Picking a Style or Switching It Up

So, do you use thrifting to keep up your style or do you use it to help you try out new styles without paying a fortune for it?

I keep telling myself that I'm going to use thrifting as a way to try new colors and introduce a bit more bold, but so far, I've been fairly unsuccessful.  Not because those things weren't available at my local stores, they were.  I just seem to lean towards neutrals.  Over and over again.  The closest I got was a dark pink/purple t-shirt that had an ever so slight puff on the sleeve.  So slight that you couldn't really notice it.  And it was a t-shirt, which is my staple.

Honestly, the most bold and colorful thing I thrifted in 2012 was my makeup bag.  Which I love, but I can't wear.

I know going in to the store I should have a good idea of what I'm looking for.  About half the time I'm on target with that.  Or maybe I'm half on target all of the time.  I can go in and know I'm looking for tops.  Or prints.  Or core pieces.  But I can't seem to go in and say, I absolutely must leave with a red top and something with print.  I think it's because I feel it's force.  On the flipside, if I don't force myself to try out this new stuff, I'll never really commit to being more stylish!  Ahhhh!  What do do what to do.

I'll keep my eyes open to see what's popular this year and I'll try and go in with a more focused approach.  I am always looking for cardigans (I never find any in a size or style that flatters) and I'd like to find scarves.  Everyone is wearing scarves now and I'd like to try it out, but not at $20-25 a pop.  So far, no luck there.

I have gotten a couple of great core pieces (brand new jeans, khaki skirt, khaki shorts and a jean jacket).  This makes me wonder, maybe I've got this thrifting thing backwards?  Should I shop the thrift store for the core pieces and leave the accessories and fads for other stores sales?  I hadn't really considered that before, but it seems like it could be a possibility.

Saturday Thrifting

Today was my haircut day, which on its own its always a good thing.  The thing that makes it better is that the thrift store is right around the corner.  Yay!  My appointment finished up right as the thrift store was opening, so I had a few minutes to poke around on my own.  Right away I found a cute little Converse One Star denim jacket.  So I grabbed it.  $6.29

 The picture really doesn't do it any justice, but it is so cute!

 Close up of the top.

Pocket detail.

Next I ran into a very cute top.  not something I would normally pick, not because I didn't love it, but because it's a bit more girly then I tend towards.  i.n.c. international concepts.  100% silk, sleeveless.  $3.59

 Here it is!

And the print, which you can barely see in the other picture.

My last find was a NWT pair of jeans from The Loft.  Bootcut, love em. $8.99

There were a couple of misses, unfortunately.  A green top that was cute on the hanger, but a bit to juvenile when I put it on.  A NWT pair of grey Old Navy cords.  They fit very strangely in the seat.  :\  I hemmed and hawed over another pair of jeans as well, but I decided that I'm not going to buy anything I don't love.

Intro to my (lack of) style

Eventually it had to come.  The day I'd try to blog about my style.  The truth is this...I live in jeans and tee shirts.  That's it.  Short sleeved tees.  Long sleeved tees.  Boot cut jeans, skinny jeans, jean capris.  I pretty much only wore my Chuck Taylors or Running shoes up until recently.  I bought a couple of pair of ballet flats and a single pair of boots.

I've promised myself that over the course of this year, I'll transform myself into someone who has a casual style that doesn't revolve solely around tee shirts.  (I'm not throwing away my Animal or Smokey the Bear tees--forget about it!)

When I hit the thrift store last week I found two shirts and I love them both.  I didn't take pictures in the grey one, but I will.  Each of the shirts are a jersey/tee fabric, but neither is quite as basic.  (Thank goodness)  Today I wore the black one.  Originally I had it on alone, but it was showing quite a bit more than I had intended so I wound up tossing a burgandy cami on under it (layering by accident?).  The black top has kind of puffy sleeves and a bit of stitched detailing under the chest.  Put it on with my capris and boots.  There you have it.

Oh.  Right and a necklace.  Because I'm trying to fancy it up.  I think this is one of two necklaces that I own.  And I don't like the other one.  So, yeah.  Hehe.

Forgive my modeling skills.  I've spent many years hiding from cameras so this will take some getting used to!

T-shirt--Design History- thrifted
Tank--Mossimo-Target
Jeans--Elle-Kohls
Boots--Union Bay--NEX

Thrifted Styles for Kids?

As I've mentioned, I have two boys.  They're 9 and 10 and don't care a lick about fashion.  Still, buying clothes for them can be a challenge and it gets pricy.  They grow fast, they're tough on clothes and they may not care too much about fashion, but I still want them to look decent.

Generally speaking, I get them jeans from Old Navy when they do their $10 kids denim sale that happens in August.  They begin their life as new school clothes and what happens from there... who knows.  This year, my oldest got all 12's in August.  He tried them on, they fit, well.  We were happy.  By November they were snug, but still wearable.   December?  Not so much.  We were seeing sock on a daily basis.  With no sales on jeans that I could find and not being thrilled with the lower priced choices, I wondered if kids clothes in the higher sizes made it to the thrift stores.

I'm guessing that those of you more familiar with thrifting already know the answer.  It's yes!  I had some good luck finding 2 pair of jeans in a size 14, that were stylish and in great condition.  Seams in tact, zippers working, no wear at the knees or scuffs at the leg openings.  Sold!  Washed up and ready to wear, no more high waters for my kiddo.  Each pair was 3.59.

See that little lump under the covers?  That's my pooch, deciding her comfort was more important than my picture.  She's a princess.

Anyhow, the color in the pic is a bit odd, but the bottom pair is nice and light with fading and a boot cut.  The top pair is more charcoal than that washed out black that the pic shows.  They're a straight leg and a slimmer fit.

I wasn't looking for shirts, we have plenty, but I took a peek, just in case.  The store I was shopping had almost nothing in larger kids sizes (strictly speaking of shirts now).  Tons of toddler sizes though.  I will, of course, check again the next time I'm there.