually here. I’d love to know if you’re doing the 10×10 this time around!

Thrift Finds: September 2017

Let’s take a look back at September’s thrift finds – the stuff I’ve been thrifting as I shift back to a colder climate!

First up, a few dresses bought at the Davis Square Goodwill in search of a good candidate for the town festival. This sleeveless number by Talbots you’ll recognize from the What I Wore post since it ended up being a hot day:

Less orange, more coral in real life.

This striped Gap dress with bracelet-length sleeves also came home with me. With its thick knit it’ll be good for transitional temps; plus the stripes will work in my more casual workplace:

Despite being a color I love and having roll-tab sleeves (y’all know my affection for these), this long-sleeved romper made me feel like a Coachella attendee. Too short and sort of…sloppy? floppy? for my taste and my lifestyle:

I can’t decide if it’s better or worse from the side:

But that miss was redeemed by this scarf win:

Next up was a trip to Sister Thrift in Framingham, which I visited after the one in Watertown. The lighting in the fitting room was abysmal; I apologize in advance.

This sweater had my favorite fitted proportions but too many bobbles on it, like your aunt crocheted it for you in 1986:

I’m pretty sure there’s a hand-crocheted blanket with that exact motif on the bed in my parents’ guest room.

This cardigan was a great color and had nice drape but was too big across the shoulders/in the sleeves. Wanh-wannnh:

Diane von Furstenberg in the wild! This puppy was 100% silk, my size, and check out that ginko print! I love it. Sadly the white was pretty dingy, the v-neck was waaaaay too low for work, and the hem was too short, so I left it for someone else:

This Caslon sweater dress came home with me, to be paired with leggings. This eBay listing will give you a better idea of the color – it’s much more of a royal blue. Sweater dress + zipper details + pockets = win in my book:

This military green field jacket by United Colors of Benetton also came home with me. Nice and cozy for New England fall, it reminds me of Nancy’s monster-bashing outfit in Stranger Things – which, let’s be honest, is half its appeal. My favorite part is the contrast plaid lining, which no one ever sees…but I know it’s there!

My last thrift stop for September was the Goodwill in Portsmouth, NH, where I was on the hunt for some longer-sleeved casual tops. All my long-sleeved tops are either blouses are sweaters, but in this casual, cool temps environment, I’m finding a big need for more t-shirt-like, long-sleeved tops that can layer under warmer stuff.

Thus I give you this salmon-colored Chico’s 3/4 length top with pearlescent buttons (on the sleeve, too, although you can’t see them here), which is made of Pima cotton and was half off. BAM:

The color is much less dark in real life:

Paired with The Savile Row Co. polka dot vest, thrifted

Here’s another longer-sleeved tee, by Olive & Oak. Yep, those navy and white stripes are pretty similar to the Gap tee I wear to death, but this one has full sleeves, a neck that doesn’t flirtatiously reveal my shoulders, and a fun contrasting stripe there at the bottom. #thriftjustification

Check out that hi-lo hem:

I saw someone rock a warm oatmeal long-sleeved tee under a vest earlier in the day and figured I’d try to replicate it. This one was too greige and washed me out:

But this one, by L.L. Bean, was just the right oatmeal color with a little cream heathering for visual texture (and a mock turtleneck! joy!):

It’s going to be great under my navy vest (see above) and my cream/caramel/grey cardigan from last winter:

Last but not least, a fun cotton moto jacket, by Gap I believe, with sleeves too big, but I thought you all would enjoy it:

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What’d y’all thrift last month? Should I have bought the moto jacket? Comment to share your thoughts!

Local Thrift Stores: Davis Square Goodwill & Sister Thrift, Watertown

Hey all! Today we have a little tour of two different thrift stores in the Boston area. On Thursday I’ll share some of the things I found therein for my September thrift finds post!

First up is Sister Thrift in Watertown. Sister Thrift is a small, nonprofit chain supporting the Humane Society, which is A+ in my book. I’ve visited two so far; they are of the “small, packed, and you never know what you will find” variety while still being well organized.

On this visit I didn’t snag any clothes for myself, but I did find some great toys for my kid to spend her birthday money on, and as I mentioned earlier, some notecards, office supplies, and throw pillows. Prices on dresses were a little higher than I’m used to ($8.50) but everything else was priced decently.

Here are some great things I found but didn’t take home – pics from my old phone’s crappy camera:

Chartreuse velvet blazer by J. Crew:

Tweed blazer by Banana Republic I would have snapped up if it had been my size:

Oh hello chic Chico’s jumpsuit, sz 2 (that’s like a large in Chico’s sizing):

Some winter coats I wish would have worked:

A puffer coat by Calvin Klein (with a broken zipper):

A faux fur olive green wrap coat by Jennifer Lopez which was super chic but didn’t strike me as able to stand up to New England winters:

Sorry the picture is so shapeless; it’s hard thrifting with a kid in tow!

Next up, Goodwill in Davis Square (Somerville). There were two floors, with women’s upstairs:

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And men’s, kids’, and books/housewares downstairs:

The prices were reasonable (on par with Goodwill of North Georgia’s before their recent price hike) and the selection was pretty good! The women’s shoes were scattered across the tops of the racks which was annoying; I didn’t have the time or patience to wander around checking them all.

One big upside: they do returns! I can’t remember if it’s 7 or 9 days, but when we ended up accidentally buying a $14 wolf costume for our kid (miscommunication for the win), it was great to be able to return it.

It was a good visit and I nabbed a few things I’ll share in my September thrift finds post. Here’s some of what I spotted, clothes-wise, but didn’t take home.

Gumby! (and collection bins filled with Trader Joe’s bags):

I shared these on Instagram the other week but for those who don’t follow me there, some of my finds.

An Xhiliration blouse, size small, with a great pattern BUT SOMEONE CHOPPED OFF THE BOTTOM:

Not really, it’s just cropped and I’m annoyed because otherwise it would make a great work top for someone. But short-torso’d readers, perhaps this is your dream?

Uniqlo turtleneck that was made of some kind of classy fleece:

Super chic cobalt blue Kenneth Cole jacket with great shoulder and pocket details. I couldn’t find this exact coat online but I imagine it retails for $100+. Love the collarless collar:

The tiniest tweed jacket, with velvet collar!

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Odille (Anthropologie brand) dress in mustard:

And what I wore for the excursion, as it was on the warm side:

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Floral blouse: Old Navy, thrifted
Shorts: Bebe, thrifted
Sneakers: City Sneaks, thrifted
Bag: Marco Avané, thrifted

There are two more Sister Thrifts in the Boston area and two more secondhand stores in Davis Square to check out. I’ll keep you posted next time I visit one!

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:

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:

Jumpin’ Beans, H&M, Oshkosh

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

My kid’s clothes are cooler than mine.

Next we have pants:

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:

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:

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…)

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:

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: Town Festival & Preaching with a Pattern

Hi all! A few what-I-wores from the past few weeks, wherein I bust out a new thrift find and accessorize an old one (and where I achieve somewhat better focus for my outfit shots). These outfits spanned the hot, then cool, then hot again end-of-summer weather we’ve been having in New England; if you’re having the same kind of weather, hopefully you’ll find them useful!

First up, my outfit for the town fair, which involved 5+ hours of walking around booths and staffing our own, getting to know people, nabbing books at the library sale, and eating Thai food and cupcakes the girls soccer team made. I needed something casual but easy to spot as I wandered the crowds being introduced and introducing myself hither and yon. Luckily a thrift find the day before at the Davis Square Goodwill hit the spot:

Dress: Talbots, thrifted
Necklace: DIY from thrifted parts
Bracelet: Monet, thrifted
Shoes: Saltwaters, retail

I pulled an ERII and decided to dress myself in one color for visibility; after that it was a matter of adding simple accessories for a touch of detail (necklace) and for functionality (bag):

Bag: Marco Avané, thrifted

I love the warmth and cheeriness of the coral/salmon color and its polo shirt-adjacent feeling, which fits my town’s casual vibe so well. It’s like the Massachusetts version of this dress, which was too stiff and scratchy and formal but whose color I loved:

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on May 10, 2016 at 3:38pm PDT

Here’s a look at the collar, which was wide and casual but whose neat finishing polished things up a bit:

A closeup on the bag for those who haven’t seen it yet:

…and on the necklace, although this shot showcases that I need to spend a little time with the sweater stone on my new purchase to tame the micro-pills. This shot is also rather pink in color whereas the above shots come out more on the orange side; the true hue lies somewhere in the middle:

One sizing note for Talbots, for what it’s worth: this dress was marked a full size smaller than what I normally wear. I’m not sure if that’s due to vanity sizing at Talbots or just that their items tend to be a little roomier in fit, but it’s a great reminder that you should trust your own eye on whether something might fit rather than the size label.

PS I wore this same outfit this past Sunday for preaching in a late-September heat wave and it worked perfectly to keep me cool yet looking collected.

Up next: Sunday preaching. It was dumb to wear both long sleeves and leggings underneath my robes on a hot September day, but this ensemble was just right after worship was over and the robes came off:

Dress: Land’s End, thrifted
Leggings: F21, thrifted
Wedges: Bandolino, thrifted
Scarf: no label, thrifted
Cuff: Monet, thrifted
Squinty eyes: sun reflecting off house window

Let’s get a closeup on that scarf, which I found on the same trip as the Talbots dress:

With scarves, I don’t really know what I’m looking for until I see it; this was a clear “YES” right on the rack. It has a few pulled threads and even what looks like a burn hole smack in the middle, but the pattern disguises all of that (as does rolling it the right way). My love of blue, polka dots, and print-mixing also outweighed its imperfections; who could resist two different dot patterns AND the awesome scallop effect at the bottom?

Have you ever bought something with imperfections you knew would be hidden by placement or pattern? What do you think of my finds? Do you agree with my (no longer so) revolutionary stance that it’s okay to wear white after Labor Day, particularly if it’s HOT?

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