A Working Woman's Reality: Power Thrifting, Part 2, Have a Wing Woman

My first installment of A Working Woman's Reality was about my own personal triumphs over the man, time, and public transportation, to procure sweet thrift store finds. My second installment will be about how a friend can help you be even more triumphant over all of these things, to procure even more, even sweeter, thrift store finds.

The last time my friend Anouck was in town this past October, we talked constantly about arranging a thrifting trip together, but our mutually busy schedules kept it from happening. Back in town again for this round of Fashion Week, Anouck was off the plane for all of four hours when we made for damn sure we would be thrifting together, STAT. I informed her of my new job related thrifting constraints, and she quickly offered a solution. She would go ahead to the store a few hours early, pull everything that she thought she or I would like, I would show up as soon as I could, we would edit together, and purchase. Considering I have complete and utter faith in Anouck's taste, I had essentially landed myself my very own PERSONAL SHOPPER. No longer would I have to worry about the man, or the train, or any of that, because this, my friends, is beating the system at its finest.

A damn good thing too, because the train gods were rather cruel to me this time. I caught a train immediately, but it CRRRAAAAAWLED the entire way there, and I arrive a mere 20 minutes before closing. I arrived, however, to find Anouck with an entire cart of stuff, and she was pulling things for me to try on. After the most frantic and stressful try on session of my life, I came away with these amazing pieces, thanks 100% to Anouck, who selflessly found and edited all of these things out in my favor.

With that preface, I bring you my new favorite sweater:


There is nothing quite like finding a fantastic new sweater in the dregs of these winter days to reignite interest in cold weather dressing altogether. Check out this most serious mixed media applique:


You have metallic lace, leopard print, multiple embossed reptile/snake prints, this is. no. joke.

Then there is the summer teaser. Right now, this looks like the smallest piece of clothing I have ever seen in my life, and I simply cannot imagine wearing it. But I know that I will, when it is 110 degrees and 99 percent humidity in July, and it will feature unseemly sweat stains, which I will leave to your imagination.


A little strapless sweatheart chambray dress; whose provenance is questionable, considering this tag:


And on what planet this is a size 10 is beyond me. Planet Nookie Beach, apparently.

Back to more seasonal fair, here is a lace, mesh, and velvet bodysuit. Need I say more. Yet another reason to live through February.


Then there is this sweater, which I love most of all because it looks like someone put it in the dryer and now it is all misshapen. There is a certain charm to a jacked up sweater.


We all know the charm that is in a peter pan collar. This very prim and proper but kind of goth blouse reminds me of something I imagine the governess from A Turn of the Screw would wear.



There you go. Wrapping things up with a little Henry James allusion. Bet you didn't see that coming.