Complementary

Yellow Oxford- J Crew (via Salvation Army) ~$ .50

Purple Chino Shorts- Land N Sea (via TJ Maxx) ~$15

Oversized sunglasses- Wet Seal ~$3.00

Faux-Tortoise Link Necklace- JEWELIQ (gift, retails for $20)

Teal Barrel Bag- Merona (at Target) ~$30

White and Leather belt- Vintage (from mom)

Silver Gladiator Sandals- Bongo (via Marshall’s) ~$5

TOTAL COST: $53.50

            When I buy a new piece I love, regardless of present season or the seasonality of the piece, I always want to wear it as soon as possible. When I snagged this J Crew Oxford on my last trip to 50% off Wednesday at SalVal, I swear the .50 price tag motivated me all the more to style it immediately. So right after washing, drying and ironing, I built an outfit around it. I usually stay away from wearing complementary color, which seems weird because by definition, they are complementary- they go well together. In my opinion, sometimes these colors can look a bit childish together, especially when the colors are worn in their most primary, crayon-like shade. Luckily, the shade of this J Crew top is a bit more pastel and the shorts are more vibrant, allowing for color contrast.

            Can I mention again how much I love this necklace? I wish they were still selling it because now you all can’t buy one (SAD FACE). It’s so light weight and goes well with so many colors and styles. I’ve been loving necklaces styled over collars lately and the length on this is just perfect for that!

Tell me readers, Which complementary color pairing is your favorite? Comment or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com or tweet me at BsGoodwillHunt

Thriftfully Yours, B

Tie Dye Traveler

Purple Tie Dye dress- Pink Rose (via TJ Maxx) ~$20

Deer antler necklace- Etsy (gift)

Tan sandals- Target ~$20

Gold belt- Goodwill (no brand) ~$2

Congac leatherette D&G (knock-off) purse ~$20

TOTAL COST: $62

            I love the look of a maxi dress, but I rarely find a good opportunity to wear them (I have 3 total). On this day, I was strolling a city followed by dinner at a nice restaurant. When I saw this dress years ago in TJ’s, I loved the boho vibe that the understated tie-dye gave it. It’s also an excellent length for me (I have long legs). I even attempted appropriate accessories whereas, in the past, I would have thrown on the dress and given up. This necklace is such a great statement piece- I love wearing it but feel as though it should be saved because I never want to be predictable.

Tell me readers, What is your statement jewelry piece? Comment or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com
Thriftfully Yours,
B

One Blouse Two Ways

Black printed blouse- Ship N Shore (via Goodwill) ~$3.50

Grey button pencil skirt- Ann Taylor LOFT (via Goodwill) ~ $5

White pants- Ralph Lauren (via Marshall’s) ~$25

Grey pointy flats- Nine West (via Goodwill) ~$5

TOTAL COST:

Outfit One ~$11.50

Outfit Two ~$33.50

            I love finding versatility in my clothes. My plethora of secretary blouses can be worn in both dressy and casual ways. In look one, I paired my blouse with this excellent find, an Ann Taylor LOFT skirt I thrifted. The original buttons were plain so I swapped them out for these beautiful silver crest ones. In the photo, both pieces look like the same color, but there is more definition and separation when you see it in real life. I went for a more relaxed look in my second outfit. I would have never thought to wear them untied until I saw this photo from a favorite blog of mine, Pink Peonies (http://www.thepinkpeonies.com/). 

I also love the white pants with the dark top. This blouse looks plain from far away, so I included a close up of the print. 

It’s an interesting one and I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be, but I love the incorporation of orange and blue as small detail colors.

Tell me readers, Which look do you prefer? Comment or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com

Thriftfully Yours,

B

Remix and Repeat

White Polo- Ralph Lauren (via Marshall’s) ~$20

Multicolored floral Capri- Jones New York Signature (via Goodwill) ~$5

Baby blue skinny belt- Goodwill (no label) ~$1

Rose suede loafers- Talbots (via Goodwill) ~$5

TOTAL COST: Approx. $31

            I have been searching and searching for the perfect pair of floral patterned Capri or crop pants as they are on my wish list. Goodwill and Salvation Army seemed like pretty hopeless options because new trends take a while to make it to thrift stores. However, my mother found this pair in our local Goodwill and I love them. The colors are lovely and vibrant. I’m also so pleased with how many different styling options these Capris give me! I did a quick once-over of my closet and found 6 additional pairings!  I chose to keep the accessories as consistent as possible (although I could have had a blast with different shoes, belts, and accessories) so that the focus is on the Capris and the different top colors and shapes I utilized.

(L-R top, then bottom) 

(Click to enlarge)

This orange (the color didn’t really photograph accurately) v-neck tee as well as the yellow tank top are both casual ways to wear these capris. I also wanted to find a print-on-print option. Print mixing is a true art. I thought that a wide striped top would be an excellent compliment to the random floral of the capris. Using colors found in the capris, I selected this coral and white, and this chartreuse and white tee. I am pleased with the pairing! I’m not sure that any other print, besides a stripe, will work though. Any ideas, readers? I finished up with a popular selection this year- the chambray top. Mine has ruffles (YAY) and a rolled sleeve. I think it the chambray was a bit lighter in color, it would be even more successful. Finally, I did an untucked look (GASP!) with this lilac button up. Even though purple is not in these capris, the tone of this top goes with the tone of the floral.

            Tell me readers, Which pairing is your favorite and what other ideas do you have? Comment or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com

Thriftfully Yours,

B

50 Classics

White and navy striped t-shirt- Tommy Hilfiger (via Marshalls) ~$15

Navy cotton skort- via Boscov’s ~$10

Map print scarf- Thrifted (no tag) ~$6

Gold slip-ons- Toms Shoes ~(gift, retails for $54)

TOTAL COST: Approx. $31

            I simple, chic look and thought, what better way to accomplish that than to go with preppy classics? My style is flexible, but I do enjoy the classics. All women should build a wardrobe based on their personal tastes, however, I find this list of classics to be pretty helpful. In this picture, I’m working a few of the items- can you spot them?

            Here’s the checklist and a link (http://www.bellechantelle.com/2011/02/50-classics-for-your-closet.html) to a pictorial version. 

           Currently I have 42 items (although some, like the trench or blazer, are variations of the piece rather than what is stated). The missing items I’m currently searching for are: Classic Oxford (in blue) and Black Cigarette Pants.

            Tell me readers, How many items on the list do you have? or Which are you still searching for? Comment or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com

Thriftfully Yours,

B

Jellies For Adults

Black tank top with thin white stripes and collar- Ralph Lauren POLO (via Marshall’s) ~$20

Pink, white and black striped skirt- Dana Buchman (via Goodwill) ~$5

Glitter rose earrings- Totally forget, probably Target or Forever 21 ~$3 (possibly?)

Pink jellies- Delia*s ~$20

TOTAL COST: Approx. $48

            I was going for a “retro-housewife” look today. While I am not thrilled with how it looks in the picture, I did get a few compliments from classmates and I thought in person that the prints somehow worked better. This skirt is one I’ve long had from Goodwill. It’s a good length, it's pleated and there is pink in it- a winning combination. I truly wish the black parts of this skirt were navy, as pink, navy and white is another winning color trio in my book. Ah well, for $5, it’s still an excellent deal.

            Are you thinking, “Jellies are being made for adults?!” the answer is yes. I bought these from Delia*s a number of years ago and barely wear them. Why? They are not comfortable for nearly any amount of walking and if your feet sweat even a little, forget about keeping them on at all- it’s like a Slip ‘N Slide. I was headed to class (read: MINIMAL walking), wanted to wear a flat and thought a pink shoe would be nice with this outfit, so here they are! Adult jellies.

Tell me readers, What childhood fashion trend to you miss? Inbox or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com

Thriftfully Yours,

B