Adventures in Thrifting: A Chambray Dress

In my last “Adventures in Thrifting” post, I talked about the luck I’ve had recently thrift shopping for clothing. Sometimes, I find great things. Other times, I leave with next to nothing. And that’s okay – it’s the thrill of the hunt that keeps me coming back. It’s the I didn’t pay full price for fabulous that has me hooked (thanks for that, Marshall’s). I don’t mind that I’m wearing “out of season,” or “last year’s” clothes. If I like it, if it fits (or has the potential to fit – I’m not above altering a good find to fit better), if it’s well priced, if it works within my wardrobe, or might inspire something new – it’s going home with me. Because I would rather have a closet full of beautiful, hand-selected pieces from years past, than only be able to afford a few new pieces every season. I don’t put rules on where I shop, who I buy from, or what the current trends are – in fact, some of my favorite fashion icons aren’t trendy – they’re well ahead of the trends. I wear and buy things that work for me, on my body, because it’s my prerogative.

Another thing – I like to go thrifting with ZERO expectations in mind. It’s easy to get frustrated when you shop like you’re at a mall – you’ve just got to take what you can find, how you can find it, in a condition you can live with. That doesn’t mean you can’t be picky, and it doesn’t mean you can’t have an idea in your head of what you’d like to find. My favorite thing to do before I go thrifting is to look at some of my recent inspiration boards on Pinterest. For example, my “FallStyle” board is filled with cozy sweaters, warm layers (for Canada – not for Texas, lol), punchy prints and a little sparkle (always, always sparkle). That rotates through my mind as I’m shopping, and helps me filter out my favorites in the dressing room.

When I went after-work thrifting with Bethany a few weeks ago, I had no intentions of shopping for myself. I was meeting her at the Plato’s Closet near my house to help look for a dress for her sister’s upcoming wedding, but I was early, and the store was basically empty (best time to shop second-hand). Half an hour later, we were both headed to the dressing room with several arm loads of clothing. Shopping with Bethany is my favorite – she is never unwilling to swap things out with me, and give me an honest opinion on what I should/shouldn’t buy.

Plato’s Closet is what I like to refer to as a “selective thrifting,” in that the hard part has already been done for you. You pay a little more for items that have already been sorted, sized, and inspected for damage, with more emphasis on mainstream brands and current fashion. You’re not likely to find quality vintage pieces, but there are still plenty of good finds to be had! Here’s what I scored:

Top row, left to right: Fancy plaid dress shirt ($170 tag still attached! different pattern, but similar style here), J.Crew dress shirt (similar), J.Crew plaid (similar), Roxy washed sweatshirt (similar here or here)

Bottom row, left to right: Banana Republic sweatshirt (similar, though I did see an almost identical item at the Banana Factory store last weekend!), BCBG cowl neck sweater (similar on sale at Kohl’s!), Gap chambray dress (similar here or here), Gap waffle-knit sweater (similar)

(Everything was between $8 – $12)

A pretty good haul of Fall clothing, don’t you think? I’m excited about wearing those plaid shirts layered under sweaters, and tucked into pencil skirts. And I can never pass up a comfortable sweatshirt – especially when they’re a little more interesting than average. I love a cowl neck anything, so that BCBG sweater was a complete no-brainer. But you know what? I can’t wear most of this stuff yet, because even with the recent “cool front,” it’s still over 90 degrees in North Texas right now. That makes the chambray dress my new favorite find – it’s a great color, and has been washed just enough times to be perfectly wearable. The sleeves roll down, so I’ll probably layer it with plaid or flannel and tights+boots when the weather changes a bit more. Here’s my end-of-summer version of this dress:

I’m wearing: chambray dress, Gap, thrifted; wedges, Jessica Simpson (old); clutch, handmade, thrifted; J.Crew Venus Flytrap Necklace; arm party, J.Crew via ebay, Fossil Watch, F21 bow bracelet; Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss in Strawberry

This is my new “every day” necklace – and it’s more gorgeous in person, I swear. I’ve had my eye on it forever, but it was just out of my budget for a single piece. When we met Eric’s mom for dinner a few weeks ago in Southlake, we stopped in J.Crew for a few minutes, and she graciously bought it for me. I am thankful every single day for the relationship I have with my mother-in-law, because I know it doesn’t always turn out so well. If you’re reading this Robin – thank you again! You are a blessing to me in so many ways.

Isn’t this clutch amazing? I bought it at a thrift store (I think it might’ve been Buffalo Exchange in Austin – ?) in college, and it just doesn’t get used as much as it should! The detail on it is so intricate.

Now you’re completely up to date on my recent thrift purchases, lol. I’m going to the Dallas Flea this weekend, so hopefully I’ll have something fun to show you next week! Happy thrifty Thursday!