Adventures in Thrifting
Super Hero Style: Part One
So I’ve gotta be honest – I’ve really loved featuring these two-part outfits lately! I think it’s really important to know the versatility of your wardrobe, and how one piece of clothing can be worn several ways. I’m a firm believer in the “three-way rule” – the notion that you shouldn’t invest in something unless you can see yourself wearing it at least three different ways. My closet gets worn through and through, and I’m always looking for fun/inexpensive/quirky pieces to throw into the mix. Enter this shirt: I was thrifting with my friend Becky a few months ago, when I overheard a mother with her daughters arguing over a t-shirt. I could hear the younger girl telling her mom it was “weird and uncool,” which of course, immediately sparked my interested. The mother let out an exasperated sigh, and I could see her hang the item back on the rack with frustration. I beelined over to the shirt they’d been discussing, and was delighted to find a vintage comic shirt, featuring not one, but all the Marvel super heroes… Score!
Even though I paired this t-shirt with a skirt and heels – I don’t think this outfit feels fancy. This is what I’d call amped-up casual – just a really cute every day look. I wouldn’t necessarily wear this to work (I’m between our front shop and warehouse all day, so I try to stick to spray paint friendly attire), but I think it’d be awesome for meeting up with friends or a casual date night.
What I’m Wearing
Marvel Comics T-Shirt: Vintage (cute versions here, here & here – and yes, I’m partial to Captain America!)
Denim Jacket: American Eagle (suuuuper old – similar here)
Skirt: Thrifted (similar @ J.Crew (on sale) OR @ J.Crew Factory)
Heels: Target (similar here)
Clutch: Marc Jacobs – Neiman Marcus for Target Collection
Bracelet: Forever 21 (similar here)
Necklace: Forever 21 (similar here)
Lips: Mary Kay “Red Salsa” (discontinued – I recently bought MAC’s Ruby Woo, and I love it!)
More proof that I can’t keep a straight face during these shoots…
I have another outfit incorporating this vintage t-shirt coming next week, so stay tuned!
Again, all photos by my friend Mike, of Michael Hansen Photography. If you’d like to get ahold of him for a session of your own, you can find his blog here, and his Facebook page here. You can also follow him on Instagram @jmhansen OR on twitter @jmhansenphoto
Read MoreFancy Friday: thrifted David Meister
It has been well documented – I love a good thrift store.
I genuinely crave the smell of old clothes, the musk of well-worn apparel, racked into organized chaos from the discarder’s closet. I love the thrill of the hunt – the feel of the fabrics to guess which might yield a precious find, the unique gem. I’d prefer to brag on the second-hand item – the deal of the day, that truly incredible discovery.
Now I should clarify – I am not a vintage-clothing expert. I love newer second-hand items just as much as I treasure older, hand-made pieces. My favorite finds have always been the ones that are unique – things I’ve never seen on anyone before, or items that are on my closet’s “bucket list” (mine, for example, includes worn leather jackets, faded cut-off shorts, vintage fur, and anything sequined).
This dress was one of those finds – the moment I touched it, I knew it was special. The fabric – the pattern and the colors – it was just special. It didn’t have a tag on it, but it looked impeccable, brand new even. You know when you can just tell something is expensive? This dress looked and felt expensive; it was by a designer I had never heard of before. But it was my size, so I took it with me to the dressing room with hesitation and a little fear. What if it didn’t fit? What if there was something wrong with it – a rip in the fabric, a bad zipper? Those kinds of things really stress me out when I think I’ve found something great while thrifting. Because there’s never any guarantees with vintage or second-hand clothing. You can’t run back to the rack to get a different size, or a better pattern cut (speaking of which, the girls over at A Beautiful Mess wrote a really awesome article about vintage sizing a few years ago, which you can read here).
Anyways. I was standing in the dressing room with my friend Bethany, and I finally got to the dress. I’d been putting it off, because I really wanted it, so I really wanted it to fit/look great/be in great condition/etc. I stepped into it, zipped it up from the back, and fixed the matching belt at the waist. And I’d be damned if it wasn’t perfect. Perfect fit, perfect length (maybe a tad long on me), perfect condition. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, and I just couldn’t believe my luck. The price tag was somewhere along the lines of $40, which is a little high for a second-hand dress, but it felt worth it, and it looked designer, so I didn’t give it much thought.
I wore the dress to work the following week. I couldn’t believe how many compliments I received on it – people asked where it was from, telling me how nice I looked, and asking if I had something special planned that day. It was one of those trial-run wears when you just feel like a million bucks, you know? Sometime during that day, I decided I would do a little research on the designer, David Meister, to see what his collection looked like, and what kind of price point his dresses retailed for. I wasn’t completely surprised to see that the line sold in high-end stores like Neiman’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Bloomingdales, but I was shocked that the “every day” collection retailed upwards of $450. You can see a sampling of his current collection here.
Honestly, besides my wedding dress, it is one of the most expensive piece of clothing that I own. But I don’t treasure it because I know how expensive it was (not for me, but for the original owner); I treasure it because it makes me feel special. It makes me feel accomplished for finding it, lucky that no one else snagged it up before I did, and proud that I’ve cultivated enough years of thrift-store shopping that I know what to look for. Without further ado, here’s the dress:
What I’m wearing: thrifted David Meister dress & belt; thrifted Tahari shoes; Coach purse; right hand bracelet: thrifted; left hand bracelets, top to bottom: J.Crew via eBay, Stella & Dot, Forever21
All photos by my talented friend and burgeoning photographer Caty Dearing of CatyDear Photography. You can check out her blog here, and her Facebook page here. Thanks Caty!
Happy Friday, y’all!
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!
Read MoreAdventures in Thrifting: One Fine Day
I love to thrift. So much so, those feelings deserve their own separate blog post. And I’ll get to that – one day. But today, I want to tell you about the lucky/awesome/unexplainably fabulous thrifting adventure I had a few weeks ago. It was the kind of day where everything I touched just worked. I’ve never come home with such a haul from mostly “unselective” stores (Buffalo Exchange, Plato’s Closet = pre-sorted, selective stores; Goodwill, Salvation Army, Thrift Town, etc. = semi-sorted, but unselective stores – i.e., they’ll pretty much take anything donated to them). My friend Bethany and I had been planning this shopping trip for a few weeks, and I’d really been looking forward to it. We started the day off at the Old Home Supply in Fort Worth (you can read another blog I wrote about it here), intending to focus our hunt on housewares. They had some amazing sutff – don’t get my wrong – but nothing felt right. Nothing felt splurge-worthy (and most everything in the main building of OHS is a potential splurge). I was already starting to feel discouraged when we arrived at our second destination – Berry Good Buys, a small thrift store in the TCU area of Fort Worth. I immediately fell in love with the cleanliness of the store and the “Berry Chic Boutique” section they offered. Everything was nicely sorted and well priced. It’s definitely on my list of new favorites.
Our second stop was made at the Plato’s Closet near the Hulen area of Fort Worth. The store was a total nightmare – overly-crowded, disorganized, and filled with running/screaming /unattended children. I’m surprised we didn’t turn around and leave immediately, but I did find two rather nice dresses there, one of which will be perfect for Vancouver with boots and tights. We took a short retail break after that to roam around World Market for an hour or so, then made our way to an old faithful thrift store, Thrift Town in North Richland Hills (on the corner of highway 26 and Rufe Snow). This was the same place I found the American flag bustier last year – it’s a fantastic, HUGE, wonderful store. It has a good vibe, and I always find something there, whether it be housewares or clothing. They have a “Nicer Clothing” section at the front of the store, where I found quite a few things, but the regular women’s racks proved to be just as fruitful. I also found a piece of vintage Pyrex, and a brand-new Wilton serving bowl (details on that below).
We made one more stop at our favorite antique shop, Golightly’s in North Richland Hills, where I picked up a beautiful white chenille bedspread for 30% off. We also had cupcakes, because, well… obviously. I went home feeling absolutely triumphant – I’ve been thrifting for years, and this may be the single best day I’ve ever had with clothing. I was most amazed at how much of what I found was in line with the “Fall Style” board I created on Pinterest – sweaters, tweed, the leather skirt, bold prints, etc. I think if you go with the right mindset, and a mental list of what you’re looking for, you’re bound to have some luck. I’m working on a “do’s and don’t's of thrifting” post, so stay tuned for that 
(I did stop at my local Goodwill a few days later for a quick browse, and found a couple more things, so I’m including them as well!)
Here’s the breakdown:
Store #1: Berry Good Buys, Fort Worth/TCU area
Ann Taylor genuine leather skirt, $8
H&M grey sweater vest, $5
Paige jeans (never worn/washed), Laurel Canyon style, $8
Rebecca Taylor metallic tweed & crepe dress (new with tags), $20
Nine West leather convertible handbag (new with tags), $4 (originally listed at $8, purses were half/price that day)
Store #2: Plato’s Closet, Fort Worth/Hulen Area
Plaid flannel dress, $12
Gap pleated dress, $12
Store #3: Thrift Town, North Richland Hills
Peter Nygard tweed-trimmed metallic cardigan, $8
American Eagle plaid button-up, $3
Vintage Liz Claiborne Classics houndstooth wool pencil skirt, $8
Linda Allard/Ellen Tracey silk polkadot french cuff blouse, $8
Store #4: Goodwill, Bedford/Industrial Blvd.
Reba white ruffle/french cuff blouse, $5
Old Navy gingham dress shirt, $3
Total (2 skirts, a pair of (very expensive!) jeans, 3 dress, 4 shirts, 2 sweaters, and one handbag) = $104. That’s 13 items, at exactly $8 a piece. While this wasn’t the cheapest thrift shopping I’ve ever done, it was certainly the most fruitful (however, when’s the last time you went regular shopping and everything was just $8?). I wish I had the original price tags for all these items – I know the Paige jeans are were originally around $200, and the Rebecca Taylor dress in the $250 – $350 range. The leather skirt was probably around $100 originally, same goes for the Nine West bag and Peter Nygard cardi. And every thing is in such good condition. So far, I’ve paid an additional $11 to have the jeans tailored (they were literally 6″ too long, with heels), and $12 for dry cleaning for the nicer shirts. I also need to find a pair of feminine cuff links for one of the shirts, as the original set were rhinestone (aka, hideous).
Housewares:
Wilton Armetale “William & Mary” 16″ Bowl, $20 (found new at Dillard’s for $100 here)
Vintage Pyrex baking dish, $3
Hammered pewter pitcher, $2.50
Vintage aluminum mold, $2
Vintage strawberry salt & pepper shakers, $1 (I have an affinity for quirky salt & pepper shakers!)
So that’s all for now! I hit up my favorite Plato’s Closet in Euless on Monday, and left with quite a haul – more details on that soon!
My question for you is, where is your favorite place to thrift? What kinds of things do you look for? Where do you have the best luck? I wanna know!
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Thrifty Thursday
Last Thursday, I went on a thrifting adventure with two of my friends. I love this kind of shopping – no purpose or plan, just wandering from one second hand store to the next. I wanted to share a few of my favorite finds with you, for my first installment of Thrifty Thursday!
Also, I’d like to say that I love how thrifting/junking/garage-saleing has gained popularity recently. Blame it on the economy, blame it on the desire to be unique/original – whatever the case, I’m just happy that the younger crowd is rediscovering the value in repourposing. It’s also a cheap outlet for the eternal shopaholic (raises hand).
Wooden cubby shelf, $3.99 at Salvation Army. I can’t decide if I want to spray paint this, or leave it stained. Pretty sure it’s going up in our dining area.
Funky glass bottles, 2/$2.99, Salvation Army. I think I’m going to turn these into candle holders, because one topper is already missing it’s cork. Thought about painting the insides too!
Blue polyester pleated skirt, $4.99, SA. PERFECT for NYC. I think I’m going to pair this with a t-shirt and wedges for a day of shopping.
Scarves: mustard/navy/coral + black and white, $5 for the pair. One for summer, one for winter!
Blue-toned mini mason jar salt and pepper shakers, $0.99 for the pair. Maybe my favorite find of the day! I’ve researched similar sets that sell for $15+
Black (genuine) leather crossbody messenger bag, $9, Thrift Town. I originally picked this up thinking it might be Coach, because it looks very similar to the Classic Collection. It’s not name-brand, but it is *great* quality. Definitely great for travel!
Milk glass items, $1 – $2 each. I always buy this stuff when I find it! (Do you know how to tell if it’s real? Hold it up to the light – you should see a faint iridescent shimmer at the edges)
Mexican fiesta plate with pre-drilled display hook, $3.99, Salvation Army. There’s a lot of texture in this plate, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the color. I’m trying to work this piece into the gallery wall I’m planning.
Mona Lisa mini-print, $2, and hand-crocheted red doily, $0.75, Thrift Town. Funky and whimsical. Definitely going on the gallery wall!
WHEW! That’s it for today! I hope this will encourage some of you to have an adventure of your own – you never know what’s out there, just waiting to be found 
Tuesday: a very good day indeed.
Yesterday was fabulous.One of those very rare, very good days, where you go to bed thinking, “wow. Today was incredible.” Can I tell you about my day? These are the things that made it so special:
I went thrifting with my friend Bethany. I love to thrift. The thrill of the hunt – it’s one of my favorite things. I don’t know if I’ve ever met an antique store, or a Salvation Army, or a Goodwill that I didn’t like. I started young. My Mamaw has always been a thrifter (in my living memory, at least), and I remember going with her so many times. Finding treasures. Garage sales on Saturday morning. My Papaw with his newspaper map, circling the “good” ones. Eyes always searching for something special. I went through a phase, probably in middle school, when I was SO reluctant to be seen in any second-hand store. I’m really embarrassed about that now. So much of who I am today was shaped by those treasure hunts.
We started at the antique mall on Montgomery Street (in Fort Worth). They had so many beautiful things. Mostly overpriced things, but they were beautiful, nonetheless.
I loved this side entrance. The building must have been a warehouse, once upon a time. It was HUGE.
There was a whole wall in one booth dedicated to blue mason jars. I love them – the blue color is harder to find. These were a little pricey though… $8 to $20 each.
I found this little guy! I wish he could’ve come home with me. Eric would have loved him! He was pricey too.
I LOVE my instagram app. It’s my favorite photo manipulation app for iPhone. And it’s free! Isn’t this chandelier to DIE for?? I just stood below and stared for a while. One day, I will have a house full of chandeliers.
After an hour or so, we tired of the real antiques (and the real prices). We found a Salvation Army in Fort Worth, and scored a bunch of really cool glassware. I found some fun canisters for my kitchen… I’ve been needing a place to put pasta and rice, since our pantry gets SO cluttered with those things. On our way home, we spotted a Thrift Town on hwy 26, and pulled a quick left turn. Best find of the day? This sequined bustier:
I can’t decide if it’s more Selena, or Katy Perry, but I knew I Had. To. Have it. I was standing in line at the register, talking to the lady behind me about a different sequined shirt I found. She looked over at the rack next to us, full of Americana-type clothing, and pulled this bustier off the rack. “Honey, you haaaaave to have this one!” Yep. She was right. Had to have it. No regrets. NO idea what I’m gonna do with it, but that’s life sometimes, isn’t it??!
Other things that made Tuesday wonderful:
I finally got to meet Michael Hansen. We’re planning something pretty stellar this summer. It might go a little something like this:
I’m excited about it.
I bought our tickets for the Harry Potter 7, part 2 premiere on Thursday, July 14 (that’s the day BEFORE the movie is released, for an 8:00pm showing). If you’d like to come too, check out the Muggles For Life website here. I’ve been to several of their premiere nights, and they’ve all been fabulous. SURE beats standing in line for the midnight showing!
And… to cap it all off, Betsy and I scored round-trip, non-stop tickets to NYC for her big move in July… for $200 a piece. We were looking at tickets on Sunday, and the same flights were more than double that price. We made Tuesday our deadline for purchasing, and I’m so glad we waited. I can’t wait to be back in that city.
(this is my favorite NYC picture ever, by the talented Kate Mefford)
So that was my wonderful day. Nothing earth-shattering, but completely satisfying nonetheless. I hope there’s a day like this somewhere in your future – a day when things just go right. Happy Wednesday!
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