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.

Spring Has Sprung, All Over My Pants!

Now that my out-with-the-old process is complete, it is time to get going on the fun part, the in-with-the-new! The weather is actually becoming somewhat legitimately warm enough, for brief spasms of time, to take some of these brand new finds out in to the world on their maiden voyages. And while the weather has been a long time coming, Springy finds have been piling up for a few weeks now, as thrift stores are similarly feeling the itch to transition out of sweater-and-coat hell, and in to shorts-and-tank-top paradise.

This also means that there has been enough spring time thrifting going on for some patterns (dare I say, trends?) to start emerging. One major one that I have been seeing (and I am aware is also at play in the "real" world of fashion) is printed bottoms. It is also no big secret that I love, and am strongly drawn to prints, no matter which way the fashion winds blow. Here are some of the pant, and pant-like incarnations of my printed bottom finds, so far.

First off, are a pair of leggings that might spur a cat fight between myself and Down Town Julie Brown.


How cute are these? Nothing says Spring quite like a skin-tight scattering of yellow roses.

Although I have got to say, in the different phases of leggings trends throughout the past several decades, there have been some strange fits and proportions. While it seems a pretty straightforward design--that being, tight--there is a surprising amount of variation. This pair, for example, from the 90's, is cropped at mid calf, and the rise is a solid 11 inches long. No one on earth has a waist that high. The overall effect being, short legs, freakishly long torso. Sexy? Not so much. Luckily, these crazy proportions are easily disguised by any top that is more than 6 inches long.

Next are some pants that I am VERY jazzed about. They are top in the running for potential outfits for a wedding I am attending in Austin in a few weeks. Let me dissect the wonderful qualities of these pants for you.


Firstly, they are big, wide, sheer, slightly cropped pants that look like a skirt. Secondly, they have this great big Japanese geometric print all over them. Thirdly, the waist detail is completely amazing, and super flattering.



As far as potential wedding wear, these pose quite a few logistical problems. Most obviously, they are sheer. Black leggings look cute underneath, but this is Texas, and that seems like a good way to be hotter than hell all night. So shorts? bloomers? hot pants? I don't want to scare any grandmas. The other problem being the top that I would wear with it, a silk ivory camisole, would require pasties. I have never attempted pasties yet in my 29 years, and to make my first go at it in front of said strange grandmas also seems dicey. Perhaps they are just too racy.

And last but not least are these great little printed drawstring shorts.


These are definitely one of my favorite Spring finds so far this year. They are comfortable, easy to wear, and even work appropriate, and they feature a style of floral print that one hardly ever comes across....



which of course means it is now time for some super fun textile history! This style of print is called "Half-Mourning". They originated in the 19th century as a style of print worn by widows once they had cleared the all-black stage of dress, and were easing in less bleak apparel. That probably being why you don't generally see these prints these days. They are actually a bit morbid.

Which is not very Springy! So forget that and focus on how printed pants are fresh and fun!

Thrifting Saves the Week: The T.G.I.F. Accidental Outfit

I know I often go off on how thrifting is the best thing in the world, how it makes me feel like a complete person, and how it has the potential to unite the world and dissipate all of its problems, but this week I had not one, but TWO instances where thrifting totally prevented what was a rather shitty week from turning into the worse week of my life.

What a week it was—we had negative temps all week; on Sunday, my phone was ran over by a car; on Wednesday, I almost had to get my car towed when I got it stuck in a stranger's driveway, only to have my car die the next day; that same day, I failed to gain an excellent career opportunity and lost my peace pin that the nice old man at Northern Sun gave me; and on Friday, I misread the schedule for the library and wasn't able to pick up my holds or return my books. All major bummers.

Despite all of these silly misfortunes, life continues on, in large part because of thrifting. I was able to get my car out of the driveway through the help of my wonderful friend Lisa, two strangers and a thrifted Ouija board from the Dig'n'Save in Madison that had been sitting in my trunk for two years (R.I.P. Ouija board). And then, right after realizing that the library was closed, I put on a great thrifted outfit that I wouldn't have done on purpose. It wasn't until I looked in the mirror that I realized that somehow, mauve, navy, teal, magenta, yellow green and off white TOTALLY go together!



I say this outfit was accidental because it was—instead of staring blankly at my closet for twenty minutes before grabbing the same hoodie and pair of warm pants as I normally do this time of year, I threw on the sweater (purchased at the Halloween Bootique, previously featured here) as I was rushing out the door for a vet appointment we were late for. Later, I grabbed the leggings (from the Target basement at the Salvation Army) to wear under my sweatpants to walk the dogs. I always put on a second layer to walk them during the cold months, but I usually stick to other leggings, all of which were in the wash. As I was in the middle of doing laundry, I could only find the matches for a pair of short ankle socks—hardly the sort of sockwear you don during negative temps. To bridge the gap between the sock and the leggings, I threw on the legwarmers, which I thrifted somewhere in Green Bay. And VOILA!—an amazing, accidental outfit!

Because it made me feel so good to have stumbled upon this great color combination, so much so that it brought a glimmer of hope to my otherwise totally crap week, I wanted to share it with you. Because as they say, if you look good, you feel good!

H.P.: Wizarding Fashion

Last night I went to go see Harry Potter and witnessed a group of teenagers who were dressed for the occasion, my friend Molly pointed out, as though they were on acid. And it was true—the whole lot of them looked like some sort of hippie/fairy/pagan/wood-nymph cult. They all had "wands" and crazy spirals painted on their faces to accompany their "wild" get-ups. What was even better was the fact that they were clearly having the time of their lives. It all made me feel really jealous that when I was their age, I was listening to alt-rock and shopping at Hot Topic.

So, in a nod to my garishly dressed teenage fellow film buffs, I've decided to fashion my own outfit suitable for the viewing of HP VII, part I.
























First, you gotta get some Luna Lovegood hair.* This chick has totally banging hair—her wild bunched mane made me resolve to start taking fish oil again and to keep growing mine out.



This crazy faux fur hooded coat was a find at the Dig'n'Save in Madison. The trim has gotten a bit matted from the years of wear, which kind of grosses me out, but as it happens, this coat is perfect for winter dog walks and biking, so it is totally worth the $1 or whatever I paid for it.



I recently found this great hooded sweater overcoat at my new favorite Salvo Army. I love the colors and the deer/moose pattern. Very hippie/fairy/pagan/wood-nymph-like!



This black longsleeved scoopneck Lux top from Value Village might not look like much, but I threw it in because going topless to the movie theater is apparently illegal.

Then we have these nifty accessories:



A light olive woven scarf like this one is perfect for keeping the draft out, as well as looking like you are one with the earth.



I admit I don't remember where this rabbit skin pullstring sack came from, other than some point in my childhood, but I simply couldn't offer up this outfit to the H.P. gods without it. And you'd probably need some place to stow your lip gloss and ticket stub (for scrapbooking).



I believe this necklace came from Unique and it is one of my favorites as I am huge fan of simple, geometric jewelry, especially in earth tones (pagan) like gold and brown.



For the fairy/fantastical element, this sparkly/lacy skirt will do the trick.



Again with the basics, but you know, it's cold so your mother probably won't let you out of the house without your black Cuddl Duds** leggings from the Halloween Bootique.



Of course, where would you be without your lace-up, suede, fringe Minnetonka booties (though one of the girls was actually wearing a pair like these, so I can't take total credit)?

Add some random knitwear, a wooden stick (i.e. wand) and a copious amount of patchouli and you are ready for some H.P. movie magic!

I only wish I could be/was this cool. For real.


*In doing a google image search for this photo, I found out that there is Harry Potter illustrated porn. I must be getting old because this shocked me. Here, I thought HP was a pure obsession of peoples'. I need to go scour my eyeballs now.
*Actual spelling. I know.