a co-worker turned extremely close friend introduced me to thrift shopping in the late 90s. i seriously had no idea such a thing existed prior to then. all i knew was garage sales (thanks to my mama!) and regular stores.
aside from finding really good merchandise for next to nothing, the other concept my friend liked was the ability to have an ever changing wardrobe by donating old items and then purchasing new ones. i thrift shopped for fun, rather than out of necessity. as a result of the slow economy, thrifting has crossed mainstream barriers and women all across the globe buy second-hand with pride.
last week i found a thrift store purely by accident. i was taking care of an errand and saw it tucked away in a strip mall. i can't even remember the name of it, but it's associated with a ministry. i looked around and spotted two purses that wanted to come home with me! i was pressed for time and told the nice lady working there i'd come back the next day - with a donation so i could get 10% off my purchase.
when i returned, one purse had decided we weren't destined to be together.
this one hung around and waited for me:
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| trendy aztec purse | 2.99 |
remember when i told you about only seeing aztec trends geared toward younger shoppers? well this purse was right up my alley! it wasn't so much because it's on trend right now, but more because of the colors. i'm embracing bold colors every which way i can.
ok...this next steal is something i've been hankering for. it's one of the few things i've seen on other fashion bloggers and felt like i had to have. i knew it would be pricey, so buying one gently worn was my only option.
my soul purpose for stepping inside a thrift store in the first place:
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| pussybow blouse | 2.99 |
i picked this up, put it back down, tried on a different one (that i didn't like nearly as much), walked up to the register without it, and turned back around to go get it. if an article of clothing ever spoke to me - it was this one.
"dummy...i'm what you've been looking for...don't be stupid! you pay more than this for a damn latte!"
care to humor yourself? take a look at this one that's almost exactly like it for $110.
* * * * * * * *
alrighty then. i've made it clear i'm not a huge fan of traditional blazers. i prefer a lightweight structured jacket any day.
as such, there was no way i could pass this up:
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| Jones New York Jacket | 2.99 |
i almost missed it and decided to make one last round through the aisles. the store is really small which is a plus for me - it means i won't get overwhelmed.
if i had to bet, i'd put money on this jacket being brand new. the inside label doesn't look like it's ever been worn - no drycleaning staple holes or anything. the decision to keep this one didn't take long at all.
purse | 2.99
blouse | 2.99
jacket | 2.99
TOTAL = $8.07 (with 10% discount)
after years of being thrift dormant, i'm back with a bang! i'll be visiting this little store once a month with a generous $10 spending allowance.
have you found any second-hand steals lately?
Now that's my kind of blouse and price. You get an A+ on this one. And... you can NEVER go wrong with Jones New York-- one of my preferred brands, but never at MSRP.
ReplyDeletesomehow, deep down inside i knew you'd like this!
DeleteI couldn't have passed up the blouse. It's a great find.
ReplyDeleteand to think i even contemplated not buying it!
DeleteGreat finds! I haven't been thrifting in a while...maybe it's time I go back.
ReplyDeletethanks! that's just how i was feeling..time for a comeback - and oh so glad i did.
DeleteI went thrifting this weekend and ended up with nothing more than another book to add to my collection. But this blouse....honey it's speaking to me too. I would've never second guessed this-it's a classic piece!
ReplyDeletehttp://thriftyandshameless.blogspot.com
now that's something i've not browsed at the thrift store - books. glad you like the blouse...i can't wait for it to get cool enough for me to wear it!
DeleteThat is so awesome! I wish I had more patience for thrift store shopping. The Goodwill near our home doesn't sort clothing by sizes, but by colors, and it makes it difficult to find the right size. Maybe I'll try again.
ReplyDeletei think someone told me Savers sorts by color AND size. the store i went to was really small so it was easy to find stuff...they only separate by types of garments.
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