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: Buffalo Exchange

Who remembers the difference between thrift and consignment? 

...

That's right! Thrift stores feature donated goods in all manner of conditions, while consignment stores take only gently-used items, and they generally pay the donors. Consignment stores are usually more expensive, but because everything there is in good condition, it can be worth the upcharge. Can be. 

I used to frequent Plato's Closet, but their selection doesn't move me anymore. The clothes are too preppy and label-slavey for my tastes (though it's a great place to get jeans). For years, my favorite consignment shop was the branch of Psycho Sisters on Killian Hill, but it closed when I was in college. Their Little Five location is cool, but the clothes are more outlandish and very expensive. Little Five also features a Rag-O-Rama, which is always worth a visit, but legend has it that they are not great neighbors. Last year, Little Five got a new option: Buffalo Exchange.

Not all rompers are created equal.

This one was ADORABLE, and I really regret not buying it. WHAT WAS I THINKING?

I'm a star.

And you love me.

Starship Trooper Crawley, reporting for duty.

This dress is so sweet, but I need another vintage circle-skirted dress
like I need a massive stroke.

Thrifty Thursday: Get Premium Denim for Nearly Nothing

I want to talk about jeans. Before we begin I will encourage you to take half a Xanex and grab a glass of wine - this is a stressful topic.

I've never met a woman who likes shopping for denim. Actually, everyone I know loathes it. For such a wardrobe staple, that's really pretty strange. Everyone wears jeans (at least every now and then) but they are ridiculously hard to shop for.

When I was a teenager, my go-to brand was Old Navy. They fit me like a glove, and their denim blends were nice and soft - just how I like them. But midway though college, their whole line went through a major restructuring, and suddenly the waistbands all seemed to hit in funny places. Plus, as I was getting older, my ass was getting larger - REAL TALK. The super-ultra-low rise pants of my teen years now showed an unholy amount of buttcrack.

I suffered through a few pairs of okay jeans before I finally found my denim soulmate at Plato's Closet: 7 For All Mankind Kimmie Bootcut, size 26. 

The first time I put them on, I understood how a pair of jeans can make you look like an actual rockstar. Remember Liz Lemon and her "Made in USA" revelation? These jeans became my favorite piece of clothing.

But then disaster struck; only six months later, the fabric split at the crotch. 

I was in shock. I refused to throw them away, choosing instead to wear them with really dark underwear, and only when running errands. I'm not proud, but GUYS THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE, I JUST COULDN'T BEAR TO GET RID OF THEM. Forget about replacing them - 7 For All Mankind is a premium brand, retailing for almost $200.

For months, I've scoured the racks at my favorite discount stores, hoping to strike gold a second time. It's been futile. When the solution hit me, it seemed so obvious - how had it taken me so long to get there?

EBAY.

If you know your preferred brand, size, and style, eBay is the perfect place to look. I ran several searches on variations of "7 For All Mankind Kimmie Bootcut 26," and within 15 minutes I had two great options - a Buy Now for $15, no shipping, and an auction at $1 with $4 for shipping. When the auction closed the next day, I had agreed to pay $10 for the pants. 

For less than $30, I bought two pairs of jeans - they both arrived with the tags ON.

And, if I do say so myself, they look fantastic.

Thrifty Thursday: The Perils of Lace

Last Thrifty Thursday, we talked about dressing like an heiress on a starving-artist budget. If there's one absolute, all-encompassing tip I can give you on that topic, it's this: avoid elastic lace. It will betray you. That's a tip for life - not just for thrifting. Whether you're at Target, TJ Maxx, or Bloomingdale's, no matter how much you like something, if it has elastic lace, run.
Here's why:
Oh, look at this pretty navy blue dress. It's slinky and has fun sleeves, and would probably look great on your body.

Except that OH NO!

Elastic lace will hold up for one, maybe two, maayyyyyybe three wash cycles, and then it disintegrates. While that doesn't technically ruin an item (you could wear it without facing disaster), it does betray it as a piece of fast fashion. Remember, the goal of this series is to look like you paid a lot of money.

Compare that to this other dress.

This lace is inelastic; there's no stretch at all. Instead, the lining is slightly stretchy. 

The difference is enormous. On this dress (which is from Target, BTDubbs) there are no flyaway threads. There's some very slight pilling (just enough that I can tell it's been worn), but the garment still looks great. I took this dress home, shaved the pilling with a cheap razor, and it's as good as new.

Thrifty Thursday: Look Like a Million Bucks When You Only Paid Five

There are risks to shopping exclusively at thrift stores - namely, someone noticing. If someone asks if you got something at Goodwill, it means one of two things:

1. You often shop secondhand, are vocal about it, and this individual wants to know if your ensemble is part of that historic lineage
2. You look like a pile of garbage

No judgies, here - remember what I said about pulling it off? Style is whatever makes you feel comfortable. If you like hobo-chic (or just hobo), then go for it. But if you want people to think you buy everything brand new, you'll need to be a touch more selective. 

First off, only buy items that are in great condition. If the hem is frayed, the fabric is pilled, or the collar is warped, you should let it lie. Any signs of wear make the garment off-limits. If you want to fool the public, you'll need to be discerning. I tend to see everything as a fixer-upper - "I'll replace the buttons/add a belt/take it in." All those tactics are great, but not when you want to look like a J Crew model. 

Also, pay close attention to fabrics. There's a huge difference between real silk and a polyester blend, and someone who wears the real thing everyday will spot an imitation in a heartbeat. If you want to trick someone into thinking you spend a lot of money on your clothes, avoid blends as much as you can. It can be hard to find nice cotton and silk, but the difference is noticeable. Also, check the washing instructions on the things you find; if a dress is labeled dry-clean only, make sure that the fabric looks brand new. When dry-clean only fabrics go through the dryer, they can lose the slight shininess that makes the fabric so lush. Take this Ann Taylor dress:

I gasped aloud when I found it - I didn't notice a single flaw. The fabric is still soft and shiny, and there are no frays, stains, or pills. While I wouldn't wear this dress to, say, a night at the theatre, it's perfect for a job interview. This dress would probably have cost me  more than $50 from the store, but I found it for a tenth of that price.

I love my funky style, but it doesn't scream, "adult who knows what a 401k is." Just don't think you have to abandon your thrifty roots in order to dress like a future CEO.

Thrifty Thursday: The Best (and Worst) of Pants

You probably noticed that I love to buy dresses. It's the easiest form of shopping – one garment, no fuss. I also tend to buy a lot of blouses and tops (generally bright colored, increasingly sheer). But like so many other women, I hate shopping for pants. I never know which size to look at, because construction varies so widely from brand to brand. So when I decided to try on some pants at Goodwill, I felt I was being very brave.

I am so courageous. 

I swear to God, these were taffeta.

These leather pants from the Gap don't look half bad...

But they were the stiffest thing I've ever had on my body (THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!)

The tragedy of a small waistband.

But I also found some really great stuff. Take these flowered jeans by Free People. They're the perfect height for me to wear during the summer – they hit just above the ankle straps on my favorite sandals. They'll also work great in the fall with boots.

Love getting Free People for three bucks.

I also found this great pair of burgundy corduroys. They're very soft and (if I do say so myself) they make my butt look fantastic.

Just singing along to some James Brown.

Gratuitous Picture of my Bottom.

But my absolute favorite find (and the one I was most nervous about) are these high-waisted shorts from Old Navy.

I smell another pin-up shoot!

When I was a kid, all of my clothes were Old Navy – I was a walking catalog. But by the time I got to college, I'd stopped shopping there altogether. I think the last time I went near one was to find a pair of jeans, and that didn't end so well. Still, I've always loved their denim, and these shorts are the best of my old and new style philosophies; they're comfortable as all get out, and they have a vintage flair that I can't resist.

Yet another Gratuitous Picture of my Bottom.

Normally, I'm a little allergic to shorts. They scare me, in away. Or rather, my bright white thighs scare me. But when it comes to my insecurities, I like to confront them head on and then ignore them. I like the shorts, so I'll wear them. And if anyone has a problem with my bright white thighs, they shove it up their shorts.

Theirs won't be as cute as mine, though.

Thrifty Thursday: Buying a Secondhand Raincoat

Last week, when I found those amazing trenches, I also found a great raincoat. At least, I assumed it was a raincoat - the labels are all in a foreign language. So while I was pretty sure the coat was waterproof, I couldn't be absolutely certain. Naturally, I enlisted Roomie and Very Excellent Boyfriend to perform a scientific test.


It's been a rainy week, and my new coat has fared quite well. Yes, I do wish it had a hood, and it's missing its original belt, but I'm still happy with it. It doesn't leak, like my last coat, which is a huge step forward.

Gotta get a replacement belt.

Side note: Anyone know anything about this brand? I tried searching the webbernets, but I came-up totally dry. 

Hey, I made a raincoat pun!

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: Thrifty Disasters - Buford Highway Goodwill

I live really close to a Goodwill, but until last week I'd never been inside. It's on Buford Highway, and stores along its stretch of road have a real hit-or-miss quality. On Friday, Roomie and I made our first visit.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with what I found. Like this slinky blue number.



And this sweet little dress (so perfect for auditions).



And this bright green one from J Crew.



I didn't actually buy that one, and I regret that decision. I think I'm gonna go back and see if it's still there.

The day was not without it's disasters, though.

I have a short waist, so most things I try tend to be too big in the shoulders - but this is ridiculous:



Eyelets are really in this season, and this Ralph Lauren dress seemed promising, but it didn't deliver.



Do you like embroidered velvet 80s party dresses? Then this is for you!



I put this one on and Mandi said, "You look like you're from The Virgin Suicides."



Here's a close-up:



When I tried this one, she said I looked like an auto worker. I asked her to please not insult auto workers anymore.



I've reached an age where certain styles look absolutely ridiculous on me - like this extreme bubble skirt.



Uuhh. It might as well be Limited Too.

Lastly, there's this gem:



You can thank Mandi for finding this one - it's from Friedrick's of Hollywood.

You've seen a lot of really interesting pictures of me, but I want to see some of your shopping disasters. If you don't already take pictures when clothes don't work, I'd like you to start. Send them to galensdaysoftheweek@gmail.com, and maybe you'll see yourself in a post.