Happy Monday!

Incandescent in Indio

Yesterday with the Seattle sun shining and the outside temp. reaching a balmy 53°, I couldn't help but daydream about summer and Coachella. I can only speculate as to what it must feel like in the middle of the Californian desert at the end of April but I know our outfits have to be suitable for near 100° weather! This is why I'm finding inspiration in flowing skirts, airy tops, short-shorts, floppy hats, and colorful swimsuits.
I picked up the blue maxi skirt Auburn Goodwill for 4 bucks which I'm thinking of pairing with a light lace top to beat the heat in Indio. The blue diamond high-waisted hot pants are one of my favorite items, which I bought for $14 at an amazing vintage shop called Vanity in Tacoma. I paired it with a collared red polka-dot blouse ($9-Puyallup Value Village), but it might be too warm when summer rolls around! My red earrings were also found in Puyallup.

President's Day... Guilt-Free Shopping Day

On President's day, there was an unbeatable sale at Value Village - the entire store was 50% off. I debated between Nordstrom Rack for their Clear the Racks event (an incredible sale) or VV. The bottom line was: I didn't need anything. I never really do. But, of course, I wanted some retail therapy. So, I decided to make the responsible decision - that I wouldn't feel guilty about the next day. I found some very unique pieces! My favorite was this Winter Kate-inspired blouse (right). $200 vs. $2? I got a total of three pieces for $9. Who would feel guilty about that?

Missoni, anyone?

Ok, not actually. But, my favorite recent purchase was this incredible long jacket that resembled the funky print of Missoni. I was at the Goodwill by my house when I stumbled upon it. I was instantly sold! I can't remember exactly how much I paid, but it was not more than $10. It’s a little bit big, but it works to my advantage because I can wear it over sweaters. I have realized that I tend to choose one bold item to wear, and then work off of that. I have worn it with several outfits including skirts, jeans, cargos and leggings. I wore it with a simple yellow pencil skirt and a basic white tank and the jacket completed the fit.  So simple and easy to throw on in the morning when I wake up 30 minutes late, like usual. The town in which I went to school, Pullman, has miserable Winters. The only rational thing to wear was the warmest thing you could find (Well, except at night when we thought it was appropriate to run around in tiny outfits and heels - super rational). Therefore, I pretty much only wore my black down jacket. Since moving back to the west side of Washington, I am able to wear different jackets that are not so bulky and I have become obsessed. I instantly gravitate toward the jacket section at stores. Seattle's Winter generally runs until May so at least I know I will have enough time to wear them all! 

Happy Hearts

I am an avid lover of all holidays, and my clothing tends to reflect this as well. Last week I was at the Southcenter Value Village* and I found this adorable heart-patterned shirt. At first I was unsure of it because it looked a little callow, but after trying it on (ALWAYS try clothes on) I thought it would go great with black pants and a cute flat. The sequin detail on some of the hearts gives the shirt a unique glimmer and a personality of its own. I love clothes that talk for themselves!

If you are a true girly-girl you could always pair it with something just as froufrou such as a tutu skirt! The one pictured is from American Apparel, not a thrift store find!

When I went to dinner at Nell's in Greenlake later, I wore my heart shirt with a H&M blazer, a beaded white vintage purse I also purchased at Value Village on an earlier visit, and black skinny jeans!

*Southcenter Value Village is one of my favorite thrift stores. It is newly opened and very organized. If you happen to visit, take a look at how they organize their pants...genius! Here is the address:

Value Village 

Tukwila #1173
16700 Southcenter Parkway,
Tukwila, WA   98188
Phone: (206) 575-7435
Hours: Mon-Sat 9-9, Sun 10-7

58 Days and Counting

Elise and I are fortunate enough to be attending one of the most fashionable events of the year - COACHELLA. In the next 58 days, we will be shopping to find three amazing outfits. As we purchase, we will post our pieces and share with you!

Modern Treasure Hunters

Treasure hunting is the search for real treasure which has been a notable human activity for millennia.

Most of the time when we explain to someone we found a piece of our wardrobe at a thrift store, they assume we mean a second-hand sell-back store not unlike Plato's Closet, Red Light Vintage, Crossroads, and/or Buffalo Exchange. This is wrong and here's why:

- Sell-back stores and consignment shops are brilliant. What a fantastic idea it was to recycle clothes, and 9 times out of 10 you can find stunning and unique clothing for a reasonable price. However, these stores are also selective. They examine each article that goes in and out of their store, only selecting the most fashionable and contemporary pieces that will sell. (And on a personal note, I've never felt more judged then when a girl 6 years younger than me is determining my personal style worth by pricing the clothes I'm selling 'can't use this' 'they aren't label jeans' 'ew')

- The thrift store category would include stores such as Goodwill, Value Village, Salvation Army, St. Vincent De Paul, etc. Most of them are non-profit and hope to help the low-income population afford the basic necessities like clothing and a few furnishings for the home. This is also where the middle/high income part of society can relieve themselves of their clutter by dropping off boxes and boxes of 'crap' without feeling guilty for throwing their mess into a landfill somewhere. 

-Thrift stores also happen to be the resting places of many deceased people's items - the loved ones of the dead too grief-stricken and to spend time going through painful possessions and instead box it up and drop it off before their heart says differently. 

While no doubt the good people who work at a thrift store spend countless hours of their lives sorting through these boxes and organizing them to some sort of categories to display in the store, they are not selective of what type of shirt should be shown in the store and what pants that are from 8 seasons ago should not. A lot of people who shop here don't care anyways. 

This might sound snobbish, but no snobs allowed in thrift stores, please. You must step into Goodwill with an open mind  and lots of time. I've met the most interesting people in between the shelves of thrift stores and a good population of them don't make over $15,000 a year. While our target missions in the store might be different (I'm looking for a vintage sweater so out of style it will be in style next year, a man is looking for a mattress because he finally has an actual bedroom to put it in), our judgement is non-existent. I often feel like the people in thrift stores are treasure hunters, each type of treasure is unique to the hunter. I discovered a pair of real leather loafers in the furniture aisle; A child found a second-hand game of Operation with most of the pieces in tact; An expectant mother found the maternity section to be 75% off one day only. 

And this is why when I say 'I found it at a thrift store' I'm proud. It is a modern day treasure hunt. Thrifters like us spend hours sifting through racks of old clothes in search of that one item that stands out. That is the thrill. That is the experience and culture. The people who shop at these types of thrift stores are as varied as the clothes themselves. That is why you need patience, an eye for the unique, no judgement, and no censor when it comes to non-label clothing that costs 5 dollars regularly, but it is 50% off of green-colored tags today. 

Heaven