Thrift Store Style

Charlotte@Living Well on the Cheap  —  July 31, 2014 — 4 Comments

I think that most folks associate thrift store style with vintage clothing, a la either Macklemore or the coolest girl in Theatre Club. While I love vintage finds for my home, I am not so good at wearing vintage clothing and I actually don’t see much of it in thrift stores anyway. What I do love wearing and find plenty of are popular contemporary brands. I made a vow back in April to buy only secondhand clothing for a year. Here are some of my faves purchased in just the last few months:

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This Target dress is so comfortable and flattering. It hits just above the knee and provides plenty of coverage up top so I can wear it in professional settings, but it’s breezy enough to go almost anywhere. I probably wear it at least once a week, usually with a thin belt.

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This one is made by Poetry and is more of a date night dress. The back requires a fancy bra, it’s hand wash only, and it’s a little on the short side, but I wore it out on our anniversary last month and felt like a million bucks even in flats.

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This Banana Republic top is totally adorable. I love the color and the cut. I can wear it with shorts or jeans or tuck it into a skirt for a more tailored look.

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This Old Navy top is soooo comfortable. We’ve taken a couple of road trips this summer and it’s perfect for long car rides. It feels like pajamas but looks much cuter.

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I just bought this Gap dress last week and haven’t had a chance to wear it yet. It’s definitely more of a date night dress but that waistband? It’s elastic. My favorite color, figure-flattering, and forgiving of extra helpings? Yes, please. It’s too bad we don’t have any weddings on the horizon because it would be perfect for munching on cake and dancing the night away.

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This dress is made by Lush and I’ve practically lived in it this summer. It’s perfect as a swimsuit coverup or with a racerback bra for wearing almost anywhere. It’s definitely my go-to on weekends because it’s comfortable enough to lounge in all day but decent enough for an impromptu outing.

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I didn’t recognize the label in this dress and it actually looked a bit different when I bought it. There were waaaay too many ruffles on top and my small stature just cannot handle all that volume. I bought it at a thrift store in Austin and used a small pair of scissors to remove all the stitching attaching the ruffles in our hotel room, then wore it to dinner that night! The remaining ruffles are a little wrinkly here and that is the only downside to this dress, seeing as I hate to iron. I usually just spritz them with a little water then lay them down to dry flat before putting it on and adding a leather belt.

Not everything I buy at thrift stores is a winner. I bring home plenty of duds even after ruthlessly editing in the fitting room, but the beauty of it is that no single item ever costs me more than $5. I dare say that I’m dressing better now than ever because I used to update my wardrobe very rarely. Now that I can walk into a store and come out with several pieces for under $20 I’m shopping much more often

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Charlotte@Living Well on the Cheap

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4 responses to Thrift Store Style

  1. Ok you need to come figure out Houston’s thrift shopping for me. No lie, I often think, I could get this on clearance new for this price! I’m a bargain shopper but I’m not a good thrift shopper. Although I love good finds when I do get them!

    • Charlotte@Living Well on the Cheap August 1, 2014 at 10:25 am

      Yes let’s go thrifting together! I usually go to Goodwill, which has almost everything at flat prices (ex. all shirts are one price, all dresses another, etc). If employees recognize something as being worth more they’ll put it in the special pricing section but I almost never look there.

  2. Janet (Country Mouse) August 5, 2014 at 10:05 pm

    I love thrift shopping. I often wear thrifted clothes. I have been complimented on things that I bought at Goodwill. When I tell them where it came from, they often think I am kidding. Around here we have some new thrift stores that are for the benefit of special needs young adults. They sometimes are not as well managed as the bigger stores, but I feel like I am spending my little pittance where it will do some good. Thrifting is like treasure hunting.

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