Thift stores

Today I went on a thrifting expedition. My notes on the experience

Salvation Army (SODO)
- clothes: disorganized
+ housewares: varied, extensive
+ prices: cheapie
the tall black man gives discounts and freebies (I got a free CD)

Goodwill (Burien)
didn't look too long, but nothing much

St. Vincent de Paul (Burien)
+/- clothing: good for some vintage, not so good contemporary
+ books: usually good
+ housewares: varied
+ knicknacks
- prices: on the high side for a charity shop

Goodwill (main location)
- clothing: bad
+ books: really great
+ prices: good, especially compared to others
extensive selection, but dirty

Constantly revising wishlist

1. black pants. 3-season weight. no lining. cotton. $$$
2. oversized, slouchy sweater. $$
3. layering tees. (j.crew.) $
4. winter shoes. ankle boots or oxfords. leather. lace-up. $$
5. medium-size handbag. leather. shoulder worn. cute. simple. $$$
6. blouses. simple. layer-able. cotton/silk/wool ... natural material. $
7. scarf. windable. $
8. maybe high-waisted denim

must resist dresses, sleeveless tops, more jeans.

So following my new spending calculus, less for tops, more for leather goods and bottoms.

Rain

I've become taken with the idea of rain hats. It came about a few weeks ago as I was dashing out the door when it was drizzling out, thinking how nice it would be to have a cute little bucket hat to cover my head. This idle thought reached a fever pitch the other day when I was caught in a heavier rain whilst walking around outside for a good 20 minutes. By the time I got indoors, my hair was a frizzball.


At first, I thought a little Coach hat might do the trick. Yes, it's logo-ish, but when the weather is adverse, I think people forgive questionable fashion.


But if I wanted to really take advantage of that fashion rule, this Noreaster hat makes the absurdity of 30 days of rain (like last year) a little more fun.


I briefly considered a 3.1 Phillip Lim rain slicker as a high-fashion alternative. But I think it's a little too much and I would get tired of it by day 27.

So I ended up with a Land's End kid's hat in yellow, not blue as pictured here. I think it's functional, cute, and cheap. Can't beat that. (Psst. I might still get the Noreaster hat. It's just too fun.)

Likes and dislikes

Finding your personal style is such a vague, amorphous, fluctuating enterprise, but it begins simply enough with just figuring out what you like and dislike. I try to keep tabs on my likes and dislikes every few months so that I can adjust my shopping accordingly.

Likes:
necklaces, scarves, neckties
layered tops
subdued colors (but trying to push at this a little bit)
bare legs
quirky but comfy shoes
cardigans

Dislikes:
changing earrings
dangling earrings
textured shirts
button downs
flip flops

What I think I like but don’t:
dresses
complicated outfits
handbags
tee shirts
corduroys
flats
knee socks
spaghetti strap tank tops

What I think I don’t like but do:
cowl neck sweaters
high heels
jewelry, as long as they’re semi-permanent

What I think I might like and will try out this season:
brooches
rain hats
oversized sweaters

Spending calculus

More on pants, outerwear, accessories like shoes and handbags
Less on tops, tees, dresses, prints

because

It's harder to make well-fitting pants than it is to make tops and dress.
Prints look dated quickly.
Cheap leather shows in quality and comfort.

Style folder

I organized my digital style inspiration folder today. By the end of all the pointing, clicking, and moving, my fingers were sore.


But now I have an organized file of the images that move me in some way. I have them organized in several subfolders labelled thusly:

Hair
Editorials/Models/Runway
Muses & demi-muses
Beautiful things
Candid photography from various blogs
The Fashion Spot


These are a few random images from each of the subfolders.

Fall wardrobe needs

The clothes that get the most use in my closet are the ones that I bought after having identified a gap in my wardrobe. That is, when I would get dressed in the mornings, I would be thinking to myself how nice it would be to have "X" to pull together my outfit. I think for this winter, these are the "X" factors.

I really need another pair of winter shoes. I wear the same old tired Doc Marten sneakers day in and day out. That's because they're comfortable and keep my feet warm and dry, but surely there must be others that might fit the bill? I have beenthinking about ankle boots or simply another pair of oxfords. I really like the versatility of the Clarks desert boots, but they don't import the women's version to the States.

I also would like to get one or two thick, cuddly sweaters. I'd like them to be oversized and slouchy, perhaps even falling off one shoulder. I'd like to also find a vest cardigan and a cardigan in neutral colors that I can layer.





Besides that, I think I need at least two more tops that I can wear to work. Cotton will ensure that they get worn. While I love the idea of silk (it seems like the most romantic of fabrics), I never actually wear silk tops. Too fussy for me in real life. This tie-neck swing top from Phillip Lim is just the kind of beautiful, simple top that I actually would wear and love wearing.



My layering tees from J. Crew get constant rotation, so I plan to get a few more to replace the ones that have gotten stained and holey.

And I would love to get a leather jacket. But I don't know if I'll find the perfect one, and I'm only willing to drop the dough on a perfect one.

The operative word this winter is WARM!

Waiting for the mid-season sale

The Fall/Winter collection at A.P.C. this year looks fairly redundant. Partly, it's their schtick to offer basic, well-made pieces, but this year looks so much like last year, you have to wonder why you even need anything new. Conclusion: I don't. Except for these three things that I'll wait for the sales to acquire.



The cable knit hat, except in grey, on the girl at the far left. I like the idea of skull caps, but they look funny on my skull. I think this version looks more wearable, warm, and effortless.

And the reptile-print wedges on the girl second to left. Reptile prints go with everything. Perfect.



The black smocked dress, which I adored the minute I saw it. I love the severity of it, for those days when you want to skulk around in the rain. Reminds me of Jane Eyre.

Vintage, you are no friend of mine

I preferred the days when vintage was simply "thrift" or "secondhand" clothes. When my sisters would cry "ewwwwww!" at the thought of wearing somebody's castoffs. When I could riffle through the racks on a Saturday afternoon with only a few Mexicans (it was Texas, ya'll) and frazzled moms as company.

Because this meant that you could find things for cheap. Nowadays, you have every impoverished trendwhore and hipster wannabee in the shops with you, beating you to the good stuff. Damn them.

And you find that the belt you bought for $3 at Goodwill is being sold online for $75 because it's been labelled "vintage."