Tag Archives: thrifty fashion

December 13, 2015 · 12:48 pm

Cloudy Day Skirt

Today I’m wearing mostly black with red and white accents. Not exactly Christmas-y, but a popular color scheme for me. I often fall into the black (or black and white) with red palette. I try to swap out the pop of red for hot pink or bright yellow but I tent to gravitate to this.

cloud skirt

Jacket: Swapped
T-shirt: Target
Tights: H&M
Skirt: OPP
Booties: DSW
Bag: Couch

I won this skirt in a silent auction at last year’s Seattle Area Feline Rescue gala. SAF-R is the rescue groups where I adopted my three cats. The skirt is by Konnyaku, which has since been rebranded as OPP (Other People’s Polyester), a Seattle upcycled/repurposed fashion line.

red bag

I love the asymmetrical clouds accents and just how cute and comfy this skirt is. I wore it with black tights and a black T, and made my bag stand out against the dark backdrop.

black and white outfit

My bag is made from upcycled automobile vinyl. It was deadstock intended for a Volkswagen. Couch is a company that specializes in guitar straps but also does a great job with bags and wallets.

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October 26, 2015 · 12:07 am

Striped Top and Culottes

My Mayamiko pants arrived! I love the wide, cropped cut and organza trim.

black and white

I was recently gifted a Mayamiko top and fell in love with the soft cotton fabric and solid construction. Their mission of helping women struck a chord with me as well. So I ordered these pants when I saw them on the site.

fair trade and swapped combo

If you order something by Mayamiko, remember that the sizes are UK. I’m a 6-8 and the UK 12 fit perfectly. Of course the elastic waist meant there was wiggle room—I didn’t have to worry about an exact fit.

Mayamiko pants

I paired my culottes with a neat two-tone top from my friend Andrea. She’d contributed it to a recent clothing exchange and I picked it out. I gravitate toward her items because she has fantastic style.

If my boots look familiar, it’s because Andrea wore them in the fashion shoot I linked to in the previous paragraph. I love extending the life of clothes and shoes my sharing among friends. These are in my closet now, and I have a couple of pair of shoes for her.

culottes and boots

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August 29, 2015 · 12:45 pm

Gray and White Thrifty Look

I just came back from vacation in Germany and while I sort, edit and cull my photos, I thought I’d share a thrifty look I wore shortly before I left for my trip.

gray and white

Top: Swapped
Pants: Suzy Shier
Shoes: Swapped
Bag: Thrifted

I picked up this top at a clothing exchanges a few years ago. It belonged to my friend Andrea, whose style I admire. At another clothing exchange, my friend Kristin handed these awesome wedges to me. She knew they were my size and, since I love her style sense too, she knew I’d like these.

gray fabric wedges and cords

The shoes and top work great with my cropped cords. I’ve had these for years. And they were only $5 from the Suzy Shier outlet in Cambridge, Ontario, the town my parents lived in for a while.

flowy top and cropped cords

My Harvey’s seatbelt bag was thrifted, and was also about $5, making this one of the least expensive outfits I own. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

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July 16, 2015 · 11:06 pm

Black Eyelet and Stripes

Here’s a #tbt to the end of last summer. My hair is lighter and shorter now but I would still rock this outfit.

eyelet pants

Top: H&M
Pants: Dolce & Gabbana
Shoes: Adrienne Vittadini
Necklace: Beacon’s Closet

I saw these black eyelet capri pants in a consignment shop in Seattle. I wanted them so badly but I was about to fly to NYC and I knew shopping opportunities were in my future. However, after sleeping on it, I rushed back to the store and bought them. They’re just too neat to pass up.

cowl neck

I see a lot of white eyelet but black is harder to come by. For some weird reason, I don’t look scantily clad—even though the pants aren’t lined. Boy-cut briefs and strategically placed pockets seem to do the trick.

capris and wedges

I wore the pants with the honeycomb necklace I bought in New York. I kept finding honeycomb patterns wherever I went: a dress, this necklace, a manhole cover, neon tubing artwork in a subway stop. There were so many honeycomb patterns that I decided to get a honeycomb added to my bee tattoo.

honeycomb necklace

Stripes and eyelet almost count as pattern mixing. I went with a neutral top, but these pants will look great with a bright shirt too, or even just plain old white.

eyelet

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July 9, 2015 · 2:45 pm

Sunny Stripes for Summer

I found this shirt at a clothing exchange and loved its day-glow colors. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but I took it figuring I could pair it with black pants.

striped top

Top: Swapped
Pants: Gap
Shoes: Target

However, when I saw that the yellow in the topic was the same hue as my highlighter-yellow cropped jeans I decided to put the two pieces together.

yellow pants and colorful top

Gold shoes aren’t exactly subtle either but I went with these because a demure ballet flat seemed to be a good fit for the psychedelic swirls in the shirt. It’s not often I find a shirt busier than my tattoo sleeve!

colorful summer outfit

It’s summer, and to me that means bright, fun clothes—especially ones that you can get wet! I bought a little pool for my dog so he can cool off. I enjoy dipping my toes in the water too.

poolside

What are your go-to summer tones?

I’ve joined Happiness at Midlife, High Latitude Style, The Penniless Socialite, and Rachel the Hat for blog linkups. See what everyone else is wearing!

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June 24, 2015 · 10:38 pm

Still Rockin’ My Missoni Shift

Some items in my closet have staying power. This Missoni for Target shirt is one such item. I’ve worn this with tights and booties and I’ve worn it with skinny jeans and boots. This time, I’ve chosen denim leggings (yeah, yeah–jeggings) and nude ballet flats.

shift and cardigan

Cardigan: Target
Shift: Missoni for Target
Leggings: JC Penney
Flats: H&M
Necklace: Handmade by Dad

Yes, you read that right. My dad mad my turquoise necklace. Isn’t that sweet? He’s a fan of stones and gems so it made sense that he’d incorporate turquoise stones and silver beads into a neat piece.

turquoise necklace

The matching cardi was great for the office–it’s always chilly at my desk.

shift and jeggings

Stripes (zigzags) and flats are always in style, making this outfit have staying power. Next time I’ll pair it with my mustard jeans and pick up the yellow stripes in the top.

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June 10, 2015 · 11:21 pm

Geometric Patterned Dress

I had a clothing exchange a while ago and this dress was one of the gems I acquired. It was more than luck though. My friend Kristin bypassed the stacks of clothing and hand-delivered the dress to me. She knew I’d love it.

geo dress

Dress: Gifted/swapped
Pleather boots: DSW
Vegan suede purse: Matt & Nat
Jacket (below): Swapped

I like the earth tones, geometric pattern, and faux-wrap style. I’ve worn it with tights before and it works great with bare legs too. This time, I wore boots, but it’s going to be great with sandals too. It’s a true all-season dress.

dress and boots

Because indoor (AC) and evenings are cool around Seattle, this green jacket came in handy. It’s another swapped find from a clothing exchange I went to a few years ago.

jacket and dress

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May 14, 2015 · 10:58 pm

Striped Dress with Bell Sleeves

I picked up this dress when I was in Portland a couple of months ago. It has a neat, retro vibe. I got it at a used clothing store, so maybe it is vintage. Who knows?

striped dress

Dress: Crossroads Trading Co.
Earrings: DIY
Shoes: Arden Wohl x  Cri de Coeur

This will make a great go-to summer dress, although tights will make it a year-round item. In the heat of August, I’ll probably wear sandals. But for spring, a variety of shoe styles will work.

red shoes

I immediately thought of my Arden Wohl x  Cri de Coeur vegan suede shoes. The red shoes highlight the bold red stripes.

mismatched stripes

When clothes are made hastily and patterns don’t line up, it drives me crazy! I’ve walked away from purchased because of sloppy sewing. This dress, however is deliberately mismatched. In fact, there’s no seam down the center. It’s printed that way! This I can live with.

I wore this out to dinner with hubby and a couple we know. We went to a delicious vegan restaurant, Sutra. The menu is local, seasonal, and organic, and changes every two weeks! All the more reason to go back.

Oh, I’ve joined High Latitude Style, Penniless Socialite, Rachel the Hat, and Happiness at Midlife for linkups. See what all the others are wearing!

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April 20, 2015 · 9:38 pm

Skater Skirt and flats

I started putting this outfit together, scarf-first. I wanted to wear this patterned scarf. So I grabbed some solids and let the scarf take the spotlight.

gray and olive

Cardigan: Swapped
Tank: Target
Scarf: Boutique in Portland
Skirt: Swapped
Tights: Target
Shoes: Beyond Skin

Gray and olive aren’t colors I usually mix together, but I really like they way it looks. I usually stick with warmer tones (khaki, tan, brown) when I wear olive. But the grey is fresh–plus, the colors in the scarf pulls it all together.

tights and flats

My Beyond Skin bowtie flats worked well with the short, flirty style of the skirt. These shoes were my “reward” for my contribution to a Kickstarter. They fit perfectly and go with practically everything. Score! Beyond Skin is a UK-based ethical shoe company. They’re animal-free (no leather) and work closely with factories in Spain to make sure people aren’t exploited in the making of these shoes either.

patterned scarf

I’m joining the Visible Monday, Style to Inspire, and How I Spring link-ups today. See what everyone else is wearing!

 

 

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February 26, 2015 · 7:56 am

Stripes and Dots

Here’s a #TBT (Throwback Thursday) post for ya, taken about a year ago (before I stopped growing out my hair and started snipping it bit by bit until it was short again). I don’t mind posting this so late because I plan on wearing this tomorrow. It still works.

black and white

Sweater: Thrifted
Skirt: Ililana (via flea market)
Tights: Roots Canada
Faux suede booties: Old Navy
Pleather cuff: Etsy

I enjoy pattern mixing (is that still a thing?), especially when the look is monochrome. If everything is black and white, it has to work! Here, I paired a well-work black and white striped sweater with a Swiss dot wrap-around circle skirt.

stripes and dots

I love adding a pop of color and I thought the red cuff did the trick. I read recently that some clueless company in Norway made their female employees wear red bracelets during “that time of the month” so managers would know why they were taking extra bath room breaks. Ridiculous! Talk about TMI and “none of your business.: Well for better or worse, I think about that story whenever I reach for this bracelet. Then, I often decide not to wear it. Well, this is purely a fashion statement. I am discouraged to hear of such backward practices from an otherwise forward-thinking nation.

pattern mixing

Back to the outfit! I bought this skirt at a flea market in Brooklyn. It was new, from a company called Ililanga, but I can’t find them online anywhere. I guess you’ll have to go to Brooklyn to see their collection of skirts and dresses. I like the length and shape but I think a midi needs to be worn with heels–so that’s what I did.

I’ve joined a linkup at Fashion Should be Fun. See what everyone else is wearing!

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