Sunday Thrifting Adventure

Afternoon, ladies!

Well, it's been crazy over here the last week. Chicago's weather is extremely temperamental so after a completely mild autumn (nothing lower than 50s or 40s), all of a sudden it decided to drop to 30F this week and randomly snow! Now it's 65 today... so strange.

And, on top of all our Frock Stock orders, I have crazily been trying to prepare for my upcoming senior recital. For those of you who don't know, I'm an opera singer currently studying at a music conservatory here in Chicago. Anyway, after a bunch of practicing this morning I felt really antsy and decided I had to get out of the house, especially with this crazy day of warm weather.

Little did I know until I arrived that the local thrift store was having a half off everything in the store sale. Needless to say I score an amazing haul. Just thought I'd share my finds with you before I head back to practicing. :)

I desperately needed some scarves so I found some in my favorite fall colors.

$1.95, $1.45, $0.95

I had no brown purses, now I have two! The two-toned one is especially cute for the prep look.

$1.95, $1.45

Yuck to how awful this photo is, but the skirt is quite nice in person. It's a deep raspberry color with a shiny gold buckle. I find myself heavily gravitating toward that old school prep chic look this fall for some reason and this skirt definitely fills that love.

$1.45

I've been looking for an adorable tweed skirt lately. It's prep chic and timeless. I didn't realize it until today but there is SO much tweed to find in any thrift store. My advice to you, since tweed seems to be really huge this season, do NOT go to the expensive stores and buy the tweed look there! Because tweed is an older (but recurring) fashion, people send SO much of it to their local thrift store and you can find so many tweed blazers, tweed skirts, etc. there. Just make sure it hugs you really nicely or you could end up looking too thrifted or grandma-like.

Again, this item is not impressive in photos, but it's got a real shimmery elegance about it. I thought this would be perfect with Christmas coming up and because of the metallic trend.

$2.45

Some ADORABLE loafers. When I saw them I prayed they were my size and the fashion gods heard me. :)

$2.45

I saved the best for last! This coat is a.ma.zing. Look how adorably retro it is! I couldn't believe it when I found it and it fit. Another girl in the store even came up to me and asked if she could buy it from me, but I was too in love with it to give it up. What an incredible find!

$4.45

TOTAL PRICES OF EVERYTHING (WITH TAX): $21.95!!!

My advice to you when thrifting is to go when you have the patience to go through the whole store, or you'll never find gems like these (which are DEFINITELY findable, as this proves). Go through every aisle. Do NOT worry about size (unless it looks ridiculously large/small). Just throw stuff that catches your eye in your basket and be prepared to do a lot of trying on. Stores vary so much in size and half the stuff is vintage-sized anyway so you cannot look at the sizes (i.e. the tweed skirt is a 2 and the coat is a 10... but both fit me). So don't be daunted by thrifting. It just takes time and patience. Your wardrobe could look marvelous for next to nothing prices with a keen eye.

Like what I got ladies? Feel free to comment or ask any other questions about thrifting. :) I'm off to practice some more... Have a great rest of your weekend!