Adventures of a First Time Thrifter

When I see all the cool outfits people make with thrifted items I can’t help but get a little curious. My friend Brandhyze Stanley of frugal-nomics.com invited me to go thrifting with her at Housing Works this weekend and of course I jumped at the chance!

We did a “Power Hour”, which means we had an hour to sift through all the bins and squeeze everything we wanted into a medium sized bag for $25. Turns out I was only half prepared for this experience…

Form fitting clothes make it easy to try on your finds

I knew there’d be no proper fitting room so I wore form fitting leggings and tank top with flats to make trying on items easier. My over the shoulder bag kept my hands free and the jacket and scarf fit into my bag when necessary.

Collect what EVERYTHING that looks good, sort through it later

Brandhyze prepped me by telling me to bring an Ikea bag – and I’m glad she warned me! With so many options and so much to sift through there’s no time to think about what you want. We grabbed everything we thought we might want and stuffed it in the Ikea bag, then went through all our findings at the end to decide what to keep and what to leave.

Inspecting my new finds for holes and stains

After we went through almost every bin it was time to sort our findings. I literally took every piece and tried it on in front of the mirror. Luckily most of the items fit! A few looked like they will probably need to be tailored but it’ll probably be worth it.

Where’s the left shoe?!

I had only one pitfall through my experience – I found this lovely purple ballet flat by Vera Wang but couldn’t find the other foot! 😦 We tried searching through every bin and it didn’t turn up so I had to leave it behind. Even though I couldn’t take those shoes home, I made out with a pair of boots, a small clutch, a pair of shorts, two scarves, three jackets, three belts, four tees, six tops and a cardigan. When you break it down that’s about a dollar per item – not bad for my first time!

All these goodies fit in one $25 bag!

So it turns out thrifting is fun, and I’d definitely do it again! After my first adventure I have a few tips for any other amateur thrifters out there:

1. Dress the part – You can either wear a form fitting outfit like mine or something similar like a flippy skirt and tee. Either of these options give you space to try clothes on and see how they’d actually fit. Warning – a tank top and leggings may make you want to hit the gym afterwards!
2. Go with a friend – The two of you can look out for each other and pick up items the other might want. Also when you’re sorting, if they decide they don’t want something you get first dibs before they put it back – that’s how I got my J. Crew coat!
3. Set your expectations low – Most of my excitement for thrifting came from seeing regular thrifters with designer pieces  for under $25. You won’t always find that and you’ll set yourself up for disaster if this is what you expect. It’s great to walk out with a Marc Jacobs bag but don’t be upset if all you find is a couple of vintage tees and a belt.
4. Move fast – Especially in the beginning. I saw something I thought I might want and when I hesitated to pick it up the lady next to me grabbed it instead.  Lesson learned – You snooze, you lose!
5. Be friendly – When the two of us couldn’t find my other ballet flat we asked the staff and other thrifters. One of the other shoppers even took the shoe and walked around asking everyone else if they’d seen it. When you’re nice to others, they’ll be nice to you.

So it turns out my first time thrifting was a success, and I don’t really need to shop for a while. How bout you, do you thrift? What have your experiences been like?

Best thing I bought this month: Pour la Victoire Purple pointed pumps

At lunch, most Manhattan women buy salads, I however, buy shoes. About two weeks ago I wandered into the annual Lighthouse International POSH Fall Fashion sample sale just to browse but stumbled upon a perfect pair of royal purple pointed pumps by Pour la Victoire (say that 5x times fast)!

What does one do with purple shoes? For starters, I’ll pair them with the faux leather French Connection skirt I snagged last month.  They’ll also serve as an awesome pop of color for an otherwise dark fall or winter ensemble. Since they’re suede,  I probably won’t get much use of them come spring/summer but six months out of the year is enough for me!

I’ve actually been looking for purple pumps since my college days, but for some reason or another haven’t been able to find a pair I liked with a price that liked me back. Normally a pair or Pour la Victoire pumps will run you $250 – $350, but since the POSH sale features designer clothes at extreme discounts I nabbed these nearly new shoes for just $50!

What do you think of my new suede shoes? How would you rock ’em?

Sneak Peek – Isabel Marant for H&M Lookbook has leaked!

Didn’t move fast enough for Phillip Lim x Target? Start prepping for the next cheap chic collabo. It looks like the Isabel Marant for H&M lookbook has leaked!!

Huffington Post nabbed these photos from the upcoming collection. As promised, it seems the line has pieces for men and women in Marant’s signature style. In addition to dresses, pants and jackets it seems there’s a nice selection of shoes and accessories as well.

More pieces are expected to be added before the line is in stores November 14. Which items are you excited for?

 

Esta Fiesta’s fall shopping wishlist

Everything I’m hoping for this fall…

Non-black booties

Peppy
Nine West, $99

It’d be great to have  a pair of colored stylish ankle boots to keep my feet warm. I’m over having to wear my one pair of black booties in the fall and would like a little variety.

 

White pumps

Genial
Nine West InStyle Collection, $79

White pumps have been hot for the past few seasons and for some reason I still haven’t bought any. Some people find them tacky, I say, they’re FABULOUS! I’m hoping I can find a cute pair on sale since it’s past Labor Day.

A Bright bag

Aldo, $55

Since I’m not a huge fan of dark colors I’ll need something to offset hiding underneath a big black coat and black riding boots. Any color, whether it’s a mellow yellow, trendy cobalt or of the moment emerald would do just fine.

Leopard print flats

Leopard Print Flats

I need a new pair of flats and I feel like a nice leopard pair works with most of the fall trends.

I’m on the lookout for all these items at affordable prices this fall so if you see any let me know! What are YOU pining for this season?

1 piece, 3 looks: H&M yellow pencil skirt

I have this rule about buying clothing. Actually, I have several rules before I decide to buy (or keep) a piece -but one of the most important questions I ask before a new article enters my wardrobe is “How many ways, or places, can I wear this?”

The rule is I need to be able to wear it three different ways, or to three different places (i.e. to work, to dinner, and date night) or the item doesn’t belong in my wardrobe. Here’s how I style my yellow H&M pencil skirt three different ways:

Since yellow is a bright summery color, I paired it with another bright summer color – a pale blue top (also from H&M) with a pearl-embellished Peter Pan collar. Nude Arturo Chiang shoes help me avoid looking like a box of highlighters with too many brights.

As the weather gets just a little bit chillier, I transition the skirt from a summer staple to fall ready with an Express  rolled sleeve dark blue top. My oxblood Marc Fisher shoes, which are still in for fall 2013, bring out the burgundy piping from my shirt.

Another cool weather option is to pair it with a long sleeve top, in deep brown – a hue that works every fall. I brought out those nude shoes again to keep the look feeling like autumn. This time instead of pearls around my collarbone, I put a pearl wrap bracelet around my arm.

Of course these are just three of the MANY ways I can wear this skirt. What do you think of the first three looks so far?