THRIFTFIX: Mandy [24/31]

Since Mandy's stylish hubby was gracing the covers of Juice Magazine this week for his sartorial sense, it only seemed right that Mandy would get her own opportunity for some fashionable fun.

We basically went on this "fix" without an agenda...just to find some cute clothes & have girl time. Which is the best, right? I did consult Mandy's Pinterest board beforehand, which is actually loaded with educational materials. Because she's a teacher. A cool teacher.

WINNERS:

Left: Green J.Crew Top. A solid, staple wardrobe piece.

Middle: Grey Gap Top. Another solid, staple wardrobe piece.

Right: White Eddie Bauer Top. Mandy was about to say 'no' to this, but changed her mind as the words were falling out of her mouth. It has kind of a nice, boho vibe going on.

LOSERS:

Left: Striped J.Crew shirt. This was one of those tops that looks long enough, but cinches up when you don't want it to.

Middle: Plum J.Crew shirt. We just weren't feeling this one.

Right: Striped Land's End shirt. Not the most flattering top ever.

FAVORITES:

Left: Tommy Hilfiger sweater. Mandy will be living in this for the next 5 months.

Right: Banana Republic striped tank & orange cardigan from The Limited. We really liked this combo. Also, Mandy kind of looks like a giant hipster. I don't mean that in a bad way, either.

Mandy bought 8 shirts, 4 cardigans, and 1 sweater. Grand total: $42.06!

I am linking up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days. 

You can find a list of all 31 posts as they are published by clicking here. 

THRIFTFIX: Nicole S. [17/31]

This is my sweet sis-in-law, Nicole. She wrote a post on her experiences as a stay-at-home-mom for my 31 days series last year, so it only seemed fitting that she would do a Thriftfix for this year's challenge!

The post-baby year can be an awkward time to be fashionable. The old clothes don't fit like they used to and you also don't want to invest in new items not knowing if your family (and waistline) will be expanding again in the near future. Trust me, I know. That is why thrift is the way to go:)

For Nicole's "fix", I took to her Pinterest board for inspiration. Nicole's style is very feminine, so naturally, there were lots of dresses, pretty prints, and frilly things. She also gravitates towards earth tones, mustard yellows, and sea-foam greens. Basically, all the colors she likes to decorate with! 

Despite doing our shopping at a Minneapolis Goodwill I had never been to, this "fix" turned out to be a fairly easy one. I was a little put off by the prices, but that can be expected in larger cities. Nicole still walked away with some great deals!

THE WINNERS:

Left: J.Crew green cardigan. Though Nicole didn't purchase the navy, polka-dot East 5th brand shirt underneath (weird scrunching at the bottom of it), we both agreed this was a fun look!

Middle: Girls from Savoy (Anthropologie) mustard yellow dress. Nicole had actually passed this one while it was on the rack, but I encouraged her to go for it since it was in line with her Pinterest board. And she loved it! She did skip on the white Merona cardigan though, probably because she already had something similar.

Right: J.Crew blouse, Gap cardigan, Gilly Hicks skinny jeans. We weren't sold on the cardigan, but this is the first pair of skinny, skinny jeans she has purchased, and don't they look great on her?!

THE LOSERS:

Left: Old Navy sweater. We were looking for comfy, house tops, but eh. It's just Old Navy.

Middle: Ann Taylor LOFT dress. It's hard to tell from the photo, but this dress was greenish and blueish and had some interesting stitching on it. Nicole was on the fence, but ultimately felt like this would be one to just hang in her closet and not get much wear. Fair enough.

Right: Merona top. See Old Navy sweater comments (above).

PLEASANT SURPRISES:

Left: Coral, bird print dress from Pink Owl Apparel. This is a total departure from Nicole's look, but I couldn't resist.

Right: Pin-strip & frill Cotton Candy brand dress. Super cute and totally flattering on Nicole.

She didn't end up buying either one of these dresses (as cute as they were on her), but she did leave with 2 dresses, 2 cardigans, 2 tops, a pair of jeans, and a belt. Grand total: $49.64! Nice job, Nicole!!

I am linking up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days. 

You can find a list of all 31 posts as they are published by clicking here. 

THRIFTFIX: Emily [10/31]

This is Emily. Slightly whimsical, slightly steam-punk, all-around awesome. A living, Disney princess. Her actual, legal middle name is SPARKLES. If that doesn't tell you everything, then I don't know what. 

Do yourself a favor and follow her on Twitter (@emilysparkles). You'll get a healthy dose of unicorns, snark, Fraiser anecdotes, and 80's movie live-tweets. Hilarity WILL ensue. 

For Emily's "fix", I put together a combination of clothes I knew she'd be comfortable in (blacks, stripes, etc) with a mix of pretty things (figure flattering, floral prints, etc). I'd like to think that if everything fit like a glove, she would've purchased the whole lot. So, without further ado...

THE WINNERS:

Left: Printed navy button-down from Merona. I kind of have a thing against thrifting Target clothes, but this was just too cute to pass on. Plus, I would've made Emily buy it if she wasn't going to:)

Middle: Black button-down shirt dress from Express. Emily exudes confidence in this outfit, doesn't she?

Right: Black cardigan from Anne Klein. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the detail on this shirt was what made it so unique (and a win for Emily).

THE LOSERS:

Left: Merona button-down + Cabi sweater. We were actually really on the fence with this look. While it did look adorable on Emily, the shirt was a bit snug and the buttons on the sweater were doing a weird, droopy thing. Mr. Sparkles (who had joined us for some thrifting fun) veto'd it immediately.

Middle: Navy colored DKNY top. This one just didn't have any wow to it.

Right: Striped Blair top. There was a weird neck thing going on that we just could not get over.

PLEASANT SURPRISES:

Left: Neon striped tee from Gap. This color is a bit of a departure for this crimson-haired lady, but it just looked so adorable on her. Plus, it was in stellar condition.

Right: Polka-dot dress from American Eagle. Paired with a cute cardigan & tights, Emily could rock this look well into Fall. Nice socks, girl.

In all, Emily left Goodwill with 6 shirts & 1 dress for a grand total: $24.52! I already know that she rocked that little, black shirt dress at parent-teacher conferences this week. So glad she was pleased with her 'fix'!

I am linking up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days. 

You can find a list of all 31 posts as they are published by clicking here. 

On Personal Style [8/31]

I want to preface this post by saying there are entire blogs devoted to the subject of style, but this topic is important in finding what you love thrifing and feeling good about your purchases. Here are a few easy tips to help you define what your style is and hopefully provide some guidance the next time you find yourself sifting through the secondhand racks. This is what has worked for me, anyway.

Assess your style. This sort of introspection can be painful to some, but really getting an idea for what you like in conjunction with what is flattering with your body type is paramount in style success.

One thing I recommend is completing the Stitchfix questionnaire upon sign-up (and you don't actually need to purchase anything to fill it out). You will be asked questions about your dressing habits and view images that will paint a picture of your style leanings.

You can also find answers to this question by looking into your own wardrobe. Take note of the pieces that are in constant rotation. What colors do you keep coming back to? What doesn't look amazing on you?

Create a Pinterest board. This seems like kind of an obvious one, but it's the thing I like to study before taking friends out on their Thriftfix. It's your chance to dream and scheme how to look the way you feel on the inside. The Pinterest style board I've curated was done in a way where I would feel comfortable having somebody else shop for me if that was their only point of reference. The "related pins" feature has really helped me expand on some of those original pins, too.

Become a subscriber. When I'm not seeking out style inspiration, it helps to have it delivered to me. I've joined several mailing lists for some of my favorite stores simply to keep up on trends and for different styling ideas. I'll even look through a catalog before hitting the thrift store (or bring one along) to see if any styles or prints I might not normally gravitate towards are in the mainstream.

Email lists are another way to keep up with the ever-changing fashion landscape. And not just signing up for the auto-blast, chain store emails either. Hilary Rushford of Dean Street Society is a stylist who I have just recently discovered through the Influence Conference. Her style is impeccable and her advice is applicable to women in any stage of life. Basically, I look forward to her Style & Styleability emails because, even if it is a tip I am familiar with, she presents it in a completely fresh way.

Confession: I totally had a fan-girl moment when I met her at Influence. I probably even frightened her a bit (insert blushing emoji here). What is it about meeting admirable bloggers in real life that is so totally awkward?

I want to hear from you! What tips or habits have helped you discover your personal style?

I am linking up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days. 

You can find a list of all 31 posts as they are published by clicking here. 

THRIFTFIX: Nicole [3/31]

We've all heard of Stitchfix, right? It's a pretty fun concept, for sure. But let's be honest. Stitchfix's pricing is a little out of some of our clothing budgets. Plus, when you get used to paying $3.69 for a shirt, it's hard to justify the cost of a mail-delivery styling service.

Now, I'm not anti-Stitchfix here. But I am for helping people save money and feel good about the clothes they are wearing. So, for the month of my #write31days challenge, I'm doing a weekly THRIFTFIX post featuring some of my dear friends.

This is my friend, Nicole. She blogs at Even Me and is basically my conference partner-in-crime. Nicole agreed to be my first ever Thriftfix guinea pig in hopes to find some new outfits for the Influence Conference, which we both just attended.

I had a general idea of the kind of things Nicole likes, or at least looks good in. So, I went ahead of her to Goodwill and compiled a rack of pieces that I thought would fit her aesthetic.

Here are the results...

THE WINNERS:

Left: Chambray button-down from Banana Republic

Middle: Pink 3/4 sleeve top from Gap

Right: Striped 3/4 sleeve sweater from Gap

THE LOSERS:

Left: Lilly Pulitzer tank top (too big)

Middle: Pink flowy tank top from Express (too flowy)

Right: J.Crew grey tank top (too small)

THE PLEASANT SURPRISES:

Left: Soprano brand black & white shirt (B&W party perfection!)

Right: 100% lamb's leather jacket ($4, what?!)

We weren't able to find a pair of killer jeans for Nicole this round. Jeans can be a challenge, but not impossible to find.

In the end, Nicole purchased 11 shirts (!), the leather jacket, 1 pair of shoes, and a vase.
The grand total: $53.76

And here is Nicole looking all fly in her secondhand threads at Influence! Great job styling your pieces, Nicole. Love ya, girl!

What do you think of the whole Thriftfix idea? I'd love your feedback!

I am linking up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days. 

You can find a list of all 31 posts as they are published by clicking here.