The Fashion Tag

I am going to complete the "fashion tag" and answer fourteen questions about my style and my view of fashion.  I hope you enjoy and learn a little something about my personal style! 

1.  What 5 words describe your style?

classic, comfy, preppy, practical, quirky

2.  What are your favorite jeans?

American Eagle Hi-Rise Jegging

3.  What is your most worn piece?

My most worn pieces for fall are vests.  I love to layer them with long sleeve shirts or sweaters and scarves or statement necklaces.  I have 6 and wear them way to much!

4.  What are your favorite shoes?

Keds.  I know they aren't traditionally the most stylish shoes but I wear them all the time.  I like to mix them with a feminine outfit to make it a bit edgier.  They give off  a chill vibe and are super comfortable! 

5.  What is your favorite store?

I go to Marshalls,Tj Maxx, and thrift stores the most because they are affordable and have great finds!

6.  What was your last fashion purchase?

I bought a romper from Nordstrom Rack two days ago for my sorority's formal

7.  Spend or save?

SAVE!

8.  What is your favorite winter outfit?

My go to outfit for fall is a sweater, leggings, scarf, and boots.

9.  Who is your favorite Youtuber?

Casey Holmes

10.  Who is your fashion crush?

Lauren Conrad has been my fashion crush for years!  I love how she rocks looks from romantically sweet to masculine chic.  She always looks put together and powerful, which is my goal.  Her line at Kohls is amazing and I want to raid her closet so bad! 

11.  Heels or flats?

Flats

12.  What is your go to bag?

Vineyard Vines Classic Tote  or my polka dot black cross body from target.  Just depends on the occasion!

13.  What is one splurge item you are lusting after?

I am saving up for a Kate Spade bag and watch

14.  What is your favorite season to dress for?

Fall and winter are my favorite because I love layering!  Vest, scarves, fuzzy socks, sweaters, flannels, boots!  Ah, the BEST

I tag Danielle of Beautiful Disaster!

How to: Thrift Shop

A lot of people are afraid of shopping at thrift or second hand stores.  You may think it's gross, not worth it, chaotic, or just plain icky.  And yeah, some stores can be like that but not if you thrift shop smart, you can avoid all of that.  I have been an avid thrifter for eight months now and I have learned SO much!

Here are 6 guidelines on how to make your thrifting experience the best it can possibly be!

1.  know when the sales are
Most thrift chains have some sort of membership or club.  Join these and sign up for e-mail or test alerts for sales and promotions.  For Goodwill, the last saturday of each month is 50% off all clothing.  Goodwill also has color barb days (Sunday-Wednesday).  Remember that the color is based off of the plastic barb, not the paper tag.

2.  take your time
Thrift shopping is something where you can not be rushed.  I only go when I have no where to be in hours.  You need time to flip through all of the racks and search through the shelves.

3.  wear appropriate clothing
Some thrift stores do not have fitting rooms.  If they do not, find a body length mirror to try your items on.  I recommend wearing tight fitting pants and a top that easy to slip tops over.  I personally like wearing leggings and a simple top.  Even if the store does have fitting rooms, they are small and crowded.

4.  set a budget
Going thrift shopping is a very tempting thing because everything is very cheap, BUT it adds up.  I have learned to set a budget before I enter the store so I do not overbuy.  This is a smart guideline to follow when spending money anywhere!

5.  get creative
Being a thrifter takes a certain amount of imagination and creativity.  You are going to sift through thousands of pieces of clothing.  More than half will be old, dated, ugly, you get the picture BUT there are some good ones.  Think of multiple ways to style a piece.  Can you see yourself wearing it with clothing that you currently have?  My favorite thing to do is buy vintage pieces and style them into a current and trending look.  Don't automatically pass over the vintage or "weird" looking things.

6.  look everywhere
You can find the coolest pieces that no one else will have in sections other than womans!  I find some of the best flannels, vest, and T's in the mens section!  Workers also tend to misplace items in the wrong section so you never know!  If you are a petite woman, don't be afraid to look in the little boy's section for some perfect fitting jeans, hipster tanks, etc.

Designer Deals

I am a second year college student which automatically means that I am very broke.   Over the past four months, I have re-discovered thrifting for everything from clothes to home decor.  Baltimore has a thrift store every five miles pretty much so there is no shortage of thrifty deals!  Even though not every thrift trip results in bags of designer brands, I have found some party provoking, scalp tingling, jaw dropping deals.  

When I am shopping in a thrift or second-hand store, I search for gorgeous colors, patters, or textures since you only see a sliver of the side of the garment.  You never know what brand the piece is until you pull it from it's thrift tomb.  When I pull a top out and see the "way to expensive for my closet" brand name, I let out a little shriek of excitement.  Tip: ALWAYS check the sale/clearance rack in thrift and consignment stores.

This first piece is a J. Crew stretch mini skirt with an abstract floral pattern.  I was drawn to it for the striking colors and modern shape.  I found this at a Goodwill in Crofton, Maryland.  It was a sale day so I snagged this amazing piece for $2.00! I will style this skirt with a flowy black chiffon shirt and a pair of black heels.  

The second piece is a light pink button down dress from Loft.  I recently got this dress at a Goodwill thrifty thursday event in Annapolis, Maryland.  Dresses are usually $7.00 so with 50% off, this was $3.50!  I am an education major and have to wear professional clothing when I intern in elementary schools.  This dress screamed "I'm a teacher" to me so I snagged it.  I will wear this dress with a cream or gold cardigan sweater with some nude wedges.

This second dress is a blue and white striped t-shirt dress from J. Crew.  I found this gem at a consignment store in Annapolis, Maryland called New to You.  The original price at the store was $27 but I got it on clearance for $5.50!  I have been searching for a throw on shirt dress for a while and I am so excited that I found this J. Crew one for literally dollars!  I would pair this with a pair of white or brown sandals, my hair in a bun, and this silver belt pictured below.  

 

This last dress is a tan Vineyard Vines dress with intricate white embroidery.  I found this dress at a consignment store in Annapolis, Maryland called Navette.  The original price at this store was $25 but I found it on the clearance rack for $15.  I love this style of shift dress because they are effortless and comfortable.  I was drawn to this dress by the amazing embroidery and the neckline. I have bi-weekly formal meetings for my sorority where we have to wear business professional clothing.  Our shoulders have to be covered so this dress is perfect for meetings in the summer.  I will style this dress with curled hair and a pair of white heels.  

Thanks for letting me share my amazing finds and stay tuned for some more posts about thrift finds and "back to college" shenanigans!