Dress me up

Eric and I celebrated our one year anniversary a week or so ago. It is crazy to think we’ve already been married a year — time certainly does fly. We took a trip to New Orleans, and while we were there, ate a fancy dinner out to commemorate a successful first year. Eric bestowed me with choosing where we went so we ended up at John Besh’s Restaurant August (a delicious, yet not thrifty choice). It was a fancier place so I knew I wanted to dress up. It was a no brainer that I wore this dress.

 

Top photo is me in said dress at dinner (which a delicious malbec) and the bottom one is the dress hanging up on my closet door. I did not get a full length photo of me in it.

I got SO many compliments on this dress, both from the photos I posted of it online and from people at the restaurant. I found it amusing because it was a $10 thrift store found. A few months back when Melanie and I took a tour of some of the local thrift stores, I picked this up at the Rag-O-Rama on Roswell Road. I initially purchased it to wear to the thrift store party I talked about a post or two ago, but I decided I’d rather hold on to it for a special occasion. The tag says it is JCPenney brand. And I have no idea what year it is from. But I love it. It is very lightweight and sheer (I wore a long slip underneath it) but it was super cute.

Have you ever gotten complimented on your thrift store finds?

Jackets and sleeves

OK, so I have developed a bit of a Goodwill problem since moving back to Atlanta. I supposed there are worse problems to have, but when you are unemployed, you shouldn’t be popping in to said thrift store to purchase clothes which you do not need. I think that I am trying to figure out which Goodwills around here have the best stuff. And I go to a few, find good stuff, buy it and share it here. I think that is legit.

I have been in the market for jackets. Which is weird because I live in the South again and we all know how Georgia summers can be. When I mean jackets, I don’t mean coats. I mean something that is a big more casual than a blazer. Something I can throw on over a top when it’s chilly or as a finishing piece etc. The thing about not having a job is that you quickly realize the wardrobe you have crafted for an office doesn’t really lend itself to to life of someone who spends their day seeking jobs. I haven’t had a need for blazers (apart from the few interviews I have been on) but I have found myself wishing I had some jackets to wear.

So I ventured in to Goodwill with that purpose. I was up in Alpharetta (which I most certainly won’t be very often) so I check out the Goodwill up there. And boy, did I hit the jackpot.

Clockwise from top left: Light brown jacket from Ann Taylor Loft, black jacket from Express, khaki shirt dress from Target, blue and gray striped blazer from some brand I don’t know. Not pictures: navy jacket from Chicos.

I got four jackets and the dress for 30 bucks. Pretty proud of myself. They all fit me well and are what I was on the search for. I had been wanting a striped blazer for awhile (we all know how much I love stripes) so I was floored that I found one that was perfect. The shirt dress doesn’t fit in to the jacket scheme but it was super cute on and only five bucks. I usually try to avoid buying stuff at thrift stores from Target, Old Navy, etc. but I really liked this so I made an exception. It is coming with my to New Orleans this weekend.

So this trip to Goodwill happened on Monday. Well the day before that on Sunday, I went to the Goodwill closest to me by Perimeter Mall. I have already had some success here since moving including finding a J. Crew cardigan and a few Banana Republic tops. I went there looking for jackets, but ended up leaving with a handful of sleeveless tops, which are pretty much the opposite of the jackets pictured above.

 

Clockwise from top left: Dusty purple top from Ann Taylor Loft, multicolored top from Eddie Bauer, cream top from Talbots and teal top from J.Crew.

This totaled about 18 bucks. I bet each of these shirts when originally purchased were way more than 18 bucks so I made out like a bandit. I love sleeveless tops. They are great in the summer to pair with jeans or shorts (if it is really hot). And all of these (as well as the ones I bought a week or so ago that I shared on here) can be paired with work pants or a skirt to wear to the office when I finally get a job. I am excited to wear the teal J. Crew top with my white jeans soon.

So for about 50 bucks, I got all of those clothes plus a jacket that isn’t pictured. This is why thrifting is so awesome. I’ve been really impressed with the Goodwills in the Atlanta area. They are all organized the same from store to store which makes it easy to browse. I would say that I am done thrifting for now, but we all know that isn’t the case so why pretend?

Why I thrift

I went to a “thrift shop” party a week or so ago. Inspired by Macklemore’s ubiquitous hit, the idea was to find the most outrageous outfit you could at a thrift store and wear it to the party. Now we’ve all seen some crazy stuff at thrift stores, so it shouldn’t be a stretch to find something wacky. Old prom dresses. Pant suits. A variety of animal prints.

 While at the party, I overheard some people talking about their trips to the local thrift stores and joking about how there were a bunch of people who were there “shopping for real.” I was slightly taken aback. As someone who frequents thrift stores for clothing, I do realize there is a stigma that can be associated with it. And to be honest, there is a lot of not-so-desirable items among the racks. But if you search, you can find a bunch of great stuff. And that is why I do it.

 I love combing through the racks and pulling out the J Crew cardigan in great condition and buying it. Or taking home the Ann Taylor dress for 8 bucks that fits me perfectly. Now I could go in to the aforementioned stores and buy the items for full price, but the thrill of finding it for cheaper is why I keep going back to thrift stores. It isn’t because I can’t afford new things — it is because I genuinely enjoy the process. And it isn’t just the name brands that I love to buy. I have found some great off-brand pieces that have a regular place in my wardrobe.

For those reasons and many more, I will probably be a thrift store shopper for the rest of my life. And I will teach my kids the joy of thrifting as well.

While on that note, let me share what I picked up at Goodwill over the weekend. I popped in on Saturday to look for a tablecloth (which I did not find). But I did get a few tops and a pair of hot pink shorts.

All of these will get plenty of wear this summer.

Pop of purple

As I mentioned in my last post, Katy and I went on a thrifting adventure a few weeks ago. After much deliberation about the area of town to hit, we opted for Sandy Springs. Our path included B&R Thrift Store, Rag-o-Rama, and Goodwill.

I was impressed with B&R. It’s set up similar to a Goodwill, except clothes are arranged by size instead of color. I walked away with a cute Calvin Klein blazer for $10 (no photo yet). I struck out at Rag-o-Rama, but found a purple Banana Republic blouse for $5 and this purple Ralph Lauren skirt for about $5.

Shirt: Kohl’s (I think)
Skirt: Ralph Lauren via Goodwill
Tights: Target
Boots: Payless (I think)
Necklace: Plato’s Closet

A successful thrifting trip. And I think I got the shopping bug out of my system for now!

Casual Monday

Maybe it’s the thoughts of spring, but for the first time in a while I’ve been trying to clean out my closet and rebuild a bit. So many pieces go unworn or simply aren’t working for me anymore.

Over the weekend I went on a small spree at Ross and Marshall’s, where I walked away with three new tops, a tank top, and a dress. I actually picked out three additional tops at Ross that I liked, but ended up putting them back. I was amazed at my luck after striking out completely the week before at TJ Maxx, Goodwill, Kohl’s, AND JCPenny.

I particularly love this white lace Anne Klein shirt.

white lace top: Anne Klein via Ross
black long-sleeve shirt: Target
jeans: Old Navy
shoes: TOMS

Here, I paired it with a long-sleeve black shirt, but I can’t wait to wear it sleeveless with a tank top underneath. After a couple more cold days, the weather is supposed to be beautiful and spring-like later this week. Hello backyard cookouts!

I think I also have a little spring fever this week because it’s spring break for the school where I work. I’m enjoying some quiet time to catch up on work and dress more casually than usual. And I’m even taking a couple vacation days at the end of the week to celebrate the weather, plus a thrifting day with Katy (who now lives in Atlanta!). Stay tuned to find out how it goes!

I Wear Your Grandad’s Clothes

Today’s New York Times article on hip-hop/rap and Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” made me realize that, somehow, we haven’t talked about this chart-topping song that’s quickly becoming my 2013 pop anthem (in case you were curious, “Call Me Maybe” was 2012′s).

One part I think we can all get behind:

They be like, “Oh, that Gucci – that’s hella tight.”
I’m like, “Yo – that’s fifty dollars for a T-shirt.”

What will the prevalence of this song do for thrift shops everywhere? What’s your favorite line? Is your local thrift shop running out of zebra flannel jammies?

Blue Lace Dress

For Christmas, I received a generous supply of Target gift cards that I obviously enjoyed using. I actually found this adorable (and incredibly comfortable) blue lace dress on the clearance rack.

Everything but the belt is from Target. (Belt from TJ Maxx)

I probably should have removed the cardigan so you could see the dress better, but it was pretty chilly out. I actually wore a new gray peacoat (also from Target) over the outfit while outside. But don’t worry, I’m sure the blue dress will continue to make appearances as the weather warms up this spring!