Thrift Month: Week 1 Haul

Week one of thrift month was such a success. This week I focused on putting Alyssa’s top 5 thrifting tips for newbies into action to see how they would work for me in practice. You can freshen up on her interview here if you wanna.

But for the purpose of this post here were her brief tips:

1. Go in with a mission
2. There are gems in the men’s section
3. Be okay with getting uncomfortable
4. Take a look through the sleep section
5. Look for patterns and textures you like – but do it all over the store

Here’s how these tips worked out for me:

Go in with a mission:

For this tip, my strategy was to have a long but vague list so that I would have much more of an opportunity to find something I was looking for than I would have had with only one or two options.

In the past, I would go into thrift stores without a plan and then get overwhelmed because I wasn’t finding anything and walk out empty-handed. So a larger bullet point list worked out quite well for me in staying focused.

My list:

• silk dresses/skirts/camis
• blazers or interesting jackets
• vintage tee’s
• highrise cut off shorts
• two-piece sets
• vintage or woven bags
• square-toed shoes
• wrap dresses

There are gems in the mens:

By the time I finished hunting through accessories, the women’s section, and sleep section I was just wiped, so for my first haul, I didn’t even make it to the men’s section. So stay tuned on this one – I plan to start in the men’s section next time since good ole tees are a top priority right now.

Be okay with getting uncomfortable:

Thrifting is not my passion and it is not something I practice on a regular basis which is a big reason why I am doing it solely this month. I have always seen value in making old things new, and on top of that making a positive impact on the earth and people by reusing things.

So I was definitely uncomfortable, and since I am such a tactile person (touch and smell) feeling worn down clothing and the smelling that unique smell to thrift stores was something I had to work past. I conquered it though with some Emily King and Post Malone in my earbuds, and next time I’m even bringing my essential oils (don’t judge).

Take a look through the sleep section:

Definitely scoured the sleep section and found a couple of things, but they would have needed to be tailored and the fabrics I found in that department weren’t worth it to me. So I passed.

And last but not least…

Look for textures and patterns you like all over the store:

I did this as well and ended up with several pieces that were not in my size but someone how still worked. All except for the two-piece set I scored that I will end up tailoring.

Soo did her tips work? For me like a charm! I ended up with 7 pieces all for $ 30 dollars, which I have styled today into four outfits mixed with pieces I already own.

Here’s what I got:

1. Snake Print Popover
2. Two-piece set
3. White dress pants
4. Woven bucket bag
5. Woven kitten heels
6. White leather slingback wedges

I felt so fortunate to find so many good things and was so excited to start incorporating these items into my wardrobe!

Annnd I started with these four outfits that I’m sharing today – wanna take a look?!

 

Outfit #1 White Pants + White Tee + White Wedge Sandals

I had been looking for the perfect all-white outfit that felt dressed up but effortless at the same time, and I found such a gem with these pants. I actually bumped into a friend that day who found them and tried them on first but ended up passing them to me, and I’m so glad she did because they are fantastic.

Styling Notes | To make them feel more every day I styled them with a tee and the white wedges I also found in this haul. But I could also see this being styled with a white vintage band tee and lookin’ hella awesome.

My top and necklace were not thrifted but both pieces I already owned and have linked them right here:

White tee | Coin necklace set | White dress pants (thrifted) | White wedge sandals (thrifted)

 

Outfit #2 Snake Popover + Crop Tank + Cutoff’s + Strappy Sandals

Styling Notes | For this look specifically I wanted to jazz up denim cutoffs and a black tank a little and this popover did the trick. The statement sandals and gold jewelry also elevated this look significantly.

I already owned everything except the popover so it was fun seeing my old clothes in a new light!

Crop tank | Denim cutoff’s | Strappy Sandals old (similar here) | Old English Pendant | Jacket (thrifted)

 

Outfit #3 Wrap Dress + Woven Kitten Heels + Woven Bucket Bag

Styling notes | I won’t say this is my favorite look of all time, but styling my dress with my two woven thrift finds definitely gave it a softness and sophistication that I am here for.

Black wrap dress | Woven kitten heels (thrifted) | Woven bucket bag (thrifted)

And last but most definitely not least my two-piece set…

 

Outfit #4 Two-piece set + CropTank + White Wedge Sandal + Old English Pendant

What can I even say about this glorious find? The first thing to note is that I will have to bring the waste in and shorten the sleeves, but these were fixes that I was willing to go for because of how incredibly versatile this is. The only items not thrifted in this look are the same tank that I wore in the second outfit and the pendant, so how great is that?

I love this set because it can be worn together, or just with the pants or top. I also love how Vintage French it feels to me with the small white dotted pattern and white piping on the collar.

Styling notes | For this outfit I stayed a little more on the vintage side with the leather wedges and old English pendant, but I also feel you could make this whole look feel modern with platform shoes or any other number of bag/shoe/jewelry combinations.

Crop tank | Old English pendant | Two-piece set (thrifted) | White Sandal wedges (thrifted)

 

Thrift Month week 1 haul was a glorious success and I had a ball styling these pieces in with clothes I already own and love.

It was such a sweet experience to learn to see my style in a sea of things I didn’t like and I can’t wait to see what week 2 holds (actually starting today).

Stay tuned for my next q&a with the owner of FoundShop an online resale shop of secondhand and handmade things, on her journey and perspective of the environmental issues at stake in the fashion industry

But for now, tell me – what do you think of Alyssa’s tips? What are your thrifting hang-ups? And vote on your fav outfit from today, I wanna know what you think!?

So much love,

Mary B.

 

 

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