I have some goodies to share with you from my thrift store adventures yesterday! I was invited by a friend of mine to go out to the Salvation Army to look for work clothes. Of course I said yes. We spent quite some time picking through their stock and came across some great items and at bargain prices. Purple tags were automatically $0.69 cents, so I kept an eye out for those when shopping as well.
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I didn't come across too many things that worked out for me, but I still did well on bargains. I found a bunch of beautiful tops, but they either didn't fit or I didn't like the style on me. Here's what I found at the Salvation Army:
Item: Kenneth Cole-Reaction men's button up
Price: $0.69 cents
I try to find button up shirts for my fiance when I go out on 69 cent day at S.A. This Kenneth Cole one is in great shape and a pattern that I really liked. He wears button ups for work, so I always keep these in the back of my mind when I go thrift store shopping. He is building up quite the collection from my thrift store trips.
Item: Merona (Target brand) women's long-sleeve t-shirt
Price: $0.69 cents
The second item I found was this basic grey, long-sleeve t-shirt. These are super soft and a comfortable option for casual weekend days. I would pair it with a colorful camisole underneath, a tied scarf, jeans and boots. For fall, you could add a jean jacket or a green, military style blazer for an edgy feel.
I know these items don't seem like much, but I feel if I can find these basics in good shape for 69 cents, they are definitely worth it. It's a way to keep rotating your basic pieces cheaper. 69 cents is still better than a cheap Walmart item that's $3.00!
Item: The Travel Selection brand red basic shell tank
Price: $2.99
I've been trying to keep an eye out for these shells to put underneath my suit jackets for work. It's your typical sleeveless tank top, but I liked it because of the beautiful deep red color and had a flower pattern on it. It's nothing exciting, but it will look nice and professional underneath a suit jacket. Since this one wasn't a purple tag item, it had to pay full-price for it, but still at $2.99 it's a great deal.
Grand Total at Salvation Army: $5.18
After all was said and done, I wound up spending $5.18 total for 3 shirts and 2 decorative pillows for our living room. While the trip was not a huge haul, I wound up finding some good items at great prices.
I still had time before stores closed Saturday night, so I decided to make a trip over to my favorite Goodwill store in town, and man am I glad I did! I found several items that I absolutely love. The Goodwill sale was 1/2 price blue tag items. Sadly, only one item was a blue tag, but I still got great deals on things I know I'll wear all the time, and one not-so-great item I should have noticed before I purchased it.
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Item: Star Vixen leopard print top
Price: $3.49
I am super excited about this leopard print top. It's a short-sleeved polyester top with large flutter sleeves. I would wear this to go out on the weekend in. I'd put a black tank underneath, toss on some colorful jewelry, trouser jeans and heels and head out on the town.
Item: East 5th tank top
Price: $1.75 (1/2 price blue tag item)
I was really happy to find this polyester embellished tank, and it was even better when I noticed the blue tag. However, what I didn't do was pay attention to the details of the shirt. I even tried this one on and still didn't notice there were a whole string of brown beads missing from the neckline. I was so focused on the fact that it was 1/2 price that I didn't make sure to check the top over for blemishes. I may be able to string new beads, but chances are I'll end up donating this one back to Goodwill before getting around to doing it.
I was really disappointed when I pulled this one out of the bag today to take pictures of. If I would have noticed the missing beads, I never would have bought it. And I think it's plenty noticeable, so I'll wind up never wearing it. I should always use my own advice and
check for rips, tears, missing pieces, etc before buying anything. At least I'm only out $1.75!
Item: Tommy Hilfiger navy blue, asymmetrical cardigan
Price: $3.49
I am a magnet for cardigans. They are easy to wear, comfortable options for work if dressed up appropriately. This one is a soft knit material, and it has a rolled and buttoned 3/4 sleeve. There's nothing quite like finding name-brand, quality items for killer deals!
Cardigans are so easy to pair with other separates for work and weekend looks. I will wear this piece with black or neutral tops, long necklaces and a belt for work, and for weekends, I would pair it with a brighter tank top underneath, chunky necklace (or scarf) and no belt for a breezy, comfy outfit. A belt can give a shapeless piece the right structured, polished look you need for a day at the office.
Item: Simply Vera by Vera Wang straight-leg denim capris
Price: $5.99
These jean capris happened to be in the denim racks with my size, but they are way too small for me. I picked these up because my mom LOVES Vera Wang pants. I'm pretty sure 99% of the denim she wears is by Vera Wang. I have to admit, if her jeans came in my size, I'd probably be hooked, too. Wang uses classic shapes and adds a touch of style to her pieces with buttons, studs and splashes of color.
This pair are in like-new shape and have the whisker detail at the hips and a cute, slit hem at the bottom. The back pockets also have a small flower detail on them. These were the most expensive item I bought, but at $5.99 and in such great shape, I couldn't pass them up. Simply Vera is sold at Kohl's and usually run $44.00 and up.
Item: Purple striped 3/4-sleeve t-shirt
Price: $3.49
This shirt was my favorite piece of the day. I am thrilled with this pattern and color! There is no tag, so I don't know the brand, but it is the comfy knit material and super lightweight. It's perfect for fall layering. I wore this today with a blank tank underneath and a black button up long-sleeved shirt with buckle details over top of it. I buttoned one button just under my bust at the waist to give a little shape. The button up is a tailored, short hemline, so the striped detail of this top peaked out from underneath the bottom as well.
I would wear this fun print with and for almost anything. I love this top! :)
Item: Villager by Liz Clairborne grey blazer
Price: $3.99
I always take my time and dig through the racks of blazers at Goodwill because while they organize most styles by size (jeans, slacks, etc.), they don't do that with blazers. You have to go piece-by-piece and check every size tag. But I always do because I always wind up finding great items like this grey blazer for work. It is a polyester/rayon blend material, but it has a tweed-like feel and look to it, without having the weight of tweed. I also like that it has the black stitching detail around the lapels and bottom hemline. I think this blazer looks chic and polished; I can pair it with a pencil skirt, a colorful top underneath and heels for a perfect office look.
Item: Valerie Stevens-Woman (plus-size line) pinstriped suit jacket
Price: $3.99
Did I mention I LOVE the blazer section at Goodwill?! Holy cow this jacket is beautiful! I'm a sucker for pinstriped detail. It has red and light blue pinstriping and fits like a dream. The two-button suit jackets work better for my body type because they button slightly lower, allowing me to button them both without any tugging on the sides due to a larger bust. I am able to get the shape I want without feeling like a stuffed sausage. The other great thing about this jacket is that it has pockets. Pockets are a nice surprise because most of my suits have faux pocket detailing. It looks great, but utterly useless. I work for the government, and we often have to carry our badges to get through security in the building, so I always like having pockets to slip my badge in since I don't like clipping it on the outside of my clothing. I am thrilled to have found this gem among those racks!
Grand Total at Goodwill: $28.00
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When all was said and done for the day, I spent a whopping $33.18 total for this haul. That my friends, is why I love thrift store shopping.
Much love,
~Heather
