Thrifted for $13.48

I got this black shin-length skirt for $6.99. It’s originally from Korea, and I liked the cut of it and the decorative stitching around the waist. However, I did not like the two buttons on the front, so I removed them.

I also got this teal top for $3.99. I’m a bit annoyed because I think it shrunk (even though I followed the washing directions). It feels tighter than it ought to—and had it felt this way in the store, I would not have bought it.

Finally, I got this black boat neck long sleeve shirt for $2.50. It’s not an exciting purchase, but a pragmatic one.

1956 Sears Catalog: Set 7

Some fun “playclothes.”

I like these suits.

And some simple dresses.

1956 Sears Catalog: Set 1

I was at a thrift store and couldn’t help but buy this Sears catalog from spring and summer of 1956. It was $4, and I love looking at all the vintage clothing.

 

I like the fun prints they often use on the skirts.

The cover of the catalog isn’t much to look at, but I suppose it’s informative.

Box of Mom’s Old Clothes

My mom was doing some cleaning and offered me a box of her old clothes (she thought I could use the material to sew with) and I readily accepted. There was a range of clothing sizes (some that fit but most that didn’t). They were her work clothes (from years ago)—much of it wool jackets and skirts.

There were a couple of items that I liked as-is and would wear: a long white pleated skirt (that’s very light and perfect for summer) and a wool red A-line skirt (although it’s a bit big). I actually liked a couple of other skirts as well, but as I looked closer at the garments, they had moth holes. [Pause.] Super disappointing.

I’m pretty excited about having this box of clothes that I can (hopefully) reuse. Because every so often when I’m at a thrift store I consider buying something and altering it but I never do, because I can’t justify spending much on a garment that I’ll be experimenting on. However, the garments my mom gave me are free (and also some are damaged with stains and moth holes), so they’re the ideal items to experiment with. I have about 12 items that all need to be cleaned and most that I’ll have to tear apart in order to use the undamaged material sections.

I have no idea what I could make (and hopefully I’ll actually get around to doing something with the fabric), but I think it would be cool to make something with my mom’s old clothes. It’s funny, as a teenager I wouldn’t be caught dead in something my mom would wear, and here I am, years later, trying to find a way to wear my mom’s old clothes.

Pajamas. [Yawn.]

I’m never excited to shop for pajamas because they’re pretty much the same and they’re pretty much boring. There are only so many options for women: nightgowns or shorts/pants with tops. Usually I’m just looking at pajama pants; some are fairly nondescript, being a flat color or an unassuming plaid, but others are blatantly obnoxious. And I can’t help but wonder, who wears these garish colors or likes these tacky patterns? I don’t. And the fabric tends to be nothing special, mostly just jersey or cotton or flannel. 

I understand that pajamas are meant for sleeping in, so the biggest factor is whether or not they’re comfortable. No one wants to be in scratchy or too tight pajamas. However, it’d be nice if there was a tiny bit of design in there because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pair of pajama pants that I actually wanted. The design just isn’t there; there’s nothing special about any of it.

So I’m extremely lazy about buying pajama pants because I don’t find them interesting to look at, and therefore I almost never look at them in a store. Inevitably, I reach some sort of desperation point where I need new pajama pants and I just buy the least ugly pair I can find at a store for not much money. I’ve had coats, dresses, tops, skirt and shoes that I’ve loved, but I’ve never had pajama pants that I’ve loved.

I feel like pajama pants should be awesome. I spend a good third of my life in them, and there’s no reason that they should be such fashion rejects. So if I can’t find what I want in a store (and I don’t want to pay a ton for them either), then I’ll just make them myself. I’ve made pajama pants before (and they’re not hard to make), and I think can make a way cuter pair than the lackluster pants I’ve seen in the stores.

Frugal Snob

When it comes to clothes, I think I’m a frugal snob. This may sound contradictory, but really, I think these attributes easily go hand-in-hand. It comes down to wanting good quality at a good price. A large reason I’ve cut back on my shopping at the mall and discount stores (that sell new items) is because I don’t get enough quality. A vast majority of the time I’m disappointed by the items in a store made with cheap materials for prices I find unacceptable (based upon that lack of quality).

But even when the prices are okay, I’m still not very interested in cheap garments because I’m a snob. And I don’t think this is a bad thing; it means I have standards. With so many options available, there must be a line between “worth it” and “not worth it,” and for me, that line is quality. I’ll see some cute garment in a store (from afar), and when I finally touch its fabric I can’t help but think, “I’m not paying $45 for that.” I hate scratchy fabric. I despise cheap-looking fabric. And I’m vastly annoyed when fabric is too thin for the garment (e.g. skirts and dresses that are practically see-through).

When I was younger, cheap fabric never bothered me, but now cheap fabric is a deal-breaker. And even when the fabric is okay, I’ll still balk at the price of a simple garment and think, “I could just sew this.” (I think this especially when the craftsmanship is shoddy, because if I’m going to wear shoddy craftsmanship, it should at least be my own.)

Even the items that I like in a store, I’ve often gotten too frugal for. I went to a clothing store the other day and was in the sale section and saw some fairly nice sweaters on the hanger for about $30 and I didn’t even bother to try them on. I wasn’t desperate for these sweaters (that were fine but not particularly special), and I thought might eventually find something like it at a thrift shop for less.

The thing is, I’m often attracted to expensive things but don’t feel inclined to buy them at full price (although there are always exceptions to the rule). If I go into a higher-end store, the prices feel too steep to me, so I usually walk away with nothing. So the high-end stores are too expensive (even though I like their stuff), and the average stores are too cheap (in quality), so that leaves me with thrift shopping. Where every so often, among the Target and Old Navy rejects I find something special—a quality piece of clothing that I love for a good price.

Oops! of the Week

Well, it seemed inevitable that I would at some point forget my notebook with all my Word of Day drawings at work, so I’ll have to wait to photograph and post this week’s words later on. I’ll use a separate notebook to draw today and tomorrow’s words in, since I will continue to draw each word each day. I was just hoping to keep my notebook seamlessly continuous with my Word of the Day entries…well, that didn’t happen. Oh well. [Sigh.]

So instead I’ll share my “Oops! of the Week” (more so than forgetting my notebook) that happened when I picked up lunch this week. Generally I bring my lunch to work for the same reasons that most people do: it’s cheaper, faster and easier than going out and buying lunch. But sometimes I don’t have time to cook or feel like treating myself to sometime tasty (that I can’t make) and will buy something nearby.

So I decided on picking up some Indian food from a food cart. And stupidly, as I was walking back to the office, I leaned the food container against my khaki-colored coat and got a curry yellow line across the front of it. Immediately I thought, “Well, that’ll stain. Guess I won’t be wearing this coat anymore.” I was pretty irritated with myself for doing something so dumb. It was a coat I liked and wore often, but it wasn’t a coat I was in love with—it was more of a useful coat. I’d had it for a couple of years and it hadn’t been expensive, so while I’m disappointed that I ruined it, I didn’t feel as bad about it as I could have. [Pause.] Guess I’ll have an excuse to get a new khaki-colored coat.

Still Waiting for Autumn

I’m willing (and do) pay full price for items that I really want or need. However, I like getting a good deal on things if I can, which is one of the reasons I like thrift shopping.

Here are three items I got in the last couple of months at different thrift shops. I somehow ended up with warmer pieces because I think people were doing some spring cleaning to their closets in anticipation of the summer.

Out with the Old and in with the New

With clothing love is often instant. You see a cute top in a store and try it on with much anticipation. If the fit is right (and it’s affordable) you buy it, excited to wear it as soon as possible. For a while you savor wearing your new favorite clothing item…until a new favorite overtakes its place. Because falling in love with new clothing is easy and happens fairly often (as my closet can attest to).

Clothing is one of those things that I easily accumulate and must therefore do a closet purge from time to time. There’s always something new and cute on the horizon to find and buy and wear. The new and cute pieces quickly replace the old and worn (even though some of it isn’t terribly old nor worn), and over time you forget that these older pieces even exist. Then one day you’re looking through your closet and you pull something out that you haven’t worn in ages and either your desire to wear it once more reappears and you reincorporate it back into your wardrobe, or that desire has long since been dead (and will remain that way).

If I haven’t worn something in over a year (okay, sometimes it’s longer) then I know I ought to get rid of it. It’s often easy to know which pieces have outlived their usefulness; they often feel too youthful or are made of cheap materials that I can no longer abide or I just don’t like the style any more. Most of the time I let go of that top or dress or pair of pants with little regret and once it’s gone I never think of it again. I don’t expect to wear the same clothing forever as my preferences change over time, so my closet is a constant revolving door of new clothing replacing the old.

Gateway Garments

People are generally fairly consistent with their clothing preferences. When I’m shopping for clothes, I’m naturally drawn towards certain styles and colors (that are often not unlike the items I already own). It doesn’t happen consciously; in fact sometimes I’ll want to get something different so I’ll have some variation in my closet (only that usually doesn’t end up happening). [Pause.] It’s just that I already know what I like and tend to make a beeline to those items.

Sometimes my eyes will come across something that while I like in theory, I can already sense won’t suit me. There are some styles and trends that I think are cute (like a striped T-shirt or polka dot dress) but then I’ll try them on only to be somewhat dismayed; I may like it…but just not on me. [Sigh.] I’ve been quite consistent in my buying habits up until the other weekend, when I suddenly bought three items that I never thought I would.