Thrifted

One of the dangers of going home to Chicago is that I'm typically on vacation and I have a lot of time. Mix that with the fact that my mom and I bond through shopping, and trips tend to become a little spendy. Well, in that light, I decided it was high time that I exposed my mom to the shopaholic's gold mine - the thrift store.  And man, I don't know if it was just luck or that there's just more selection in Chicago, but I made out like a bandit!

So, I thought I'd share what I picked up and how I might style each of the pieces. 

 

I saw this and immediately dubbed it the Christmas blazer.  Get it? Because it's red and green?  This Ben Sherman number fit like a dream and was such a unique color combination.  I picture this with skinny jeans or over a solid colored dress. 

   

Believe it or not, I found this in the little boy's section of the thrift store.  And it has earned an extra special place in my heart because the brand turned out to be Marshall Fields!  If you don't know, Marshall Fields was one of the cornerstones of the Chicago identity until they went out of business and Macy's bought them out.  That department store was the only place where Frango mints were sold at the time!  I was so mad when they went out of business, but now I have something of their house brand in my closet.  Not to mention I've been wanting a great navy blue blazer and this fits the bill.  I would wear this with a t-shirt tucked into pretty much any skirt.  It would also go great with leggings and boots!

  

My mom found this pretty silk number for me.  Such a pretty pattern!  Pair this with jeans and a mustard cardigan and a fun knit hat and scarf. 

  

Obviously I'm attracted to kinda crazy patterns.  I've been looking for button downs to add to my wardrobe and I'm totally digging the purples, blues and grays in this paisley blouse.  Easy pairing?  A high waisted pencil skirt and heels.  Want to funk it up a little bit?  Wear it under a black shift and belt it!

  

Oh the wrap dress.  What a wonderful, flattering invention.  And DVF, no less!  I have, in fact, already worn this on the blog.  You could also go classy with black pumps and a trench coat. 

 

This item and the next one are two of my favorite scores from my Chicago thrift store visits.  This classic Kate Spade handbag can carry all my essentials -- my MacBook Air, my Kindle, a notebook, my headphones, sunglasses and my phone and my wallet.  I've visited the Kate Spade outlet countless times for a purse like this, and whadyaknow -- I find it at a thrift store!  I do wish it had a shoulder or crossbody strap for when I stuff it full of things, but hey -- I'll take it. 

 

It should come as no surprise that green is my favorite color.  And a sexy pair of boots in a nice, hunter green?  Oh yes, they came home with me without a second thought.  And man, am I wearing the heck out of them.  I have two outfits in queue (one of which you get a sneak peek at here) featuring these babies.  And I would (and will) wear them with EVERYTHING.  

A pretty successful set of trips, if I do say so myself.  For full disclosure, I spent HOURS at the thrift stores where I picked these up.  A few tips for the thrifting newbie: 

1. Make sure you have time.  There's nothing fruitful in a harried thrifting outing.  You will need to dig through a ton of garbage to find gold.  
2. Look at everything.  This isn't your favorite store where you know plus or minus a size what fits you without even trying anything on.  I found one of my blazers in the boys section.  Vintage items tend to be smaller -- there wasn't any vanity sizing back in the day, so make sure to check some of the racks with sizes that are usually too big.  The men's section may net you some awesome button down shirts.  Leave no stone unturned! 
3. Plan your outfit.  I like a tank top, a cardigan, a stretchy skirt and flats.  Why?  Some thrift stores have no fitting room!  And even if they do, you want to be able to take your clothes off easily or see what your possible scores will look like with your clothes. 
4. Get the inside scoop on when your local stores have sales or get new inventory.  This way, you may find something on the super cheap or get first dibs on new merch! 

Hopefully this will help someone -- these were things that I didn't know a year ago!  But I've gotta feed my need for fashion on more of a budget going forward, so I'm learning fast.  What about you?  Do you thrift?  Share some awesome finds in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by!