BOO!

BOO!



found on Wicked Halo Tumblr

The beloved holiday post is here to wish you a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Me thinks there is something highly addictive put in this years halloween candy and as a former team captain of D.A.R.E. I insist on knowing what drugs they are lacing it with! (Ok, I lied, I was never team captain).

I suppose this post should should be all things SCARY since it is so cleverly titled BOO!

and if you've ever thrift shopped before you know that SCARY + THRIFT FASHION is not a problem.  Even the idea of thrift shopping is scary to some people but that is a whole other subject.

One of my favorite trends to hunt fur right now is FUR.  I am all FUR the FUR-rage that was happening down  the A/W 2010 runways like stoles (see the ones I thrifted here), hats, vests, coats, and skirts to the abominable snowman in the CHANEL RTW collection. 

Photo from Elle.com & Google search.

 Sometimes thrifting for a trend can be a hunt but when you're lucky the golden ticket throws itself at you. This time around I am sorry to say that I am NOT the lucky one because I came across one of the most hideous pair of fur boots I have ever seen. Unfortunately for everyone shopping they were gloriously displayed so you could not miss them. No joke, they put them on a pedestal...in the middle of the shoe section....

What's even scarier is that they are dangerously in-kin with the  Opening Ceremony Fur Wedge Sandal Booties. 

Clearly this is a D.I.Y. project waiting to happen:

STEP 1) Fold over until ankle length STEP 2) Cut-out peep toes STEP 3) Dye black

Left: Monster Boots. Price...too many cooties to pick them up to see. Right: Opening Ceremony Fur Wedge Booties @ Shopbop.com.

The best part of the story is that someone once owned these little monster boots. What would posses someone to do such a thing, I have no idea. I'm pretty sure not even LADY GAGA would wear them and she loves her little monsters...

ARE YOU SCARED YET?!

 

The Art of Thrifting

Picking the brain of fashion's greatest thrifters.

After one of my weekly thrifting escapades I couldn't stop thinking about how many seriously stylish people I came across.  I was so fascinated by what they were choosing that I almost forgot to look for myself...almost...hehe. I'm pretty sure I looked like a creepo stalker staring sneekily through the racks but I can't help it, I'm just a Curious George!

I figured the best (and less creepy) thing to do would be to talk to fellow thrift fashion bloggers and figure out why they do what they do. So I decided to contact Shannon of Dirty Hair Halo since I'm really loving her style right now. Luckily she quickly responded "Bring on the questions! Thrifting is a real passion of mine." Thanks Shannon you are just too too sweet! Let me know when you're in the mood for a little East Coast thrifting!

I'm thrifting when I'm buying clothing second hand and getting a cheap price, whether it be at a Goodwill or Salvation Army, a clothing exchange store, a consignment store, or a vintage boutique. I consider spending between $1-$20 on any one item a good deal, and anything beyond that needs to be highly justified and special.

I can recall thrifting in high school, if not middle school. I often went to the local Goodwill or to Haight-Ashbury on the weekends, but at that time my sole motivation was to find cheap clothing. My motiviation now is that the finds are priceless.

I have mutiple rules that play into each other.


I try to think really hard about why I'm purchasing something and how versatile it can be. I've found it's easy to get caught up on a cool novelty item where once it joins the rest of my closet it becomes unwearable because it's either inappropriate, ill-fitting or just straight-up too weird.
I don't like buying something because I'm getting it at a "steal." I don't look at the price tag until I know I love it and it fits, otherwise the low price factor plays too much into my purchase decision.


I feel like the point I'm trying to make is somewhat roundabout, so here's a question I often ask myself when I'm thrifting as a small reminder that I think sums up what I'm trying to say:


"Would you buy this item in it's (used) condition if it were at it's full original price at a retailer?" If the answer's Yes, then you've got yourself a killer deal.
Additionally, it's easy to buy in bulk while thrifting. There's this mentality that if you're getting a discount, you might as well buy more with your "savings." Wrong. I force myself to let go of things I "like" in favor of the things I "love"before I hit the checkout line. That way I walk out with anywhere from 1- 3 great items rather than 10 so-so items.

Once every week or two, which is often. However, I try to walk in with certain goal items in mind, i.e.- work trousers or sheer blouses. It gives me a focus based on a need I've pre-identified in my closet, and if I find anything other than that need I try to take a step back and think about what I'm doing, like, "Do you already own anything that resembles this, where would you wear this and with what, what makes it so darn special, etc., etc.?"

I use the word thrift to represent both used and vintage clothing because I honestly can't tell the difference and I don't want to mislabel something as vintage. My priority, however, isn't vintage classification, labels or era. It's quality.

I love Buffalo Exchange and Everyday People Clothing Exchange in Minneapolis.

I have a patchworked faux-fur jacket that I bought from Everyday People Clothing Exchange for about $45. When I saw it I gasped and my heart dropped, almost like an emotional moment. It conjures up the weird, extravagent, over-opulant, eclectic hippie in me.
 

SHANNON @ DirtyHairHalo Blog

I SPY A CHIC{THRIFT}TOPIAN

  I spy with my little eye...something thriftalicious

A few posts back I promised that I would deliver my favorite thrifted looks from the style abyss that is Chictopia's thrifted community "CHIC{THRIFT}TOPIA."  So promises I shall keep my friends....

I tried scanning beyond the first six pages but my eyes kept getting locked on one particular chictopian SLICARI

She's an urban hippie blogger from Minnesota and genius behind

She gets an A+ in my book for witty titles, killer thrifted combos, and excellent composition in her photos. Oh yea AND she's from the MIDWEST (so maybe i'm a little biased).

So they say we don't have style....pshaw!

Some Things Are Worth Repeating

FROM MY HEAD TO MY TOES

Before heading out East I Spotted this black crushed velvet dress by Luly K. at Goodwill for only $4.99!! (I'm starting to think I should consider this my lucky number)

This is the perfect textured piece for layering with leather and knits for Fall. You most definitely will see this reworked several times into my outfits... SO get comfortable with it now.
On my feet are two pairs of thrifted nylon ankle socks from St. Vincent De Paul for $.99 a pair. I think I'll wear them next time layered over some grey wool thigh-high tights to cover my sun-starved legs.

 Black Velvet Dress by Luly K $4.99 Thrifted @ Goodwill (Milwaukee, WI) x Green & Blue Anklet Socks $.99 Each Thrifted @ St. Vincent De Paul (Madison, WI) x Jeffrey Campbell "Tick" Wedge Booties x Blue Austrian Crystal Studs $5.96 Thrifted @ St. Vincent De Paul (Madison, WI) x Forever21 Cross Necklace.

COLOR STORY
After seeing the Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2010 RTW collection I can't wait to bust out all of the colored tights I racked up at the end of last season and pair them with bold suede or metallic pumps. 
The future is bright!

Left: Photo from Style.com Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2010 RTW . Top Right: Yves Saint Laurent Curvy Platform Pump in Black Suede and Goat Hair. Bottom Right: Green & Blue Anklet Socks $.99 Each Thrifted @ St. Vincent De Paul (Madison, WI) x Jeffrey Campbell "Tick" Wedge Booties

 THE END.

laid-back luxe

No work on Friday so I decided to wander along and check out a different Salvation Army location than the usual.  The thrifting universe and my universe must have collided because somehow I also ended up discovering a Goodwill store before I even got to my original destination! WOO HOO! Completely UNplanned, I swear.

With the chilly fall weather and my limited selection of warm clothing all I could think about was finding ultra cozy sweaters.  I had seen many of the Fall 2010 Ready-To-Wear collections filled with chunky knits and graphic monochromatic neutral textures so I was excited to see what Style reruns I could find for a steal. 

Just my luck I came across two fantastic pieces that only cost me $4.99 each!  I Spotted an oversized polka-dot sweater with dolman sleeves.  The short hem and bold graphic pattern reminded me of the Missoni Fall 2010 RTW collection styling.  It's thin enough to be layered with a button-up and jacket but still keeps me warm. Plus it has shoulder pads! Enough said.  

 Top Left: Photos from Style.com Missoni Fall 2010 RTW. Top Right: Grey and White Oversized Polka Dot Sweater $4.99 Thrifted at Salvation Army.

---

My favorite of the two Style Spots is this heather grey soft cotton acrylic knit sweater - borderline amazing!  The dolman sleeves are oversized but not overwhelming and the tightened wrist spans long enough to cuff.

I can't get over how much the cryptic pattern reminds me of a fuzzy T.V. screen or even one of those "Composition" notebooks. RIGHT?!  I think we might have another FASHEMATICS post on its way!

Left: Grey Cotton & Acrylic Sweater Made in Italy $4.99 Thrifted @ Goodwill . Right: Photo from Style.com Isabel Marant Fall 2010 RTW and Photo from NYMag.com Oscar De La Renta Fall 2010 RTW. Bottom: Clear Glass Frames $.99 Thrifted @ St. Vincent De Paul (Madison, WI).

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On my recent trip to San Francisco when I Spotted the amazing Pierre Cardin gold lame sweater see here, I also managed to scoop up even more sparkle with these black sequin pointy toe loafers for a whopping $6.49! BAM!  So sparkley they make me feel like Michael Jackson! Errr...dancing like him.



The black beaded chain straip purse was a thrifty steal at the St. Vincent De Paul in Madison, WI.   This is the second detailed beaded piece "made in Macau" that I've thrifted. That is one very patient beader!

Left: Black Sequin Flats by Prima Royale $6.49 Thrifted @ Goodwill (San Francisco)   Right: Photos from Style.com Isabel Marant Fall 2010 RTW. Bottom: Black Beaded Purse by DC Kaiho $7.48 (Made in Macau) Thrifted at St. Vincent De Paul (Madison, WI) Pearl Ring from friend.

Personal photos were taken by Ronnie Johnson of From My Eye to Yours. Thank you Ronnie!

Metallic Attack

Since I'm a fashion blogger of sorts, I guess I better show you something like...

Black Dress - JONATHAN SAUNDERS x TARGET;  Leopard Tights - Forever21; Belt - thrifted;  Wool Hat - thrifted, Bermona Trend London; Boots - MIA; Sweater Dress - Pierre Cardin 

And then I should probably tell you something like...

Well I recently visited my sister in San Rafael and had the most amazing thrift haul at Goodwill. Since I moved from Wisconsin to New York, seeing low thrift prices again gave me momentary sticker shock. Thankfully I recovered in time to discover some true "gems," or shall I say "diamonds in the rough."

One of my favorites is this Gold and Silver Lame Sweater Dress by Pierre Cardin for $6.97.

It's straight out of the 80's and pure fantastic.

  Besides being completely obsessed with my new thrifted sweater, I've been addicted to the cutting-edge blog FASHEMATICS <3 <3 <3 that I heard about through one of my blogger-crushes STOP IT RIGHT NOW.  FASHEMATICS is a creative brainy fashion mashup that also manages to make math appealing and people L.O.L. simultaneously.  Make sure you check it out if you haven't!

alt + click http://www.fashematics.com/

That's all I have for today. Who knows, maybe another post tomorrow? Oh and since FASHEMATICS encourages participation, I couldn't think of anything more appropriate than to leave you with my very own...

Link Love - Because Nothing Feels Better Than When You're Showing Off - 10/20

The more I blog, the more I realise how many soft addictions I have.  Like my recent addition to surrealist fashion blogger Stop It Right Now and her "EBAY WTF OF THE WEEK" posts.  Dare-I-Say-Brilliant? Check out this weeks scarry furry underwear.

Mostly these posts remind me of how much time I spend on random Google searches (aka way too much time on the internet...) coincidentally these random searches have lead me to find the most amazing and sometimes bizarre content from fellow bloggers, fashion inspirations, entirely unrelated sites, and the corresponding glorious google related images.

Today I Google'd: thrifting trends and here's what I found, Enjoy! xo

• Blogger LoveBrownSugar and her guide to thrifting trends.  I love the military jacket she found. What trends will you hunt? 
• Blogger Sally McGraw of  Already Pretty  spells out the easiest Fall trends to thrift... Will you agree?
• Wonder what's next for www.alifosterpatterns.com blog posts ON MY THRIFT STORE SHOPPING LIST. An all-over Vintage Sequin Sweater for only $9? Great find!
• Frugal  Pig's article "Thrift Stores Are IN Now Even with Teens!. The title alone
  is a winner.
• Eye spy with my little eye....the super enthusiastic employeer at Buffalo Exchange.

Ladylike

Ever since the return of lace and lingerie this Spring I've been dying to pull together a runway inspired look using my light pink thrifted vintage lace bustier - but everytime I tried to imagine the look I somehow ended up with a mix of lace, leather, and pearls. Catch my drift? I'm not saying there is anything wrong with a little Madonna-style chic but like your typical virgin I wanted something more. (I know mom...too much, too much).

If you follow the fashion world you'd know that just as soon as one season starts the next seasons collections are in full preview and often times carry over elements from seasons prior. So when I saw looks from the Louis Vuitton Fall 2010 RTW collection featured a 50's style bustier (lingerie, check! massive-cleavage, check!) and modest hemlines, my fears of an overly Madonna essence fell to the wayside...

  

"LADYLIKE" ATTIRE

Left: Louis Vuitton Fall 2010 RTW via Style.com. Right: ALL THRIFTED. Hand-painted full skirt by Joe Davidson Original $6.50; Vintage Lace Bustier by Carnival $3; 1969 Vintage tweed and leather satchel by John Romain $8.50.

... ALWAYS GETS YOU NOTICED!



Left: Studded woven leather pumps by Kalliste. Right: Louis Vuitton Fall 2010 RTW @ Paris Womenswear Fashion Week via Zimbio.com.



AND STILL LOOKS GOOD BEHIND THE SCENES.



Louis Vuitton Fall 2010 RTW Ad Campaign from PopBee

Special thanks to my gorgeous sister for agreeing to do a photoshoot on a cold rainy day and squeezing her foot into my tiny shoes! xoxo

the style abyss

Just finished watching "Pregnancy Pact" on Lifetime which is clearly perfect downtime for some style research. It's amazing how much time you can spend on the internet and also be completely engaged in Lifetime movies about teen pregnancy scandals and irresponsible parents.... (don't judge me for this, you know you're guilty).

Mostly I'm psyched to share with you an exciting blog decision I made surrounding my recent discoveries. While I've been a longtime fan of the Chictopia community for it's ode to personal style and clear-cut layout, my small town puppy love has grown into the real big city thing. Why? Besides all of the amazing style galleries and customizations you can apply - at last I have stumbled upon the endless style abyss of chic inspiring smart THRIFTED street styles! Yes, THRIFTED *thriftgasm*.

Each week I will scour the pages of what I'm coining as "CHICTHRIFTTOPIA" and feature a few of my favorite looks using thrifted pieces or (even better) completely thrifted looks. So here we go, meet chicthrifttopia's MEGGSTATUS and blogger behind Another Day to Dress Up. I fell in love with her classic casual style and her eye for impeccable thrifted tops. 

She also reminded me the power of the classic pleated trouser...the section that is always overlooked and even more so - overstocked. Style...spotted...now RUN!

Runway ESP

On the last perfect warm September day in New York I took the ferry to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty with my friend who was visiting (photo by me, excitement real, pointing hand...not mine).  This also happened to be the same day as the Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2011 presentation at Milan Fashion Week. So where am I going with this story?

Well, lo and behold, there at Ellis Island lies the inspiration behind the Dolce & Gabbana's Spring 2011 Milan collection!
Geesh. What an obvious source of fashion inspiration to overlook.

Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2011 Milan Fashion Week. Photo-block courtesy of Hollywood Would Be Jealous.

I stumbled upon these small stark all-white lattice metal garden chairs boldly sitting underneath a canopy of trees.  Looking back they remind me exactly of the all white laser cut lace pop out looks Dolce & Gabbana sent down the runways! The chairs left empty as if purposely to serve as a backdrop for a six-foot model with a spikey green foam crown on her head - "Lady Liberty Chic"

Background photo by Me.  Model photo from Fashion Gone Rogue channeling "Lady Liberty Chic."

Even more freakishly coincidental is the outfit I decided to wear that day - a combination of two of my most favorite thrifted pieces as of late: high-waisted leather shorts and a white doily lace blouse. 

I spotted the white doily lace blouse from St. Vincent De Paul for $4.98. The 100% leather shorts are by "Don't Stop."  They were thrifted at Goodwill for $3.99 (I'm still not over this find!).  I can't wait to incorporate them into my fall wardrobe with sassy ribbed sweater tights and my delicious Sweedish Hasbeens Jodphur boots.

Hey Kids, there you have it! Get a load of this photo below of my Runway ESP.

Left: Photos courtesy of Hollywood Would Be Jealous. Right: Thrifted Leather Shorts with Belt $3.99 @ Goodwill; Thrifted White Doily Lace Blouse $4.98 @ St. Vincent De Paul.

getting thrifty

Some of my favorite of-the-moment bloggers always manage to incoporate a thrifted piece or two...catch my drift?! The world of personal style is taking greater leaps in the right direction and blogging is the catalyst. Old meets new will never get tired and even more so its not what you're wearing OR how much it costs, but how you style it!

Sea of Shoes
Rainbow Skirt $2 in "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"; Leather Jacket in "Debonair Debonair"

Grand Theft Thrift
Floral dress, jet rag vintage, $1 in "you seem so out of context in this gaudy apartment complex";
 Shirt 2$ Goodwill, Pants $3 Society of St Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, Shoes $2 Golden West Swapmeet, Necklace $2 Golden West Swapmeet (all items) in "Mirage"

Blushing Ambition
thrifted loafers in "bad posture"

Karlas Closet

silk leopard print dress in "pulling out the dresses" and print dress in "scribbled bubble"

Fallie
bag in "we love colors"; clogs in "coachella"

Hand It Over

blue button-up shirt in "Last Time Here"

Chic Heroin

Dress $5 from World Thrift store in "alphabet suit"; Romper, belt, and sweather in "Goodbye Summer Days"

Style Bubble

boots in "Neck Nugget"; komono, shirt, and bag in "Match MiH"