To say that I am bad at thrift store and vintage shopping would be a gross understatement. I get insanely overwhelmed and then jealous when everyone finds something great. Lucky Magazine came up with this great how-to list of tips to shopping--and finding--some great things when you're shopping "already loved" apparel and designer goods. If you're up for the challenge, these can be really helpful. I bid you good luck.
- Shop Often: Unlike regular stores, since thrift stores operate under donations, the inventory constantly changes. There is new stuff ALL THE TIME! Find out when your local thrift store changes inventory, and go often because there’s always new (er… old) stuff, and since there’s only one of each item, once it’s gone, it’s gone.
- Go with Cash: Double check your store’s policy, but many thrift stores are cash only, so be prepared. You don’t want to find a cute skirt for $5 and be forced to pay $3 in ATM fees to withdraw cash.
- Do a 360 Examination: Examine, examine, examine! Check the armpit area to see if there are any stains. Make sure all buttons are in place. Check the pockets to make sure there are no unpleasant surprises. In general, check for any stains, rips, tears, and holes.
- Think seasonally: Spring cleaning? Tax season? College graduation? These are all times when people purge their closets and donate unwanted goods. Take advantage, and run to your nearest thrift store!
- Don’t Pigeonhole Yourself: There’s no rule that says you have to stick to the women’s section. The men’s section is the perfect place to find an oversized blazer. Or if you’re petite, the children’s section can broaden your options.
- Think Ahead: In this world of instant gratification, most of us dislike thinking ahead… seasonally that is. We like buying swimsuits during the summer, coats during the winter, and so on. Yet, in the thrifting world, timing works on a different schedule. See, people donate their goods after the season is over.
- Spring cleaning means getting rid of winter jackets and scarves. Take advantage by purchasing your clothing off-season. Trust us, while you can’t picture yourself wearing a wool coat in June, come December, you’ll be thanking yourself.
This is by far my favorite feature on Vogue.com. They take girls from their office and track them for 5 days and document their painfully chic clothes. The standout of the latest Five Days, Five Looks, One Girl feature was these safety pin earrings that I think are just so cool. I'm currently wearing little dove earrings that are so small you can barely see them, but the small rose gold design is just so sweet that I love them. These have a similar appeal. I haven't seen too many people wearing them and I like the way they hang in an subtly dangly way without being a real dangly earring. Plus the shape is three-dimensional, making them so much more interesting then regular studs. Great takeaway.
Pat Mcgrath is known as being one of the foremost makeup artists in the industry. She's created all sorts of crazy cool looks (including that of Lisbeth Sander in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and she's the Global Creative Design Director for CoverGirl. I can't say that I own a ton of CoverGirl makeup--well any--but I am eager to see her tips first hand. She's backstage at a ton of runway shows for Fashion Week and she's just the real deal. See what tips she's sharing in this cool video.
I am always looking for new coffee table books to add to my never-ending collection. It's literally the only collection of things that I own that I never tire of and that I know will only get better the deeper the collection gets. I recently stumbled upon this beauty from Jimmy Choo that is all about the vivid imagery. I am not a devout fan of the brand but their images bear to mind really beautiful editorial campaigns and I'd love to be able to flip to them for inspiration any time. Despite being a brand in transition, I know some of these ads and images--not to mention shoes--will be some of the iconic ones we remember over time.
I literally haven't worn sneakers out--aside from gym excursions or hiking--since I lived in New York when I went through a very strong Chuck Taylors phase. These days I prefer ballet flats to the burden of lacing anything up. But everywhere I turn at least someone chic is wearing Isabel Marant's hidden platform Willow sneakers. They're always paired with some sort of oversized sweater and skinny jeans or leather leggings and all of a sudden I have a hankering to wear gym shoes. I think the key is to keep the rest of the look undeniably chic. Everything else should look somewhat dressed up, not too casual and super-sleek.
I have a love/hate relationship with Club Monaco--I love what I see and hate that I never make it into the store. They just released their latest washed out lookbook for Spring and the clothes and looks have that easy, neutral vibe that they seem to do quite well. Their palettes are all seemingly spot on and the fits all look effortlessly cool. The backdrop has me dreaming of Coachella days and blistery Summer nights and I think this collection screams Southern California. It's a welcome mid-Winter respite we can all get behind.
Being on the wedding circuit, finding the perfect black shoe for a night out can be a daunting task. Whenever I'm in the position to buy a new pair, I opt for a colorful or jazzy style which leaves me shoe-less and void of the simple black style that so many dresses necessitate. Enter this perfect, sleek style from--gasp--ZARA! I know, I was shocked too, but look how amazing it looks. It screams Alexander Wang with it's sleek lines and the suede dresses it down so it can be worn more casually, too. Shocked and delighted that they've turned out such an exceptional pair.
