This is the other piece I picked up in Delaware: navy Tahari pants.

Top, Lauren Conrad; pants, Tahari; shoes, Clarks; all thrifted.  Necklace by me.  Ignore the awkward back foot there.

You may be familiar with my slow style quest for navy pants and remember that I recently nabbed a nice navy trouser, so in true minimalist/capsule fashion I should’ve been sartorially satisfied and thus blinded to any other navy bottoms, no matter how attractive (…and now I have distracted myself with visions of sailors in their dress whites.  Ahem).

But as I mentioned in that same post about the navy trousers, part of the pleasure of thrifting is that, because of the low price point, you can be open to upgrades–or in this case, a versatile, if unexpected, addition to my wardrobe.  Since my closet is mostly navies, tomato reds/corals, off-whites, and a pinch of camel and the above minty/light teal hue (anyone want to name that??), a pair of navy pants that functions differently than the ones I already own is not necessarily overkill.  These Taharis are quite a bit cooler, don’t require a belt (they zip up the side and have no belt loops which makes for a lovely smooth line), and are close fitting in a way that lets me wear loose tops like the one above and not look frumpy.  My Loft trousers will still get plenty of use in the colder months, when I want pockets, and when a more tailored top is the order of the day. In short, I think the two will assist each other nicely.  Did I mention the Taharis were $1.50?  (Big upside to independent thrift stores–even bargain-ier prices!)

Speaking of that top…it’s by Lauren Conrad.  I’m almost ashamed to type that, but I LOVE the color and print.  Worn to church yesterday it was complimented three different times, including “that outfit is SO YOU” and “that color suits you so well,” so I’m happy to take myself down a peg in terms of my celebrity snobbery for such a star shirt.  It wasn’t getting worn as much as it deserved because it looked a bit blobby with the looser-cut trousers I already own, so I’m even more happy to have acquired pants that will let that star shirt shine.

Tune in over the next few days for more on PANTS: how to shop for pants with an eye to filling holes in your wardrobe, how my own pants work in my wardrobe, and how to find non-retail pants when you’re short on time.  Have a great week, Thrifters!