Going Postal

Light blue short sleeved button up- Banana Republic (via Goodwill) ~$5

Black skirt with tiny white polka dots- BRIGG (via Goodwill) ~$6

Metallic pointy toed kitten heel- Nine West (via Bon Ton) ~$20

Pearl necklace (gift)

TOTAL COST: Approx. $31

            This outfit has a total clothing cost (excluding accessories) of $11! Would you ever know it? I don’t think so! This shirt was found on one of my most recent excursions to Goodwill and I was thrilled to see the Banana Republic label. Okay, yes, it looked a little “postal service” to me but I know that it’s all about styling! So I took it home, washed and ironed it, and decided that it would pair well with my black polka dot skirt.

            Over time and through lots of practice, I have developed an eye for quality and often find myself picking through the racks and flipping right to well known labels- it’s my super power. Of course, I see plenty of items with good labels that are U-G-L-Y. The visual appearance is also important. Now, I don’t want to come across as a label snob, because it just isn’t true! To me, a label can be important because, for many brands, it is synonymous with quality. The difference between buying a Banana Republic silk skirt at Goodwill for $6 and buying a poly-blend skirt from Old Navy (same parent company!) for $6 is not equivalent. I’d rather pick through the racks at Goodwill for these quality pieces.

            A brief note about the shoes. For this outfit, it would have been easy to wear a black shoe. Black skirt. Black shoe. It makes sense, right? NO WAY! Black shoes would have been way too bold and distracting from the more subtle nature of this preppy outfit. It seems like everyone is so into “the nude shoe” but why wear a shoe that blends in? That’s not my style. A light gold metallic shoe is also a neutral! It pairs well with many colors and keeps the focus on the outfit. (I also have pale legs, so a black shoe would be especially distracting)

Tell me readers, What labels do you swoon over when you find them at thrifty stores? Comment or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com

Thriftfully Yours,

B