Style, Thrift StoriesHeather WyanckoOctober 13, 2014Thrifted Clothing, Silk Dress, Trench Coat, Ankle Boot, Leopard Print, Shirt Dress, Dress, Leopard Ankle Boots, Calf Hair, J Crew, Fall

Thrift Sto' From Head to Toe, Day 1

Style, Thrift StoriesHeather WyanckoOctober 13, 2014Thrifted Clothing, Silk Dress, Trench Coat, Ankle Boot, Leopard Print, Shirt Dress, Dress, Leopard Ankle Boots, Calf Hair, J Crew, Fall

This week I challenged myself to come up with outfits using only pieces bought from a thrift store. (Alright, alright, not everything here is from a thrift store, but it's all second hand. I got a few things on Ebay, you know, the internet version of a thrift store.) Because I pride myself on being an 'accomplished thrifter' and because I write a blog that celebrates thrift store style, I though this would be an easy task, but it was really hard! I came up with a lot of outfits that were pretty good, but they lacked an element of 'Wow!' that's normally had by adding the latest and greatest J Crew bauble or a super trendy Zara jacket. Getting the job done took a lot of creativity and a lot of style-soul searching, but perhaps that's why I felt so stunning and cool in each of these outfits.

First up is a shining example of two items I always look for in every thrift store I visit - DRESSES and COATS. I found this silk Doncaster shirt dress for $5 at a Salvation Army. The fabric is luscious, I love the color, and it's easily belted for a whole different look. Doesn't it kind of look like that J Crew silk shirt dress that's on sale right now (but still a little pricey)? The jacket fit so well I had to have it, and I find myself 'needing it' again and again as the only way to perfectly finish certain outfits.

Let's talk about BAGS and SHOES, people; two things that can always make your overall appearance seem more 'expensive' if you rock quality pieces. My dress and jacket combined cost no more than $15. My necklace and sunglasses were a dollar each. But doesn't my leopard calf hair shoulder bag (and shoes) make my cheap shit look expensive? I'm carrying J Crew's 'Edie Grand' and this thing retailed for almost $500. That's insane. I won't pay it. I won't even consider paying it. So I scoured Ebay for months to find it second hand (and deeply discounted), and finally I came across the very one you see here for $80. My leopard calf hair ankle boots are another Ebay find. The tag on the bottom said $675 (what?!), but I got them for less than $70.