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!
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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):
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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:
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YES to that caramel/cream combo, and also to this combo:
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Statement jacket – Found, in spades!  Full post here.
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Grey Pumas – Found!  Although they’re blue.  But I love them.  Full post here.
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-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:
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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:
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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:
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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.
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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:

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

 

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

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.

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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!