Thrifty Thursdays: Buying Lingerie Secondhand

Let's talk about lingerie. Thrifted lingerie (also swimsuits).

You're probably freaking-out right now; you're probably having a panic attack. Well take a deep breath and half a Xanex, because this post is HAPPENING.

I'll admit it: I buy lingerie at thrift stores. Definitely more than I buy it from Victoria's Secret. I don't really go in for the padded bras you find at, say, Frederick's of Hollywood. I much prefer unlined pieces - I think they're more flattering to my figure. But good luck finding totally unlined bras in the wild - they're pretty rare these days.

But that's not the the elephant in the room - that would be you, tearing your hair and screaming, "BUT THE GEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRMMMMSSSSSSS!!"

This is what you look like.

http://theanimals.pics/elephant-baby-pictures/22/picture-mother-baby-elephant-5-mother-and-baby-elephants/
Ahhh, see, you're afraid of catching an STD. Good news - when bacteria is exposed to the air for longer then 24 hours, it dies. Just like you can't get chlamydia from a toilet seat, you also can't get it from a night gown. And consider this: if you've ever tried-on a bra or teddy at Victoria's Secret, you can be nearly guaranteed that someone else has tried it on, too - making it "used." Also remember that you can always remove the little liner inside any bottoms - particularly in swimsuits. But if you're still really, really worried about other-people's-germs, Oxy Clean or vinegar will do the trick. Add a cup of either to your laundry and when your clothes are done spinning, they will be clean and happy.

Plus, guys, you should wash everything you get from a thrift store as soon as you bring it home. ALWAYS. Don't you dare buy something secondhand and then wear it without washing it - I don't care where on the body it belongs. Not because you'll get the AIDS, but because you might get a cold. Cold viruses can live on hard surfaces and fabrics for up to a week. Wash your clothes. Wash everything. MOSTLY YOUR HANDS.

Okay, let's go back to the lacy bits.

If you feel like you can't afford cute lingerie, I'm here to tell you that you're probably wrong. Even if you have a five-dollar lingerie budget, you can buy something like this.

After a little Google searching, I dated this nightgown to 1974. And I think it's just as lovely and romantic today as it was when it was first created. I adore the diamond waistband, and the delicate embroidered flowers along the neckline. It's pretty, simple, and it cost four dollars.

During my Day Camp weeks this summer, I needed a bunch of swimsuit options, and I found two at Goodwill for three dollars each. They fit well, flatter my body, and didn't cost eighty buck like the (admittedly amazing) ones from ModCloth.


And I get it - most of you are still probably squicked-out by used neglige. That's okay - we all have our limits. But I hope, if nothing else, that you're not afraid that you can catch an STD from a used teddy. Misinformation leads to stigmatization, and no one who has (or once had) an STD needs to be looked down-on. Don't be afraid of the things you needn't fear - be afraid of the truly dangerous stuff.

Like this psycho killer

Thrifty Thursday: Thrifting Tip - Shop Out of Season

I think most normal people do their shopping according to whatever season is actually occurring at the moment. "Boy, it's really hot outside, and every morning when I get dressed I realize I have NO SLEEVELESS SHIRTS and I sweat to death. I'm gonna go buy some!" However, retail stores tend to stock their floors in advance of the upcoming season. Hence why you can buy a bikini at Target in February. If you're looking for something really specific and you want to purchase it secondhand, I recommend looking for it six months before you'll need it.

Great example:

I've been searching for a nice trench coat for about three years. It is hard to find a nice coat in my size at a thrift store - way hard. Invariably, all Goodwills have three or four really nice London Fogs on their racks,  but they're always men's sizes, and I look like I'm in a community theatre production of Les Mis whenever I try them on. But this week, I hit the jackpot - two lovely trenches for $3 each (they were half-off!).

Summer is the perfect time to look for secondhand outerwear. This is the time when everyone (myself included) is packing-up their winder clothes and donating all the stuff they didn't wear last year. I found another coat I just loved - this short pink pea coat with a detachable hood.

If I didn't already own three pea coats, I would have bought it.

Also, just for fun, let's look at how much money I saved by buying my coats at Goodwill. The white one was made by Braetan.

Their coats retail for around $120- less through Burlington, Amazon, etc.

The other coat is by ChatCwin, an Italian designer.

A quick Google search reveals that their coats usually sell for about $700. When I read that, I took a sip of water just so I could spit-take it. I've found some great steals, but this is by far my best. 

My Latest Official Thrifting Tip: Shop Out of Season

Thrifty Thursday: Vintage Sizing isn't Always Accurate

First of all, have you seen BuzzFeed's list of 24 Cats That Are So Single Right Now?

That little guy made me burst into tears. Man, I want a cat so bad. You know, I've never had a pet? Not one that didn't like in a fishbowl. There were some goldfish, and some snails, but that's it.

It's time to move on, though - it's Thrifty Thursday, not Kitty Thursday. 

Remember when I told you that vintage and modern sizing are not the same? In case you didn't believe me, here's proof.

As you can see, this dress is labeled a 10.

But it don't wear like one!

You can't really tell from the pictures, but it was about a size too big. Still, though, not a 10. This one had the same marked size:

It's ugly, but it fits!

See ladies? Size isn't everything.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!

Thrifty Thursday: Thrifting Tips - Only Get It if You Love It

This is Part Four in my How-to-Shop-Cheap series. If you missed my first Thrifting Tip, you can check it out here. For the second, click here. The third is here.

The corollary to Try it On is this: Only Get it if You Love It.

Didn't love it.

There are so many gems to be found at thrift stores, but if you bought every single item that looked halfway decent, you would have no bank account, and your personal style would be all over the map. I've never been one to embrace a wholly unified look – sometimes I look like a lost flower child, while other days I prefer to be a classy business lady – but there's something to be said for unity.

(Now, if that's not your thing, by all means have a blast. One of my best friends from college dressed like a low-budget Olsen twin. Her closet was a mishmash of things she found in the bargain bin at Marshall's and things that had been in her closet since she was in the sixth grade. Sometimes, she looked like a homeless woman. But you know what? She adored her personal style, and no matter how much we teased her, she wouldn't change herself for anything. Her style is her own, and she OWNS it.)

Thrifty Thursday: Thrifting Tips - Be Selective

This is Part Tres in my How-to-Shop-Cheap series. If you missed my first Thrifting Tip, you can check it out here. For the second, click here.

So you've rooted around the racks, tried on everything that caught your eye, and now you're trying to decide what to exchange for your hard-earned cash. The appeal of thrifting is exactly what makes it so dangerous - there are lots of treasures to be found, but you can also get caught-up by a lot of junk.

Consignment and thrift items are cheap (at least, they SHOULD be - more on that later), but that doesn't mean you should buy crappy things. It's tempting to say, "But it's only 99 cents!", and get something silly that you won't really use. But I beg of you, don't do it - your money can be put to better use.

My general rule is: if I wouldn't pay full price for it, I shouldn't thrift it. There's some room for error in terms of missing buttons, stray threads, etc., but there's no excuse for items with real damage. Generally, be wary of cotton shirts - 99% of the cotton I find is pilled beyond belief, and really looks its age. Yeah, there are fabric shavers, and you can even use a razor to remove the fuzz, but most of the time, pilled items just aren't worth the hassle. Remember that when you remove the fuzzies, you're also making the garment thinner - thus reducing its lifespan. A lot of people like to browse the t-shirts at Goodwill, but I avoid them; I'm past ironic sloganwear, and it's tough to find good quality cotton at Salvation Army.

This is also where I'll encourage you not to buy "joke" items. Sure, everyone needs a few ridiculous props for Halloween and the like, but once you're out of college, opportunities to wear crazy joke clothing are few and far between. If you wouldn't wear it unironically, then maybe you shouldn't get it. I find lots of insane, amazing things when I'm thrift-shopping, but I rarely buy any of them. If I purchased even half the stuff I try on, I'd be completely broke. What would you rather spend your money on: joke clothes that work one day a year, or things you can cycle into your everyday wardrobe?

Remember when I went to Clothing Warehouse a couple months ago and spent too much money? Well I was breaking this rule. In the end, my purchases averaged $20 a dress - and that's just too much money for preworn clothes. I might authorize you to spend that much money on something in PERFECT condition, but two of those dresses were damaged - what was I thinking?? Don't get sucked-in by the lure of "vintage," and don't sacrifice quality for kitsch.

Official Galen Thrifting Tip: Be Selective.

Thrifty Thursdays: Thrifting Tips - Try it On

Happy October 19th, everyone! Kiss a baby! Give a gift! Hug a stranger! 

It's October 19th!

I implore you to watch the return of Community tonight. Or, if you don't plan to watch anything this evening, turn the TV to NBC when Community airs, and just let it run. Boost the numbers.

In other Thursday news, today I'm bringing you my second Thrifting Tip!

This is Part Deaux in my How-to-Shop-Cheap series. If you missed my first Thrifting Tip, you can check it out here. 

The reason I encourage you to grab everything that even REMOTELY piques your interest is because you must put it on your body. Sometimes the most bizarre things will flatter you in ways you never dreamed possible. Remember this beauty?

Never forget.

On the hanger, it's revolting. On my body...well, it's still a little revolting. But in a way that I adore. Of course, no one has the time (or patience) to try on literally everything in a store. That's why I gravitate towards extremes - I try on the ugliest and prettiest things I find. Every now and then, I'm pleasantly surprised.

Sometimes, not so much.

There's a practical element to this, too, as vintage sizing is very different from modern sizing. If you avoid the Large section, you may miss out on something old that's labeled "10." A vintage 10 is a modern 4, so oftentimes you won't know how well something fits until it's on your body.

This dress is a great example:

Acting naturally.

When I saw it on the hanger, it looked very wide, but I loved the fabric so I decided to try it on. I was amazed when I zipped it up and found that it fit perfectly.

The same is true of this beauty:

Not over it.

These dresses are both made of fabrics that have zero stretch - something we don't often encounter at Target or Forever 21. I can usually tell on the rack if something is my size, but these two dresses radically changed my perceptions. Now, everything that catches my eye comes into the fitting room. Yes, that means fitting sessions can be very long - but it also means I find a lot of really great stuff.

Also, vintage styles and cuts can be extremely different from modern ones, and you may have no CLUE how something will fit just from looking at it on the hanger. Every time I've ever seen a jumpsuit in a store, it looks like it's seven feet long - but then I put it on, and it fits my 5'2" frame like a dream. If you have the time, take it into the fitting room - and bring your camera.

My second official Thrifting Tip: Try it On.

Thrifty Thursday: Thrifting Tips - Look at Everything

So you want to pinch your pennies, but you're afraid of thrift stores. How do you shop cheap without looking it? 

If you want to find something worthwhile at Goodwill, you will have to search for it. For me the local Salvation Army is a Store Of Adventures. But if you have to take half a Xanex before going into Ross, you may want to avoid the jumble. Thrifting isn't hard, but it does take finesse, and a lot of patience.

First off, it's best not to look for anything too specific at a secondhand store. If you go in looking for a Yellow Peasant Blouse, you'll probably be disappointed. Instead, keep an open mind. What could you use more of? Dresses? Skirts? Tops? When I walk into a thrift store, I head to the section I'm looking to boost (skirts, jeans, dresses), I start at the front, and then I look at every. single. item. All of them. Generally, there is no organization in these places - forget S, M, and L racks. Even if a thrift store claims to have sizing sections, they are probably all messed-up. 

Also, thrifted items are usually inexpensive, so if you find something in a fabric you adore, you might want to get it even if it doesn't fit. Sometimes I'll buy an ill-fitting dress and use the fabric to make a hair bow or a throw pillow. 

I found this a few months back, and though it hangs on me like a sack, I'm excited to alter it, or use it for scrap. 

The moral of this post, and my first official Thrifting Tip: Look at Everything.

Oh, and just in case you haven't heard it yet, here's the best song ever written (NSFW):