Today’s Thrifty Thursday features a special guest: My dad. You could say my dad’s always been tight careful with money. My mom says it’s because he’s Scottish and frugality is in his genes. Well he must have passed them onto me because I also love a good bargain.
My dad loves the thrill of the treasure hunt and the chance to find a gem. We recently talked about some of his finds and he promised to send photos of his head-to-toe thrifted looks.
In this first photo, my dad managed to get a complete outfit for $38. The pants are Diesel and are made in Italy.
Velour jacket: Gap ($15)
Top: Billabong ($6)
Jeans: Diesel ($14)
Shoes: Route 66 ($3)
My dad really appreciates quality and workmanship. His Izod shirt was made in Australia. Dad’s never been a slave to brand names but he likes classic, quality pieces. Dressing well makes him stand a little taller and walk a little prouder.
Jacket: Tommy Hilfiger ($15)
Pullover: Izod ($6)
Jeans: Hugo Boss ($15)
Shoes: Lugz ($20)
This final outfit was mostly new, meaning that the tags were still on the articles. He got all the pieces for less than $60. That’s probably 1/3 of the price of the Banana Republic jacket. The shoes alone would have been $300.
Jacket: Banana republic ($20)
Top: Point Zero ($6)
Pants: Hugo Boss ($14)
Shoes: Mephisto ($14)
My dad will scour the clearance racks at department stores for drastically reduced new items, but he’s also a fan of Value Village, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and smaller, local thrift shops. Garage sales are not off-limit either. It might take a while to find the perfect items, but that’s part of the fun. And the work pays off, as you can see by the end result.
Is thrifting a family tradition in your household? Have you convinced someone to try bargain hunting or are you alone in your quest for the perfect $3 pants?
jeanofalltrades 
What a fun guest post. I so relate to his love for thrifty finds.
Thanks for writing! I’m glad you can relate.
I love thrift stores, because I can afford to change over my wardrobe more frequently. And if an item of clothing just doesn’t work for me, or if I get tired of it, I just donate it back, and the cycle begins again!
Are ou kidding me? Our house would not be furnished and our cupboards/wardrobes would simply be mostly empty. We’d have shoes and underwear only, I reckon, along with the odd gift or the new pottery I couldn’t resist.. The daughter has carried on the tradition of the bargain hunt and, with the way life is at the moment, she’ll probably carry it on for the rest of her life, I should imagine.
Well thank goodness for consignment and thrifting then! Living in your underwear is no way to exist 🙂 It’s nice to find so many other thrifters here on WordPress. Thanks for sharing!
What a great sport dad is!
…and I love the Banana Republic jacket, btw…
🙂
I agree – this post came about because of a casual conversation we had. I asked him to model his outfits and he didn’t put up a fuss 🙂
I don’t seem to find many good bargains, but your dad’s adorable!
I’m not always good at it either. I fail miserably at garage sales. My dad has a lot of patience and keeps looking.
Anyone who puts their dad on a blog, gets my approval! Following now.
Thanks for following. I was happy he obliged.
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed! I grew up wearing mostly thrifted clothing, and my love for a good thrift find has carried over into adulthood. Most of my family is thrifty as well – we love swapping stories about our great finds and the sales we took advantage of!
I’m having fun with the FP thing and my dad is happy that people enjoyed reading about him.
It’s funny that when I was young, admitting to thrifting would have just not happened. Now, I’m proud, not embarassed, to find a deal. I’m in good company.
You did a great job getting deals and dressing him well! Where do you do most of your shopping?
Believe it or not, my dad found the clothes and put the outfits together himself. It was his idea! These are items from Goodwill, the Salvation Army, Value Village, and a couple of small thrift shops where he lives in Cambridge, Ontario (Canada).
this is a brilliant blog. righ ton, your dad has the same expression mine would if i made him model for my blog. way to go!
cheers
~firey
http://www.foundobjectbeachart.wordpress.com
Thanks for writing. I’m glad he agreed to model for me.
Great post! I get my thrift-style and bargain-hunting from my mother! Funny how genes pass down the cheapskate principle. 🙂
Agree! I’d never though, growing up, that I’d be a thrifter too.
We love the trift/consignment shops, and love that your dad modeled !
Thanks for writing. I’m glad my dad was a good sport.
Your dad is so cute, Jean! Thrifting definitely runs in my family as well. I spent many a-Saturday morning garage-sale-ing with my grandma. She also volunteered at a thrift store, so was always bringing home bags of 2nd hand clothes for me to sift through. My parents were big on the side-of-the-road Free piles (much to my embarrassment as a teenager, but now I do it, too!)
Oh my! I forgot about the side-of-the-road free piles. My dad does it, and so does Terrence. He found his halloween costume in a “free” box at the curb. And yes, he dressed up as a giant ketchup bottle with a squeeze-tip hat.
This was so adorable. You dad posed quite nicely, I must say. And he looked fashionable and smart. Nice job, Dad! And you too 🙂
http://valentinedefrancis.blogspot.com
Thanks! He does look good. Reading all these great comments is making me extra proud of him. He’s a stylish guy (not bad for a 63-year old).
It’s just amazing what people get rid of. But it’s nice to see that it is being re-used rather than thrown in the landfills.
Good point – there’s an eco-conscious twist to thrifting that wasn’t part of the post. My parents are both intersted in making a “small footprint” so this is part of the equation.
Glad to hear that. But the outreach has to go to those who don’t think about or bother to get their re-usables into the re-use systems. Making heroes out of folks like your Dad helps, too, since it raises social consciousness. So give your Dad a high-five.
I love these manikin poses! The Tommy Hilfiger over the Izod is really quite the look for Dad. 🙂
Thanks! My mom was his modelling coach 🙂 I think I like the Tommy Hilfiger jacket the best too.
Thrifting and Consignment sales are a huge way of life around our house. We are working on getting out of debt and our clothing budget was one of the things that had go but with 4 growing kids we still have to buy some clothes. Here are some of our recent goodies. http://chickenscowschildren.wordpress.com/tag/thrift-shopping/
I read a few of your posts. Great minds think alike 😉 It’s so easy to spend too much on clothes, but as you (and my dad) show, it’s not necessary.
other than essentials, i havent bought clothes in years lol. yesterday however i DID buy a pair of fruitotheloom sweatpants at walmart for 5.97!! Time to throw em all out and start fresh. Thanks for the tips!
Ha! I’ll forgive you for spending $5.97 on new pants. Glad you enjoyed the post.
Consignment shops, yes. Thrifts, no. I think your appetite for funky/used varies with where you live and who you work with/for. I love my consignment shop finds, but none are this cheap…I live and work in suburban NYC. Funky, over the age of perhaps 26, isn’t a look many NYers can pull off successfully.
But bravo to your Dad for posing for your blog!
I agree – depending on the look you’re going for, consignment might be better. Seems like prices reflect the location. I’ve found really cheap deals at shops in small towns, but even Seattle consignment prices are high (and it’s hardly NY).
Wow. I find your dad’s eye for fashion to be very impressivo! He looks great!
My dad is so flattered with all these amazing comments. He does have a good eye, and can spot the gems in a thrift store like nobody’s business!
Finding bargains is a family affair. Wen we go shopping and the kids find something they like, my husband always tells them, “Wait ’til it’s on sale.” They used to groan a lot, but now, after learning that they pay so much less by waiting (or that they really don’t need the item), it is much more fun to go shopping!
It’s cool that you’ve made saving a family affair. Sounds like you’re teaching your kids great lessons about saving and making sound purchsing decisions.
You’re father not only has a great sense of fashion, but doing so while being thrifty can be a challenge! He pulls it off well!
Thanks for writing! I think he does a great job too. It’s nice to be able to wear new or barely-worn clothes that cost a fraction of what they did in the stores.
Exactly! I’ve been frequenting Value Village lately with a friend who works there. I get 50% of when I shop with her. Most recent haul: Three nice pairs of jeans, and two nice cardigans. Came to about $20! It just feels better to wear nice looking, inexpensive clothes!
I try to find thrifted clothes, but I always strike out. *sigh* And since I can’t sew, I can’t take something and make it fit or look cool. Hunny always finds great stuff. Congrats on Freshly Pressed!
Good point – the people who can sew (and therefore alter thrifty finds) have it made! So many more choices. But it, sew it, make it your own.
Buying retail is for suckers: there’s always a better way.
Ronnie
Ha ha! I agree. It seems crazy to spens a lot of money on clothes. I sometimes do, but I regret it. There are too many other choices.
Great model!!! I love to thrift!! 🙂
I’m so happy to be meeting all these other thrifters. My dad’s flattered with the comments from everyone. Glad you like my choice of model.
My Dad was a massive fan of Charity Shop’s (We’re in the UK so I’m pretty sure we’re talking about the same thing) and to be honest, anything slightly bargainous!
When he passed away we found tons of AWFUL*, awful clothes stuffed into drawers and rammed under his bed – that sounds like a sad thing, but it wasn’t at all – it was completely Him and almost felt like a final wave goodbye. I think I’m following his tradition and have some really terrible “vintage” clothes tucked away, ready for their reveal at my death. Haha! BWAHAHAH!
*I’m talking a bright orange towelling tracksuit
Great story. I think it’s a sweet reminder of your dad’s true character. I think you should hide things too and make it a family tradition.
The thrift stores here are like your charity shops (I’m pretty sure). I remember shopping at Oxfam when I was in Scotland. Something like that.
Your dad is a great model! :o)
Thanks! He’s loving the responses from people. Obviously he didn’t know he’d be Freshly Pressed and “world famous” today.
Your dad is very fashionable! I (like you and your dad) love a good bargain too. My mom is the one who taught me how to look for discounts when I shop. I feel really guilty if I pay full price. I just can’t spend more than a certain amount on a whole outfit.
I also enjoy thrift shopping. Unfortunately, my mom no longer thrift shops, but she exposed me to it. Yard sales are her thing now, but I do enjoy going with her. I look forward to reading more of your posts and exploring your blog!
I have a mental dollar amount in my head too and if I pick up an item and it’s more than I’d expected, I put it back.
Thanks for writing! I’m glad you like my dad’s outfits.
My husband enjoys wearing comfortable Hawaiian shirts to work and I like to see him in them! My favorite place to find them? Goodwill! For $4.99 each I can usually find him one or two. He loves the last one I brought home, informing me that it was his “new favorite.” Once in a while someone will complement him on a shirt and he proudly tells them his wife bought it at Goodwill.
How nice that your husband’s new favorite is a) something you found and b) something from Goodwill. Nice job!
I also can’t keep a secret. If someone compliments a thrifted item I always say something dorky like “it was only $6” or “I got it second hand.”
Nice Post! My wife recently made me a yard/garage sale man. Now we are both addicted. 🙂
It is addicting, isn’t it? Especially when you see the great stuff you can get for a song.
I love picking up stuff at consignment shops and thrift stores. I tend to look a long time before I find anything I want, but when I do, it’s great, and it means I’ve got a little extra money if I want to splurge on something new. Your dad sure has a sharp eye and good taste!
Thanks! I think he did a good job too. It’s a nice strategy you’ve got: sve on most of the stuff and splurge sometimes (because of all you’ve saved previously).
I would have to say that shopping in thrift stores is in my family’s genes, most of my clothing comes from there. I have to admit I love going to Value Village because you can find things you can’t find anywhere else, and I’m always shocked when I realize weeks later the $6 shirt I bought was a well known brand that would have been originally $80. Your dad’s outfits are amazing, I love three jackets and wish I could snatch them from him actually (I never would though even if I had the chance!).
It’s fun to find things worth a lot more. I like it when I buy something because I like it, not becaue of the brand, but then I find out it was a pricy piece. Score!
Those are thrift store prices? Seems on the expensive side unless you’re in California or NYC. I’ve bought designer clothing for anywhere between $1 to $12, usually closer to the lower amount. The second-hand clothing stores run more on the expensive side, but thrift stores for me are almost to the point of giving away clothing.
My dad lives near Toronto and those are the going rates. $14 isn’t cheap, but the Mephistos were $300 new, so it’s still good.
Even the Seattle Goodwill charges $10 for a woman’s jacket. If you know of cheaper places, please share! Look s like we’re in the same neck of the woods. Love bargains, will travel 🙂
My entire wardrobe is thrift-store finds and hand-me-downs … I was in graduate school and supporting a family, but I still needed to look professional. Thrifting was the only way I could do it. Even when I’m gainfully employed, I still buy most all the clothes second hand. It’s good for the budget and can be beneficial to the community, depending on the shops you choose–some of the best places I’ve shopped benefitted women’s shelters, homeless coalitions, etc.
Good point – that’s an added bonus of thrifting. Many of the shops raise money for worthy causes. I don’t know why I didn’t thrift as a new graduate. It was hard to look professional on a budget. I’m a convert now though and I’m making up for lost time!
I have to thrift now because my kids are eating me out of house and home. Letting them go to school naked would be frowned upon, so the money I save thrifting for clothes goes to food instead.
I think your blog is great and I will continue to follow! Great to see someone esle loves to be frugal!
Thanks for following! I’m in good company with all the other frugal people.
Great post! Your dad seems awesome!
woodstockwardrobe.com
Thanks for writing – he’s a great guy.
A question to the thrifty;
To be thrifty is to save, from here and there, and put it where it matters most (investments, etc)
Or
just save every damn penny that you can?
Cheers,
-Ron
Good question. For me it’s the first option. Save a bit here and there so I can spend at other times or invest.
Love it! So fun to see your dad as special guest, and I am impressed by both his style and thriftiness. I think about 95% of my closet is now second-hand, which I love doing for various reasons… can’t wait for that clothing swap!
Yes! The swap will be fun. I’ll write about that too. It’s another great way to save money, reduce waste, and of course, drink wine 😉
Wow, he really is a snazzy dresser and there are some amazing deals too. I feel like men were either born to save money, and dress nicely, or they weren’t. You can try to teach them, but sometimes it’s just in the genes. 😉
Good point – some things you can’t learn. He seems to have born with this talent. Give him a box of old toys at a garage sale, and he’ll find the vintage collectable that’s actually worth something 😉
I love thrift shopping! I find it more exciting coz you get to dive with all the mounds of gorgeous clothes and when you finally get that one dress or a pair of clothings, the feeling is just so… equally gratifying! ^^
It is fun, isn’t it? And there’s usually only one of everything so it feels special.
Wow, your dad really has a good eye. I need to take my Mom with me n shopping expeditions because she has that eye for bargains. I too don’t care about brand names – to me it’s more about the design of the piece being different to what I already own.
He’s good at spotting a gem. I agree that fit and quality are more important than name brands,
this is the first men’s wear post iv hit! nicely done! and congrats on fpd
Thanks! Glad you like it. Women’s fashion is covered so much more so I thought this would be a fun topic.
There is nothing like the thrill of discovery as long as you don’t mind slogging through piles and racks of clothing. Case in point? A pair of boys Gap cargo pants – 50 cents and totally worth it.
It does take patience, but 50 cents? Well worth it 🙂
Terrific!! Please ask him to tell us where did he find those jackets for such a price… name the shop 😉
I’ll get more information from him so we can all take advantage of a bargain.
Usually only women do this kind of scouring shopping. Good for your dad.
Wow, the men’s outfits were wonderful deals! I love that, I love the whole hunting factor of looking in consignment stores, Goodwill, etc. for a quality piece at a great price! I have been hunting through Salvation armies & stores like this for years, even towing my two boys when they were young. What’s amusing is, now my sons take after me and hunt through the shops, too, and like to tell me about their “BUYS”. It’s so funny how the tables have turned because they used to complain about being part of my hunt!
Your thriftiness rubbed off on your sons – I like that! Doesn’t sound like they’re complaining now 🙂
Nice post. I would have to agree with New Leaf — it would nice if you include a few tips on how to achieve these cool steals. Any time of the year/season, stores, rain-checks, online promo combination, etc… a future post perhaps. I like to scour the clearance racks of big department stores, it can often be a frustrating endeavor but it makes a ‘find’ so much more fun. I’m sure you and your dad will have a fun time this Black Friday 🙂
Great idea! I’ll “interview” my dad and do a follow-up post on where, how, etc. to get a bargain and if he has any secret tips. Stay tuned!
What a stylish father you have!
Thank you! Who knew he’d be a fashion influence on me?
My wife and I have been buying Levis on eBay for years. They average about $5 a pair instead of $50. Prom dresses are an especially good buy as well. Thanks for a great post!
Oh yes! I will do an entire post on eBay – I get great deals there too. Prom dresses are a great example of something worn once that costs so much. Why not thrift it. Jeans too! They’re durable and people get rid of them for the strangest reasons.
I love thrift shops. It’s like a treasure hunt. Nice post.
Thanks! I agree with you. The treasure hunt is the best part!
I don’t mind 2nd hand, but I stopped buying from places online. They never fit quite right. Also most of the items I bought online were fakes. I’ll happily go Op-Shopping though
Online can be tough. Sizing is hard to gauge, and then there’s the whole “authenticity” thing. I do shop online, but only with things where fit isn’t an exact science.
Very wonderful take on a model! This is precisely what I love about blogs: They provide a real life alternative to the glossy magazines. Much easier to relate to!
Thank you for a great blog, btw. Looking forward to your next update!
Thank you! My dad is definitely the real deal. And I think he shows how it can be done. I hope he’s inspiring.
This weekend I found an original, limited edition print, signed by the artist that sold for $175 in a first-class gallery several years ago. I paid $10, love the print, and helped a good cause. Artwork is a great bargain if you know what to look for.
Wow! Nice work. I don’t know what I’m looking for but I can see how somone who didn’t know the value of a piece would donate it.
Although it may not qualify as ‘true’ thrift shop hunting, when shopping at the Gap or Banana Republic, I ALWAYS without fail see an item I like but wait to purchase, knowing sooner or later it will end up on the sale rack… And, usually at a deep discount! One just has to be patient. Great post… Thanks!
I think that’s a point worth mentioning. You’re totally right: the sale racks at stores like that are great. I’ve foundcheap jeans and other things at the Gap and BR.
Mens vintage is so underlooked!
Only saying it because I care! Check us out @ http://theeyeoffaith.com in the upcoming weeks for really unique Men’s vintage finds.
I will! Thanks for writing. I’m always looking for style ideas.
Thanks for the idea!!! now I want to dress up my dad!
You should! He’ll feel like a million bucks!
im alone in thrift shopping among expats here in kl, i think, but unlike my previous home of thailand where folk are reluctant to buy 2nd hand the locals here on lower wages are more into thrift , mostly from japanese bundles, shipped in tied up in designer silk ties, which if well rescued are often free. have been known to walk away with a new wardrobe for 10us$ sometimes including a special find like a comme de garcons tshirt or shirt. indonesia is better for 2nds and factory rejects due to the huhe export trade and manufacture for many major high brands.
Wow! I’d love to score bundles of 2nds for $10. Nice! I know what you mean about some places not appreciating thrifting. It’s cultural. My sister-in-law was appalled that we shopped at Goodwill even though “we’re not poor.” Some places have a stigma about shopping other people’s castoffs. She’s on board now though!
Go Dad! And great stuff, girl! I love finding clearance items and thrift stores and the like. I think everyone in my family does, except one of my brothers. He a label-whore. Hmm….I feel like going to Goodwill. I’m inspired!
Reblogged this on Melissa Moore Posts.
Your dad looks like a sweetheart Jean! How cool that he was willing to do this. I come from a family of thrifty shoppers too. My dad is the ultimate penny pincher. I don’t think he ever buys clothes for himself, he just wears whatever people give him as gifts. I love thrift stores (of course I love Macy’s too, but with the cheap items in the mix it balances out). Celeste 🙂
Oh, that’s so cute about your dad just wearing what others give him 🙂 My dad is a really great guy. I think he wears his thrifty clothes well! And yeah, I inherited his love of thrifting!