Last week I ventured to the tents of New York Fashion Week. I shopped my closet for a look that was cute (at least in my opinion) and functional. The NYC ground is still a bit slippery and slushy so knee high boots with a modest heel were necessary. I needed a sweater for warmth but I also tend to get a bit hot so I wanted a lightweight shirt or blazer for any after parties. Here’s a breakdown of how I rocked NYFW in a look that costs less than some fashionista’s weekly caffeine habit.
H&M sweater, courtesy of Goodwill ($1.50)
Free People shirt (or is it a dress?), courtesy of Goodwill (50¢)
Denim Leggings, courtesy of New York & Company’s 50% off sale ($13.47)
Boots, Payless ($30…and I’ve had them for about 2 years)
Stella McCartney for H&M blazer, courtesy of Goodwill ($1)
Accessories, earrings from a flea market ($5) and necklace was from the LOFT gift bag
This weekend my friend Jessica and I hit up the Goodwill Outlet store I so frequently talk about. They have everything from clothing to shoes to records and books and all clothing is priced by the pound (from $1.49 to $1.69 per pound). Jessica was looking to add colorful, feminine pieces to her wardrobe and what better (and economical) way to do so than at a thrift store.
Check out the video below to see what goodies we rounded up as well as some tips for thrifting. And check back next week for a followup video where I’ll show Jess how to incorporate her new finds into her existing wardrobe.
Thanks to Jessica for being such a good sport and for the catchy, Goodwill Hunting title.
P.S. I’m new to video editing, but I promise I’ll get better and bring you fun, informative video posts.
What tips do you have for thrift store shopping? Have you ever found a designer item for next to nothing?
Last week I told you how I was on the hunt for an oversized cardigan but I came up empty handed at Housing Works. So I went to my tried and true Goodwill Outlet in Long Island City where items are priced by the pound. I found two cardis: a ruffled one from Zara and a button down from H&M. And…here’s what else I purchased in addition to the cardigans:
Theory pants
Silence + Noise tank
Ann Taylor blazer
Gap sweats
scarf
Tops: Express, Club Monaco, Zara, French Connection
H&M and Zara cardigans
Club Monaco and Zara tops
And how much did all of this set me back? $10.18. That’s not including a 39¢ yummy smelling candle. At $10.18 for 11 items, each piece averaged 93 cents! With a busy week of holiday parties ahead of me, I’ll be integrating these goodies into my wardrobe. God bless thrift stores.
I realized I haven’t posted pics of any of my recent thrift store finds in a while. I copped this Express dress a few months ago for $2 and I finally plan to wear it next week. The fiery color and ruffles at the bodice are oh so cute. It came with a red belt but I swapped that out for a multicolor one, also a thrift store find. It kinda has a posh, “Mad Men” like feel, but can be spiced up with some funky stilettos. What do you think?
Posted by Fly on a Dime on Nov 16, 2009 in Thrift Stores
My L.A. visit last week was fabulous and you know I couldn’t visit the City of Angels without hitting up a few thrift stores. I really hadn’t planned on doing so but I randomly stumbled across a Goodwill location. And then on the next block, I saw two more thrift stores. I stepped into a cheap girl’s heaven.
Goodwill (7919 Beverly Blvd.)
The store was large, organized and some racks were color coordinated. Yes, yes and yes. However, I didn’t find any clothing I absolutely had to have. There was a pair of leopard pumps that caught my eye but alas, they were too small for my size 9s. The clothes didn’t wow me, but there were tons of electronics and items to decorate your home with. I fell in love with a pair of elephant statues ($15 each) but they would have been too heavy to lug through LAX.
Out of the Closet (360 N. Fairfax Ave.)
After Goodwill, I strolled around the corner to Out of the Closet, a chain in California that benefits those living with HIV and AIDS. I didn’t have much time to browse but I immediately saw tons of artwork, funky couches and desks and even a gorgeous wedding dress. I noticed a printed dress ($10) I really wanted but it didn’t fit properly and a cute Steve Madden coat but it had a few stains on it.
I barely touched the tip of the iceberg as I saw at least two other thrift stores on the same block. Next time I’m in L.A., I’ll be sure to make Fairfax my first stop so I can enjoy a full morning of thrifting!
*Check back tomorrow when I give you the full deets on the trip and how I did it all (lodging, dining and entertainment) while staying on a tight budget.
I can’t tell you how much I adore eBay. Yes, the online auction and shopping site has been around for over a decade, but I just started using it last year. Of course you can find designer threads, shoes, cosmetics and more but instead of spending your cash, how about making some?
In the few months t I’ve been using eBay, I’ve only purchased one item, but I’ve made about $500. I can’t make this hustle a full time job (though there are Power Sellers on the site who rake in tons of cash), the extra cash has helped pay some utility bills. Here’s how I did it:
Raid Your Closet
Everyone has an item or two or 1o that’s no longer in their wardrobe rotation but still takes up space in the closet. Maybe it’s that sweater you wore once or the shoes you were never able to break in. Your “trash” can turn into a few bucks in your PayPal account. And the items you sell don’t always have to be designer, though I’m sure your DVF wrap dress will sell better than a frock from Forever 21.
Shop to Sell
If I’m out thrifting at Housing Works or Goodwill and find a high end item that’s not in my size, I usually purchase it anyway and flip it on eBay. The first time I did this was with a pair of Chanel shoes. They really weren’t my style, but I knew someone want them. I purchased them for about $1 (they were a part of a $20 Housing Works haul) and I auctioned them off for $50. Score! I’m about to sell a pair of Paper Denim & Cloth jeans that just won’t cooperate with my hips. They originally retailed for $152, I wonder how much I’ll be able to snag for them.
Beauty is Skin Deep
I was surprised to discover how well cosmetics (unopened, of course) sell. I think I’ve made more money selling stuff from Ojon, Carol’s Daughter and Shu Uemura than from clothing. No matter what toll the recession may be taking, ladies will always love pampering themselves with makeup, scrubs and anything that promises to stop the aging process.
Quick tips to land a sale:
Be as descriptive as possible about the product you’re selling
Offer free shipping
Take great, flattering photos of the item
If the item is expensive, include the original retail price
Last week eBay launched an online magazine, The Inside Source. Check out the video below on how to start selling your goods!
My love affair of thrifting began as a sophomore in college. I had an induction ceremony to attend but nothing to wear and an empty wallet. I hit up a local thrift store in Philly and an hour later I walked out with a $5 ensemble. After that moment, I realized thrift stores weren’t just for a pair of jeans, but for any occasion, from casual to cocktail.
Here are a few of my favorite looks (all of the pieces are $2 or less):
I’d wear this grocery shopping or to the airport. Laid back, simple and versatile. I can dress it up with pumps or slip on flats for a day of errands.
Blazer: Ann Taylor
Top: Banana Republic
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity
Scarf: unknown
I work in a creative field so I’m not obligated to wear stuffy business suits or blah outfits, but I would feel comfortable wearing this. A classy, work appropriate skirt paired with the polka dot top makes it a fun look.
Top: Zara
Skirt: Brooks Brothers
Work, date, social gathering, there isn’t anywhere I wouldn’t wear this. I’m a true girly girl (lace, ruffles, ribbons, bows, you name it) but I wanted to break up the cutesy-ness of the flirty dress by adding a leather jacket.
I love this look. Spiffy enough for an interview but relaxed enough for date night. And the pieces are all from thrift stores. Ok, well the leggings are Forever 21. Cute, right?
I’m sure some people are still a bit skeptical about the “second-hand” goodies that can be found thrifting, so next week I’ll be creating a week’s worth of looks (office attire, casual wear, etc.) with my Housing Works and Goodwill finds.
Note: I’m reluctantly posting these pics of my cute outfits as I now feel I can’t wear them in public any longer (a girl can’t be photographed in the same thing twice, right?) I guess this just gives me more reason to shop!
Posted by Fly on a Dime on Oct 1, 2009 in Uncategorized
Among my many loves, organizing is one of them. But exactly what does organization have to do with saving money? When you’re disheveled, disorganized and discombobulated, you have no idea what you actually own, so you go out and buy more. It’s a waste of money to hit up the mall and drop cash on a red studded purse when you already have one in the back of your closet, lodged between your gym sneakers and last year’s tax returns.
So it was no surprise I spent the two weekends organizing my cousin Lammie’s** apartment. The biggest problem was her closet. Many people have a lack of space, which creates a challenge, but this wasn’t the case with Lammie. She has more space than she needs. I love Lammie, I really do, but looking at her closet made my eyes bleed. Clothes everywhere, piles of shoes and random items she didn’t even want or need. With some planning and a few purchases, we converted her travesty of a mess into a visually pleasing, functional space.
Keep, Toss or Donate: The first step was getting Lammie to determine what she needed versus what could be trashed or donated. It was like pulling teeth to get her to realize she didn’t need cassette and VHS tapes! Though she kept the tapes (she has some weird attachment to them), I did succeed in getting her to donate 27 purses to Goodwill. Broken items were thrown away and she shredded any documents that were no longer needed.
Boxes and Bins: Stores like Bed Bath & Beyond and the Container Store are a neat freak’s best friends. They offer aisles upon aisles of storage solutions to keep your ‘ish together but it’s way too easy to get overwhelmed with options and overspend. We made it a point to go to BB&B with a short list of what we needed; 2-3 cute storage bins to fit on the top shelf and a simple shoe rack to get the most out of the floor space. The rack was $10 and the bins were $13 each but we had two coupons and saved $5-$6. Bed Bath & Beyond always has 20% off coupons in magazines or a $5 off coupon in circulars. Or you can register on their site and they’ll automatically send you a 20% off coupon to print out.
Today’s lesson kiddies: keep your items organized and you can refrain from purchasing duplicates of stuff you don’t need!
This was my second trip in one week and this time I brought a friend along. I wanted to introduce her to the fabulousness of the outlet and I was on a mission to find a pair of light wash jeans so I can rip ‘em up and make a pair of custom distressed ones. I’m all about DIY when it comes to home decorating and fashion, and thrift stores are the perfect places to find your base material (if the project doesn’t come out as planned, it’s no big deal since you didn’t spend tons of $). I have a Banana Republic boyfriend blazer (via Housing Works) that I’m dying to jazz it up sequins on the lapels (stay tuned for that fun project).
I found my jeans, a few other items and four pairs of shoes. Yup, FOUR. The shoes totaled $8.45. And these weren’t some flimsy, rinky dink shoes either.
J. Crew rain boots: These will be my go-to boots when the rain and/or snow rears its dreary head. J. Crew wellies can cost over a hundred bucks, so this was an awesome find. And the cute plaid detail makes them even better!
Nine West boots: I’m not the biggest fan of pointy toe boots (I just feel they look weird on me), but the quilted pattern kinda has a bit of a funky, super hero feel which I like.
Steve Madden kitten heels: This is the only pair of kitten heels in my closet. The leather detail is super cute and dressy for a night out, but comfy enough to wear throughout the day.
Steve Madden d’Orsay pumps: Satin, pointy heel, rhinestone details. They had me at hello!
H&M sweater, courtesy of Goodwill ($1.50)
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I’d wear this grocery shopping or to the airport. Laid back, simple and versatile. I can dress it up with pumps or slip on flats for a day of errands.
