Secondhand September: The Haul

Hello, Twenty-Ninth Readers! This is Kari again.

I'm closing out my retail fast this week. I'm really glad I did it. Beyond learning a lot about the fashion industry through reading and a lot about myself by taking a break from the mall, I scored some really great wardrobe pieces. Here's the round up!

I went shopping once a week for four weeks in a row, and the financial grand total for the month was about $45. I found some incredibly satisfying and inspiring pieces (the four dresses below, in particular), and I denied myself nothing. Add to this the feel-good feelings of doing good to a do-good organization and a complete absence of buyers regret, and I had a phenomenal shopping month.

As I close out this series, I want to share a decision I've made with you: I want to stop being a shopper, and rather be a careful curator. This basically means I want to head out strongly committed to a wardrobe vision, just like a gallery curator is committed to showcasing only the best art. I want to be intensely faithful to my personal style and only bring home the pieces that ring true with my creative tone. This might mean I make a heavy investment here and there in things that will really enhance my collection. It might mean I pass up a number of not-quite-perfect things as I wait for perfection to come along. I don't want to do this to be snobby, but rather for the maximum satisfaction and inspiration that comes from loving everything in my closet.  

Whether you shop thrift stores or mall-crawl, you too can have such a closet. It just requires that you know yourself and what you like. However you do it, take the time to hone your personal style and stay true to it. Good luck!

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End note from Casey:

I couldn't agree more -- being a careful curator of your clothes is one of the best ways to ensure that you're staying true to your aesthetic and personal style. Instead of buying things to just to fill your closet, consider your wardrobe and style as a whole, and then thoughtfully add pieces here and there that enhance your entire look. That doesn't mean you can't go shopping for fun! Just have your vision in mind, and shop like a curator.

That concludes Secondhand September! Thanks to Kari for all the time she put into writing up her thoughts and going shopping (although I'm sure that part wasn't hard, haha).

Secondhand September, Part 3

Hello again, everyone, it's Kari!

We've been slightly philosophical as we've thought about thrifting thus far, so today I want to take a very practical turn and consider the price differences between thrifting and retail. I've chosen five pieces from my thrifted wardrobe to do this. Here they are, side by side with something comparable from the retail market.

My Riding Boots: Mine are real leather, which made them an incredible find. As I've mentioned before, there was a very similar pair at Madewell.

Madewell Archive Boot: $298
My Boots: $5
Savings: $293

My Yellow J.Crew Chino Shorts: Even though I had to do a little tailoring to make these into shorts from pants, I started with J.Crew quality and got J.Crew's unbeatable color.

J.Crew Chino Short: $45

My pants: $6

Savings: $39

My Unique Satchel: I can't find another bag like this to compare it with, which is why I bought it - its a one-of-a-kind. I don't think its real leather, so I'm comparing it to another vintage faux-leather bag of similar size that I found on Etsy.

Etsy Vintage Satchel: $44

My Satchel: $9

Savings: $35 

My Free People Dress: Notorious for whimsical designs at exorbitant price points, very few of the dresses in Free People's dress shop fall below $100.

FP's Belle Fleur Knit Tunic Top: $98

My Dress: $7

Savings: $91

My Loft Tees: It may seem dumb to buy a T-shirt at Goodwill when they're already so cheap on the open market, but even if you're buying a $5 top from Old Navy, you'd be saving money by combing the thrift racks.  I've found two of these Loft tees and love the fit.

Loft Basic Scoop Neck Tees: about $10 each

My Tees: $2 each

Savings: $8 per tee

As you can see, it's not difficult to prove the point that the savings of thrifting are worthwhile! But this does raise the question of patience -- for example, I'd been in the market for a pair of riding boots for years before I found them. But in that case, patience definitely had a payoff! There will always be immediate needs in your life which retail can fill much faster than a thrift store probably can. But, considering the savings... Maybe its worth stopping in to your local Goodwill before you hit the mall.

Secondhand September, Part 2

Hi again, everyone! This is Kari, back to talk more about thrifting.

Today, I want to touch on a skill that's often overlooked when it comes to second-hand wares: the art of vision. What I mean by vision is this: the ability to mentally take something out of it's current context and place it in another. One has to do this when shopping retail, but retail stores help us have vision through suggestions. When thrifting, there are fewer suggestions.

Vision is another area where strong personal style is crucial. If you are well acquainted with your "likes," you're better able to have vision. This process is very intuitive, but if there were coherent steps, here's what they might be: 

1. Something about the piece attracts you. It could be the color, the print, the style, or the cut. It could hint at a dream piece you've had in your head. It could somehow complement something you have at home. It could meet a practical need, or fill a hole in your wardrobe.
2. Further examination shows it's imperfect. Maybe the pant legs are too long. Maybe the shirt is too big. Maybe the neckline is too low. Maybe the pattern is too overstated. Maybe the color isn't just right.  
3. Brainstorm - can you fix the imperfection through alterations or styling? Can you roll up the pant legs, or hem them? Can you take in the shirt, altering it's cut while you do so? Can you layer or tack the neckline to give more coverage? Can you wear or layer the patterned piece with something less pronounced to tone it down? Is dyeing the piece at home an option?

It's difficult to do this shape-shifting in your mind, but it's a talent worth exercising. Some of my favorite clothes are those that I've had to alter, or bought specifically because they'd complement something else.  Here are some pieces from my own wardrobe that needed a little imagination.

My butterfly dolman: It started as a beautifully printed sack, which I altered to fit.

My yellow chino shorts: They started as too-big, wide-legged highwaters. I wanted to try the bright shorts trend from last spring, but didn't want to pay J.Crew prices.

My long-sleeved olive top: This started as size extra large. I merely took this piece in. I liked the timeless color, and recognized that it would be very versatile.

My half-sleeved leopard print top: This shirt started as a 3XL! I wanted to try the leopard print trend. I chose to stay with a shirt on this piece, but I had also considered making a pencil skirt - there was enough fabric! (Also pictured are my favorite jeans, which I had to hem to my length.)

I hope this inspires you!

A note of caution: If after brainstorming you cannot satisfactorily solve the problems you see with the piece, don't buy it. Again, never compromise on your personal style. But if you're reasonably confident, take the risk! You're spending much less than you would at a retail store, and it's good practice. You can learn just as much from failure as you can from success.

Secondhand September: Braving the World of Cast-Offs

Hey all, this is Kari! Welcome to Secondhand September!

This shirt is a Goodwill find I altered to fit.

I shop at Goodwill for a myriad of reasons, but one of them is because it forces creativity. Retail stores, by definition, need to present an image, a "look," and we go to those stores because we want to "get that look." Goodwill, on the other hand, merely presents you with a jumble of raw materials, and to be successful there, you must have a well-developed and completely independent sense of your own style.

One of our THREE neighborhood Goodwill stores -- this one's close enough to walk to!

But, no matter how well you know what you like, walking into a thrift store can be intimidating and disorienting. So to start this series off, here are a few pointers on braving the world of cast-offs:

1. Adjust your expectations from retail stores: Go in expecting the store to be disheveled and minimally organized. Brace for the disappointment of not finding your size or your color -- or not finding anything at all.
2. Have an idea of what you're looking for, then skim: If you know yourself, you'll know if a style piece is "you" when you see it. Have a "skim list" when you walk in, such as "red pumps," or "sweaters for fall," or "kelly green." You can tune in to these items and tune everything else out.
3. Have some vision: Maybe you find a shirt that doesn't fit, but the pattern is beautiful. Could you modify it by sewing it, or layer it, or wear a belt with it? Think creatively about pieces, and maybe consider learning a few basic tailoring skills.
4. Don't force it: If the shoes are a half size too big, or the color isn't just right, don't buy it just because it would be a killer deal. This is another area where you may be tempted to compromise on your personal style for sake of the price -- don't do it.  
5. Still read the tags: I discovered I'd scored a Moreno wool sweater a few days ago... after it shrunk in the wash. Our area is wealthy, and the donations are sometimes of surprisingly good materials -- so read the tags.
6. Shop your style, not by brand: If you're a brand loyalist, you'll never be a successful thrifter. In our area, you'll find everything from Louis Vuitton to Coach to J.Crew to Ann Taylor to H&M to Old Navy to Merona to that-souvenir-sweatshirt-that-should-have-stayed-in-South-Carolina. If you love it, get it, even if it's not a brand you usually wear.  
7. Drop in frequently: First, because Goodwill receives new products every few days. Going frequently to skim is the best strategy. I recommend thrifting close to home for this reason. Second, because of deals! The Goodwills in my area run specials on different days or parts of days. On Tuesdays, all clothes are always 25% off, except accessories and shoes. Other times, things like shoes are on sale...

The $5 boots.

I usually pop in to my local Goodwill stores on Tuesdays because of the standing "25% off all clothing" deal. This Tuesday I had my skim list in mind: riding boots, duck boots, a gray cable knit sweater, and a few specific colors, including pale pink. Since I had two pairs of shoes on my skim list, I skimmed the shoe rack first -- there were a pair of leather riding boots AND a pair of duck boots! I tried them both on. The duck boots were a hair too big, and were not as tall as I'd hoped for. They weren't perfect, so I left them. The riding boots, however, were perfect. They were simple and embellished, but had just the right cowboy design touches to make them unique and enable them to swing between my classic and bohemian tastes. They were marked at $9 (for comparison, a similar pair I've been stalking for years has never dropped below $250). It was a no-brainer. While I continued browsing, the store announced that shoes would be 2 for $10 for the next 30 minutes, so I went back and grabbed a pair of T-strap sandals I had been on the fence about. No matter how you do the math, I was getting a deal. I spent $12 that day for two pairs of shoes and a pale pink T-shirt!

You can see how I applied some of my tips on this trip: I was able to find what I wanted because I knew what I wanted, and went in looking for it. I didn't compromise. I didn't ignore perfection when I saw it. Knowing my personal style let me do these things confidently, without regretting what I bought or didn't buy. Knowing yourself and your style is essential to successful thrifting.

If you haven't given your personal style much thought, I recommend you do! The Twenty Ninth is a great community of fashion-interested people in which to do so.

Secondhand September: An Introduction

Last week, I announced that my friend Kari will be writing a new feature for The Twenty Ninth: Secondhand September! She's going to be posting every Wednesday, except for this week... We wanted to give you an overview of what this experiment/project is all about, so her first official post will be up tomorrow. In the meantime, here are Kari's thoughts and the background of Secondhand September:

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I’m going to conduct an experiment: I’m not going to spend any money on retail clothing or accessories during the month of September. I’m going to shop exclusively second-hand for the month.

Why do this? For a couple of reasons:

First, I always leave thrift stores with a "glowy" feeling. I feel I’ve saved my family money, contributed to an industry that provides jobs to the underprivileged, kept trash out of landfills and reduced my own consumerism. I feel I multiply my money’s power for benevolence when I shop second-hand.

There's also a creative element in this experiment. Retail is full of messages. The fashion industry survives on convincing us that we should be dressing a certain way -- we need to be “on-trend,” on their trends, otherwise... otherwise what? We’re individuals? Unique? Dressing at the behest of our own creative voice instead of the industry’s advertising? That doesn’t sound so bad...

During this September, I won't have any lookbooks influencing my styling choices -- it will be purely my own creativity. I’ll have to ask myself if I really love something enough to confidently wear it despite being different from everyone around me before buying it, instead of having the comfort of conformity. Some pieces may require at-home tailoring and modification before they’re ready to wear. That takes vision, something that isn’t often required when you’re surrounded by dressed mannequins subtly acting as personal stylists and racks of clothing in a range of sizes.

So here I go: One month of shopping exclusively at Goodwill stores in my area. I'm looking forward to sharing what I find and what I learn!

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If you have questions for Kari, leave a comment!