A question to my fellow thrifty bloggers out there: “Do you ever go into a thrift store with the intention to spend about 20 minutes, but end up spending two hours?”
Well I do.
And I usually don’t leave until a) I’ve looked through all the racks, b) I have to be somewhere, or c) I have to pee. Usually it’s C.
I recently spent about two hours at the Goodwill located at 701 East Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia. I was in a really good mood; just had an awesome workout and a great pho lunch at Pho 79 (see picture) and my proximity to the Goodwill meant I just had to stop by since I hadn’t visited this one in over a year.
Pho with all the yummy bits like tripe and tendon. No filter. Who wouldn’t want to go shopping after this goodness?
This particular Goodwill does an awesome job at sorting everything by type and color. And the sales associate could not be friendlier. Seriously. She made positive comments on everything I bought. It made my day. I actually felt like…validated that I am good at this little hobby of mine.
Anyways, those two hours were very productive, clothing-wise! And I probably would have spent more than two hours, had I not had to use the restroom. Ah that’s life, I guess!
This summer, I’ve been on the hunt for long, flowing skirts. I get on “item of clothing” kicks, and it’s recently been skirts. I also love the bohemian look that you can really pull off with long skirts, plus they are so comfortable. Like honestly, would you rather wear crotch digging shorts and have your legs stick to everything you sit on in this humid Virginia heat, or would you want a nice long skirt that is made of light fabric and is super airy and cool. Is that even a question?
My first outfit du jour is made up of a turquoise printed peasant skirt I got for $4.99 from this Goodwill trip. Yes, $4.99 is a little steep for second-hand prices, but I loved the print and colors, and it looked like it had barely been worn.
Turquoise Peasant Skirt $4.99, White J.Crew Lace Top $1.98
The fabric was so light and airy, and I’m really going for that right now. The skirt was one of those Target brands, so I probably paid close to what it sold for on sale at Target, but I really liked it, so it was a bit of a splurge. Oh just fyi, all the skirts at this particular Goodwill were $4.99. The white lace 3/4 sleeve top I’ve paired with it is originally from J.Crew, which I scored for $1.98 at another Goodwill located in Northern Virginia.
I also got this lovely French Connection floral printed, A-line skirt. %100 cotton.
FC Floral Skirt – $2.50 and Lafayette 148 Silk Cream Top – $1.99
It was rocking the 50 percent off tag, so I scored it for $2.50. $2.50 for French Connection. Yep, awesome. It’s a size 4 (I’m usually a 1), however, it has loops for a belt, so I can actually put a waist belt in and it fits really well as a high-wasted skirt without too much bunching around the waist, or it can be worn on the hips. I may get it altered at a later point…haven’t decided yet.
I found the white/cream colored top I’ve paired it with at Goodwill for $1.99. Can I mention this is a Lafayette 148 silk top? I looked up similar tops by this designer and they go for $200 at retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue. Oh my word. At the time, I only thought they retailed for like $60; so I decided to not get another Lafayette 148 top on the rack because it was a size 2 and way too big, but I should have bought it for my mom or a friend, or somebody…thrifter fail.
This awesome, elegant, couture purple skirt was bought for $2.50.
Purple Long Skirt – $2.50…I feel so elegant!
It was probably handmade as there were no tags, however, handmade = couture. Yes, don’t argue with me, it is. It fits my waist perfecto-ly!
And there is so much love for this $4.99 white pencil skirt when paired with the black lace Banana Republic top also worn above that I got on final sale at BR for $12. And a borrowed gold belt from the mother. This love is just too, too much.
White Pencil Skirt – $4.99. Oh look at me trying to primp…
It was a great trip that my mom gave me a little grief for after learning I spent two hours there. Her nagging – “Paula, are you a hoarder?!” was on repeat when I got home. This was until I presented her with a very like-new Banana Republic salmon colored silk dress that I bought her for $6.99.
No complaints after that.
Happy Thrifting!
