This week I had to go to the Goodwill for work (lucky gal, I know!!) to drop off some items we were no longer using at the office and to look for a gag gift for a departing coworker. I found the gag gift, along with a perfect little ramekin to keep the rubber bands that had been procreating like bunnies all over the inside of my desk drawer. I had gone through the checkout line and was halfway between the cash register and the door when I spied a display area placed strategically near the entrance. Normally these displays catch your eye as you enter with hand-selected merchandise–some stores go with the outfits-on-mannequins approach while others (this Goodwill included) go by theme: designer or upscale clothes, all denim items, all white shirts, etc. But since I’d gone in on a mission and with a tight schedule, I had totally missed these racks. Good thing they caught my eye on the way out, though, because what was the theme of these display racks but navy blue trousers, for which I had been thrifting at least a year!
Lesson learned: don’t let a great find pass you by just because you didn’t think to look somewhere unexpected. More on that later–because sometimes your new favorite piece will be hidden in the kids’ section.
Per
capsule wardrobe logic, my wardrobe has a limited color palette so that most of my clothes go together: a lot of corals and tomato reds, lots of navy blue, a few mints, and some neutrals (white or blush come to mind), all of which go with navy pants. I had found a great pair of said pants last year–they were soft and fit well after a sartorially gifted friend took in the waist for me–but after several months of wearing them I decided that the waist was just too high for the silhouette I like and my comfort level. (I tend to wear pants just above the hips where I can belt them and have them stay put, a leftover from my adolescence in the 90s when hip huggers–which never really hugged that well, did you notice?–were all the rage.)
And so I kept looking for a better match. That’s one plus to thrifting–if you find a better fit for your style, whether literal or figurative, you can always afford to ditch the last version and upgrade.
So let me introduce you to my current iteration of the navy pant: Loft trousers with a slim “Marisa” cut and a great length just near the ankle, appropriate for warmer weather wear with flats and cooler weather wear with funky socks. The closure is not my favorite–I find the style with a band that reaches over from one side to the other and closes with flat hooks invariably pooches out right where you want clothes to lay flat–but I think it will be covered by my favorite belts and/or looser tops that float over the waist. On their first wear at the office my boss said “Cute pants!” which, given her good taste, I took as a positive sign. I’m sure you’ll see these babies in many future outfits so I’ll be sure to let you know how they wear in.
– – –
The shirt made its debut
here after being thrifted
here. This is, surprisingly, a super comfortable outfit–I put it on for pictures and then lounged in it while we caught up on
Orphan Black and it was like I was wearing pajamas. Then I wore it to church and now to work (below). Win!
The view from behind (with shirt hiked up so you can see the pockets–ish! Sorry about the lighting):
Don’t let my awkward expression distract you from the
floral sneaks–a simple shoe swap and you’re ready for casual Friday or letting people know you don’t take yourself too seriously:
Tell me about your favorite pant style–and/or your closest near miss–in the comments!
Related
Pants that don’t pinch my middle, that have actually usable pockets that don’t pooch out, and that touch the floor before I put on shoes.
Good tip for figuring out length, thanks! And I tend to be okay with a little bit of pocket pooch (even though that’s a Ma No-No) in cotton pants because they give it a little structure, but otherwise I agree.
Some of us don’t need extra structure. ;)
I didn’t mean structural structure, I meant visual structure, duh! Just kidding, that was totally incomprehensible the way I wrote it. :)