Bobby Soxer

Peach V-neck sweater- Ralph Lauren (via Goodwill) ~$3.50

Dark was skinny jeans- Papaya (via Consignment) ~$4.50

Lady bug earrings- JEWELIQ (complementary gift with purchase)

Blue and white floral scarf- No tag (via Goodwill) ~$1

Pink shoes- Keds (old)

TOTAL COST: $10

            Here is a “costume-inspired” outfit for Halloween. I paired my RL vintage sweater with slim leg jeans for a classic retro look. I accessorized with fun ladybug earrings, a neck scarf and simple Ked sneakers. I thrifted this sweater quite awhile ago and although I like it (and the brand quality), this is it’s final wearing. Goodbye sweater! You’re on to bigger and better things.

            Is it weird that I wore this outfit a while ago (i.e. not on Halloween)? I figured it would be more appropriate for Halloween than any other outfit I have on stand-by.

Tell me readers, Is an outfit like this too costume-y for everyday wear? Comment or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com or tweet me at BsGoodwillHunt

Thriftfully Yours,

B

Thrifty Threads: A Goodwill Shopping Review

My most recent trip to the GW was VERY fruitful! I snagged 6 pieces and two accessories. I almost stayed seasonal! Just one little slip- Oops?

(Starting top L and moving clockwise)

1. American Eagle Coral Chunk Knit sweater $4

I LOVED the over-sized buttons and the shawl collar!

2. Heart on my Sleeve tie cardigan $4

Not a quality brand, but good over jeans.

3. Merona chevron vest $3.50

Slowly building my vest collection! Still looking for navy and white.

4. Banana Republic patterned top $3.50

Great quality- great print! 

5. Talbots polka dot oxford $3.50

I’ve seen so many great versions of the polka dot blouse, so I was very excited to find this one, especially from a great brand like Talbots!

6. Ship N Shore vintage purple oxford $3.50

When I saw this top, I thought “Challenge Accepted!” I LOVED the color and knew I could find a way to style it to look chic- keep your eyes open for this one! I won’t be able to wait too long to wear it.

7. Blue and white scarf  $1

I don’t know who made this scarf, or what it’s made of but for a buck, I snagged it!

8. Silver Chrysanthemum Broach $5

Such a classic broach- I plan on pinning it on my winter coat!

TOTAL COST for 6 pieces of clothing and 2 accessories: $28

Tell me readers, What are you most recent shopping snags? Thrifted or not! Comment or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com or tweet me at BsGoodwillHunt

Thriftfully Yours,

B

Fall for UGGs

Tan sweater dress- Chadwicks (Salvation Army) ~$3

Navy Leggings- via Gabriel Brothers ~$4

Red and white scarf- Vintage (from mom)

Chestnut boots- UGG (gift, retails for $155)

TOTAL COST: $7

            I may have jumped the gun a little bit on wearing a sweater dress but it was cool in the morning and my church is notoriously chilly (to me). Also, this is the first time of the season that I’m wearing my UGG boots. I hated UGGs for a long time in high school, and I realized it was because I had never tried them and didn’t own a pair. “FUGGs” are NOT equivalent, regardless of the price. If you are interested in a boot of this style, go for the UGG. I have had mine for at least 4-5 years and they are in great condition. I treat them every year with water proofing spray and avoid wearing them when it’s raining (if possible). They are still fluffy inside and so cozy. As a person who is notoriously cold, they are perfect for me. I realize that for a blog that emphasizes good deals, UGGs seem like a bag choice. However, this is simply an item your are not going to come across in a thrift store. I have NEVER seen a pair in any color or size. I HAVE seen them in stores like Marshall’s or TJ Maxx at reduced prices. Another piece of fall weather wear that I love are leggings. Leggings in all colors and styles. I cannot wait to break out the rest of my leggings and boots.

Tell me readers, UGG fan? Yes or no? Comment or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com or tweet me at BsGoodwillHunt

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

Heapin' Haul

On my last trip to Goodwill, I had an excellent haul for the menial cost of $27. Did I mention I bought 6 pieces of clothing and two belts? WOWIE! One dress, a grey private school style romper, is not pictured (it’s getting dry cleaned). I’m always so impressed with what I can get for the regular price of ONE new item. As I mentioned before, I am building my belt collection and these two are great additions. The baby blue one is a vintage piece I snagged for 97 cents! I’ve already worn it a handful of times, it’s so versatile! The emerald green faux-suede belt was a new with tags Target belt. Original price? $12.90. Goodwill price? $1.00. Virtual savings of $11.90. HOLLER!

My favorite clothing piece I snagged is definitely this red iris print vintage maxi-skirt. It’s a print that isn’t a pattern, which I find interesting. The black and white print short sleeve secretary blouse is also vintage (tag reads: Ship N Shore). The silk star-print wrap dress is not very versatile seasonally speaking as it has long sleeves but a shorter hem, but I look forward to the perfect opportunity to wear it. Maybe a date?

The lilac button-up is a perfect condition Eddie Bauer. The pink button up collared dress is sadly, a post purchase regret. It looks lovely standing up (I have one outfit post in this dress) but sitting down, it’s a bit too tight and the buttons gape a bit, making it inappropriate to wear out. Luckily I have a more petite friend (My designer friend, Monica- check out her site here http://monicatulay.foliohd.com/) who I’m passing it along to. I have been told that you can make returns to GW but I’m not sure that I would. I either donate it (again) or find a better-suited friend.

Can’t wait to find ways to incorporate these items with my existing closet!

Tell me readers, Ever had a particularly good haul? Tell me about it! Inbox or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com

Thriftfully Yours,

B

Instant Inspiration

White Button-up- Express (via Goodwill) ~$3.50

Denim Bermuda shorts- via JC Penny ~$20

Navy, white and green nautical square scarf- local consignment shop (no tag) ~$6

Pyramid spike post earrings- H&M ~$5 (multipack)

Yellow and brown leather bag- Perry Ellis (via Goodwill) ~$2

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

TOTAL COST: Approx $36.50

            You might remember this shirt from my Wish List post (http://bsgoodwillhunting.tumblr.com/post/26160395305/my-fashion-wist-list)- I really couldn’t wait to wear it and whilst reading Pink Peonies (http://www.thepinkpeonies.com/), I came across this photo:

Instant inspiration! I don’t often try to recreate a photo, but I needed a semi-casual way to wear a white button up shirt and this fit the bill. Of course, I dressed it up with the scarf (Feels so Hampton’s/Ina Garten-y) and today’s photo is the end result.

            Speaking of that scarf, in a previous post where I wore my other newly thrifted scarf as a gigantic hair bow, I mentioned that I had found an excellent graphic on Pinterest (Follow me! http://pinterest.com/ladypsychology/) all about ways to tie triangle scarves and here it is:

(full website link http://vmacandcheese.com/2011/09/20/how-to-tie-a-scarf/#comment-3498)

            Now that I have a few scarves in my collection, I plan on trying out and incorporating all of these styles into my outfits! Can’t wait to share them all with you.

            A note on the other accessories: These are the other earrings I was talking about! They’re understated but different. The purse is one of my few accessory finds from Goodwill. It’s leather, has a snap closure and is highly portable- LOVE IT! And for 2 dollars, what a find!

            Tell me readers, What is your favorite way to wear a scarf? Comment or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com

Thriftfully Yours,

B

The Skinny Cargo

Grey crest t-shirt- J. Crew ~$15 (on sale)

Denim cargo pedal pushers- Ann Taylor LOFT (via Goodwill) ~$7

Brown leather braided belt- Vintage (mother’s)

Ship & map printed triangle scarf- Local consignment shop (no brand) ~$6

Gold chevron slip-on- Toms Shoes (gift, retails for $54)

TOTAL COST: Approx. $28

I don’t wear denim often- not even in the winter. I own quite a few pairs of jeans and the ones I wear the most are two dark-wash skinny-cut pairs. These denim pedal pushers were thrifted at the GW a number of years ago and I barely wore them-in fact, they were in my own donation pile before I had the wherewithal to rescue and keep them until my styling’s were a bit more on the mature side. The fit is great, the wash is dark and the length makes them workable for spring, summer and early fall. They even have these great cargo-style pockets that became significantly more popular after the “skinny cargo” was unleashed upon the fashion public two seasons ago. Ann Taylor LOFT was totally ahead of that trend- who would’ve thought!

While many looks I post here on BGH could be classified as “casual,” this seems even more so, and I attribute it to the denim. The heather grey tee and pedal pushers were alright, but needed something else to make the outfit more attention grabbing- thus the scarf bow. I’m not sure that it was the right choice for this outfit, but when I get something new, I can’t help but feel the intense desire to test it out as soon as possible. This fashion-impulsivity causes me to do some weird things, like wear out of season clothes or mix style genres. This scarf is one of two I recently purchased at a local consignment shop ($6 a piece!) and I am already obsessed with all the ways I intend to tie/wear it. I found an excellent graphic on how to tie square scarves all sorts of interesting ways and I will post it with another entry I’ve got on deck. My fashion muse for this scarf/giant hair bow is the lovely Blair Waldorf (of Gossip Girl, naturally). While I doubt this ensemble en total would be appealing to her, the vintage hair adornment is a classic-Blair.

Tell me readers, Do you take fashion inspiration from a TV/Movie character? Comment or email me at BsGoodwillHunting@gmail.com

Thriftfully Yours,

B