Treats! Thrifting with the one, and only, Jackie Katers!

Over the past few months, I have made a concerted effort to cut back on my thrifting. WHY?!?!, you may ask, your mind screaming with confusion. Trust me, the initial shock and disappointment when I first admitted that this cut back would be wise was not easy to deal with. As time has gone on, however, the pain has subsided and I've found myself with healthier thrifting habits. There are a variety of reasons for this move—finances (you know you have a problem when you can't afford your thrifting habit), time, space, and the general unease you start feeling when you need to wade through clothing to get to your bed. I am pleased, however, to announce that my thrifting addiction, though not completely quelled, is at least, momentarily, under control.

One great thing about my new healthier thrifting lifestyle is that I have limited thrifting trips almost exclusively to special occasions—major sales, an actual need for an item, when friends are in town, or when I am on vacation. Though limits can sometimes be ass, doing this has made thrifting all that more special. Case in point: my last major thrifting haul in the Twin Cities, when my friends Jackie and Steph were in town at the end of April.

Of course, I was game when Jackie told me she wanted to thrifting while she was in town. Though Steph had to miss out on the fun due to her work (they were in town for her business), I picked up Jackie early one day from their fancy hotel without a pool or coffee in the room (why!?) and we mapped out a plan. In then end, we hit up two Value Villages, one Unique, one Savers and a Chinese food buffet. Needless to say, we had deals exploding all over the place.

Witness, if you will, the most kick ass jacket I have ever laid my hands on.*



A 1970's denim jacket with suede detail that includes a tri-color collar and weird geometric design, which, by the way....



IS REPEATED ON THE BACK!

Obviously, these details in themselves are enough to declare this jacket amazing. I am, however, not done! This jacket actually has a perfect fit on me and avoids the nasty boxiness that so many denim jackets have. Plus...




IT CAME WITH A PAIR OF MATCHING BELL BOTTOMS! Unfortunately, the bell bottoms are about a size 24 waist, so they are among the items for sale at the upcoming Caffetto Craft Fair on Sunday, July 24th, which Jake Thompson of Fashionasty and I will be at. I am okay with passing them on, however, as wearing the jacket with the pants would be a bit matchy-matchy by my standards.

In a further turn of awesomeness, the other day I was wearing this jacket at my friend's record shop Yeti Records, when a girl they knew told me that the jacket (and pants) used to be her's! If that didn't just blow your mind, I label your mind as un-blowable.

Obviously, the jacket in itself is enough to declare my shopping trip with Jackie a success, but there is more!

Witness, if you will, my new collection of Compagnie Internationale Express items!






Baggy, sheer 90's floral pattern pants and polka dot shorts with front button flaps!

It keeps going!




High-waisted Jordache denim shorts! Initially, I was afraid these would ride up on me a bit too much. But as my co-worker Oakley insisted the other day, sometimes you have to embrace your cameltoe. I have and these are now my new favorite shorts.

Other great day-to-day gems:




This adorable vintage striped sweater. The colors are amazing.**



I know I recently posted about these cut-out white slip-ons, but I had to include them so you get an idea of the breadth of my shopping success.

Then there are the wild cards!



The "Best of the Midwest" leggings (that would be my legs, clad in these pants).



I could not pass up this poncho because the blue tassel balls on it are pretty much the most genius touch of amazing I have ever witnessed on a poncho.




While this vintage, floral, kimono-dress/tunic didn't exactly fulfill my need for a sweet, embroidered jacket, it has quenched my thirst a tad bit. I couldn't turn down the pattern.

And finally, the piece that was speaking to me so much that as Jackie and I were preparing to leave our last shop, I ran over to the nightgowns and started sorting furiously, until I grabbed this and exclaimed "I KNEW YOU WERE HERE!"



Strangely enough, though this is now probably the most fucked-up piece of clothing in my wardrobe (really, how can you beat a floor-length, turquoise, cowl-neck sweatshirt tunic with a psuedo-southwestern bedazzled design on the smock (plus the nifty little white detailing around the arm)?), I have a feeling that this piece is at least a distant cousin to the bedazzled sweatshirt Laurie's friend Julie found when they went cult/commune thrifting in Staten island.

Now, if that isn't worth some restraint, I don't know what is!


*Even with all the amazing jackets I have found thrifting (many which I have shared on here and have declared that they are actually the most amazing jacket I have ever had), I stand by this statement.
**I also need to point out that when I uploaded this photo ages ago, I named the piece "vintage silly striped sweater." How this sweater is humorous, I am not sure.