Thrifted for $6.12

For $3.13 I got this navy and white sweater.

And this purple sleeveless top.

Fleetwood Mac’s The Dance cd.

And an egg slicer.

Finally, I got this awesome National Geographic book from 1989 for $2.99. The inside’s not very interesting, but the cover is fantastic. I love the color and the gold geometric design on it. Sooooooo pretty.

Thrifted for $5.22

For $3.41. I bought this blue Adidas jacket.

I got this cool vintage travel book. And a garment bag that wasn’t interesting enough to photograph.

For $1.31, I got this cute white and navy sailor dress. It’s super simple but I like the detail around the neck. The one downside is that it’s a bit long in the bodice—as though it was made for someone much taller than me. So I think I’ll have to alter it in order to wear it.

I also got this blue with black trim Express top. It’s very simple. I liked the color and the rolled-up sleeves.

And I got two cds, Sheryl Crow and No. 1 Hit Mix for 50 cents. The No. 1 Hit Mix cd has an interesting array of songs—about half I like—like Jon Secada’s “Just Another Day Without You” and P.M. Dawn’s “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss.” There are some great 1990s songs on the cd—and I’m not going to lie, I enjoy Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy” and Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.” They’re utterly silly, and while I would never have paid full price for them back in the day when they were new, I will enjoy them now (along with the other songs here) for a quarter.

Things I Didn’t Buy 71

I really liked this 1950s dress pattern. Sooooo cute. I love the way they worked the red stripe dress and the navy dress is so adorable.

This 1950s dress and jacket was pretty nice.

I liked this 1960s simple top and skirt pattern as well.

This 1970s long robe is awesome (although I could do without the lace trim).

These 1970s separates were nice.

Finally, this 1970s wedding dress is fantastic. I love the sleeves, the high collar and the buttons down the front. The bridesmaid’s dress I mostly like—I’m just not a fan of that collar.

Thrifted for $6.69

I got these two tops at a thrift shop—they were on sale and together they were $3.50. I loved the color of this purple Ann Taylor Loft blouse. I liked the details on this top and the bit of texture of the fabric. I think it will be a nice light blouse for warmer weather.

I also got this navy Ann Taylor top. It's a simple jersey top. The most interesting part is the back that has a gold zipper that goes a third the way down the back.

At another thrift store I got a mason jar, three small bowls and two tops for $3.19. I thought this mason jar was cute.

Three more Pyrex small glass bowls. They match some bowls I bought previously.

This black and white top was interesting to me—it's kind of retro. I'm not sure when it's from, judging by the sizing, maybe a couple decades back.

Finally, I got this navy Banana Republic anchor sleeveless top. I liked the pattern and the detail around the collar.

Thrifted for $5.98

For $5.48, I got a few items. First up, this H&M black and white top. I actually recall seeing this top in the store and thinking that the pattern was interesting. But of course didn’t buy it because buying full-price for clothing is something I rarely do. It does need some mending; the button for the back closure is missing, and thread on one of the sleeves has come undone, but these are pretty easy fixes. I think the top might be a little large (but it’s hard to tell until I fix the button so I can close the neckline properly).

Next up, this Banana Republic green top. Truthfully, I’m not terribly excited about wearing the color green. But the top fit me and I thought it would work well with some skirts I have, so I decided to get it.

I also got two pieces of fabric. The navy is about a yard. The floral fabric…I didn’t try to count. It’s a lot—probably a bolt’s worth.

I also got two patterns for 25 cents a piece. I’ve been trying to cut down on buying sewing patterns (as I have too many), but I really liked these two. The first is this simple dress from 1972 that I thought would be easy to make.

The second pattern is a dress from the 1971 that I really like the cut of. I love the collar and the buttons down the front. Admittedly, this looks too complicated for me to make, but maybe one day…

Things I Didn’t Buy 46

I love this 1950s dress. It would take a lot of fabric to make this dress—the skirt has a lot of pleats in it.

This 1950s dress is pretty cute.

I liked the full skirt on this 1950s skirt pattern.

These 1960s tops are nice and simple.

And I liked these 1960s tops as well.

Finally, this 1960s top, skirt and jacket are quite nice.

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.

Gifted Clothes

My friend was cleaning out her closet and gifted me a few items. First is this Columbia Sportswear blue and white checkered sleeveless top. It’s cute and summery and screams, “ Let’s go on a picnic!”

Next, this Halogen blue and green patterned top is pretty nice. I think many people would wear it out over pants (on the left). But I prefer it tucked into a pencil skirt. The bottom section of the top is a bit too much for me.

This Caslon gray and white button-down shirt is nice. It has a geometric triangle pattern with little bits of seafoam green in it.

And finally, she gave me this magenta Nike sweatshirt.

Thrifted for $16

I got this black Banana Republic top for $8. I really like the detail around the neckline and the peplum. The back has a gold zipper that goes most of the way down. It’s a really cute top.

And I bought this totally 1980s sweater for $4. I liked the general shape of it and thought it was interesting. Truthfully, I was on the fence about it (as I’m not really crazy about the color pink nor the fuzziness of the yarn), but my friends thought I should get it, and $4 wasn’t much to spend. My guess is that this sweater is handmade just by looking at the inside of the garment and the fact that there’s no tag.

I also got this plaid H&M shirt for $2. It’s lightweight and comfortable.

Finally, got this striped Daniel Hechter top for $2. I often see striped shirts in stores and think they’re cute, but I never like them when I try them on because it just doesn’t feel like me. The stripes often make me feel dizzy and the pattern is just too bold for me. But I really liked this striped top that has thin stripes that lack a huge color contrast—so it’s a more subtle statement.

Four More Sewing Patterns

I got more sewing patterns for $0.25 cents each. First is this hooded top and pants that I really like (in particular, B version with the little buttons on the legs—so cute). I’m guessing it’s from the 1970s.

Next, I got this coat pattern from 1977. It’s a classic silhouette, and looks like it wouldn’t be too difficult to make…

I thought I’d pick up this top pattern from 1986, just because I feel like I lack top patterns.

And finally, I bought this dress pattern from 1992. I really like this simple dress.

Thrifted for $11.97

I went to a couple of thrift stores and got a few things. First up, I got two sewing patterns for 50 cents each. The first is a dress/jumper and blouse pattern that doesn’t have a date on it. My guess is it’s late 1940s, early 1950s (as the original price is less than the other pattern I got). It looks like a fairly simple dress to make.

The second is a blouse pattern from 1957 that’s “easy to sew.” Overall, I have fewer blouse patterns than dresses and skirts, so I thought this one might be nice to have. I like all the blouse versions and could see this being a very useful pattern.

Next, I got some silky purple fabric for $2.99. It’s been cut to an odd size, 22.5 inches wide by 4 yards long. I liked the floral pattern that’s fairly subtle, and thought the rich color could be flattering on me.

I also got a black short-sleeved Ann Taylor turtleneck sweater for $5.99. Truthfully, I don’t look at this sweater and think it’s particularly special. I bought it because I thought it could be useful. I don’t have tons of sweaters and it’s a neutral color that I think will go well with many of my skirts.

And finally, I bought a patterned navy and white belt for 99 cents. It looks like it’s one of those belts that come free with a new pair of pants or shorts. I don’t really wear these kinds of belts (the kind with the metal loops for the belt to go through), but I thought I might be able to use it because I think the pattern is pretty cute.