Guest Post: Men's Thrifting Tips [16/31]

Today's guest post comes from my ultra stylish & thrifty husband, Wayde. I feel super lucky to have a partner who shares my love of thrifting. It's actually one of our favorite date night activities! Because of his stellar sartorial sense, I thought he would be a good one to contribute to this series!

Who are some of your style inspirations?
It's hard to name names. I have a lot of stylish friends who have unknowingly influenced me in how I dress. There are a small handful of style blogs that I visit on a daily basis, Broke and Bespoke and The Sartorialist being two of my favorites.

Is there anything you to do prepare yourself for a thrifting expedition?
Not really. I generally have a pretty good idea of what I am looking for in the back of my mind. I guess I could say one of my favorite pre-thrift rituals is grabbing tacos with my wife.

What are some of your favorite pieces to hunt for at thrift stores?
Shoes and ties for sure. I almost always hit the ties first. I think there is less competition with ties, so it's not uncommon to find a really cool piece. Now only if I had more excuses to wear a tie! I think shoes can be some of the best value, especially when you find a pair of full grain leather, Goodyear welted Allen Edmonds oxfords for $3, when they sell for $200 plus new.

Do you have any personal guidelines in regards to buying something that is an imperfect fit?
I hate it, but I am almost always making compromises to some degree in the fit. I think fit is one of the most important aspects of men's style, so the trick is to cover up a pieces shortcomings and show off it's strengths. For example, a couple weeks ago I bought a vintage plaid button down that fit perfectly in the body, but the sleeves are an inch or so too short, so I roll them up. I have a couple shirts that are a little billowy in the body, but have great collars or sleeve length, so I wear them under a sweater or sport coat.

What has been your best thrifting find ever?
My pair of J Crew x Red Wing Heritage work boots. I found them at a thrift store in Maryland, and they looked like they had never been worn. That was right about the time I decided I wanted a nice pair of boots, so the timing was perfect.

What kind of advice do you have for guys that want to start thrifting?
Go with a female with good taste in men's style (I have my wife for that). Not only is she great to bounce things off of, but you would be surprised how many men's sweaters are hiding away on the woman's racks. I have probably scored at least 3 or 4 nice sweaters in the past few months that she originally found in the woman's section. Also, when buying button down shirts, pay extra attention to the collar. The collar can make or break a shirt.

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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. 

KC Anniversary Weekend!

Last weekend marked Wayde & my 5th wedding anniversay, which is just totally surreal to say the least. We wanted to go somewhere we didn't feel obligated to meet up with friends or family and since we've never been to Kansas City together, Kansas City became the destination.

We got some solid recommendations from friends ahead of time and found ourselves on W 39th Street, a hip little area full of kitschy shops & restaurants. Late lunch at d'Bronx followed by coffee and dessert at Rm. 39.

Rock Candy was a vintage boutique we popped into. Though I'm not in the market to buy a lot of clothes right now (28 weeks pregnant, hello!), Wayde had a few sweet finds by the end of the day.

I'm super thankful that my guy enjoys and could kill more time in a secondhand store than I even could.

We also checked out Donna's Dress Shop, which is pretty much the ultimate new & vintage ladies clothing boutique. Like, if I ever aspired to be a boutique owner, Donna's would be the living example of what I would like to open. Even the shop girls were dressed to the nines with their retro hair & ensembles.

Boomerang was another shop we hit, which reminded me of a Buffalo Exchange/ Ragstock type place. Wayde walked out with a pair of Allen Edmunds shoes, so he was a pretty happy camper.

After checking into our hotel, we walked towards the Power & Light district for dinner. There are few restaurants worthy of a 45 minute wait, but the Drunken Fish is one of them. I had Asian lettuce wraps, BLT sushi (yes, you read that correctly), and green tea fried ice green. Bloody fantastic.  

We stopped in a fancy grocery store for some snacks where I stumbled upon this selection of local, flavored milks from the Shatto Milk Company. I got a pint of the cotton candy. Seriously, cotton candy flavored milk!!

It was kind of a bummer for this pregnant lady to fall in love with so many food & drink items this trip and not have ready access to them back home:(

Since we didn't do any major traveling for this trip, we splurged on our accomodations by staying at the beautiful Hotel Phillips in downtown KC. And I am so glad we did.

It was actually more cost effective to do the in-room breakfast package which included valet and a $35 food & beverage voucher. Room service just might be one of my favorite things in the world.

Nothing like a lazy Sunday morning eating potato pancakes while watching HGTV...

Later that day we hit The Plaza, bought stuff at H&M, and grabbed some more food at Westport Coffeehouse before hitting the road home. We did NOT visit the art gallery which apparently is the thing to do while in Kansas City. Maybe next time...xx

Wayde's Surprise 30th

This post could have easily turned into a retrospective on how not to throw a surprise party, but alas, the celebration turned out to be a success. Wayde was completely in the dark (as were our guests for who knows how long at our house before I got ahold of someone regarding our timeline. Sorry about that, folks. I'm sure that wasn't awkward at all).

I certainly couldn't have pulled off the decorating/ snack prep if Wayde's brother and sister-in-law weren't in town to keep him occupied for the afternoon. Never operate alone during a suprise party mission.

Unfortunately, this is the only photo I snapped of birthday boy:( I would've taken more pics of the party in general if I hadn't been so preoccupied with playing DJ (courtesy of my iPhone).

The donut cake & chocolate milk especially touched my husband's heart, as this is one of his most favorite late-night snack combos/ vices. I couldn't imagine a more suitable baked good for such an occasion.

Baby girl enjoying some glazed goodness. And can you please check out her nails?! Like mama, like daughter...warms my heart.

Even though Wayde had a blast, we both agreed afterwards that we never have to throw another surprise party for each other again. And for that, I am grateful.

Thankful for so many wonderful friends that helped make the birthday boy feel special!! Because he really is...xx

An Evening at Home

Evenings at our place are THE BEST. Especially when the place is clean and all the dishes are done.

Sometimes, we listen to records.

 Sometimes, we like to watch cat videos on YouTube. Or these two do, at least.

And sometimes, we're so tired that we just crash on the couch before making it back to the bedroom.

The rose I got for Mother's Day has finally opened up! Roses are my favorite. I don't even care if it's cliche.

Yes, evenings at our place are lovely indeed xx