Mod Madness
Cute. ^^
Guest Blogger: Lindsey Alexander – Fashion On a Budget
Monday, July 9, 2012
Living in the post graduate phase of my life and trying to save money to move out of my roommates’ (parents’) house to go out into the real world, I’m finding it a little more difficult to keep up with my fashion habits. Fortunately, my parents had put me in charge of my own things so I have been on a budget since I had my first job. Unfortunately, things are really coming into focus now with rent, bills, and loans looming over my future-self’s head—and I’m beginning to panic.
I have always tried to be a savvy shopper and I’m no stranger to sales racks: Nordstrom Rack, the Salvation Army and my personal favorite, Value World. Treasure hunting (or shopping, whichever term you prefer) at places like Value World and Salvation Army has increased my closet’s population and decreased the amount of money I spend. I also like to hunt through the sales racks of Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Urban Outfitters and have found some great things in the process. Below are some looks I have put together using pieces I have found for really great prices.
I recently bought this Free People crop top from Macy’s, originally $38 and on sale for $22.40, which I paired with skinny jeans and a summer blazer. Maybe you’re thinking that still might be a lot of money for such a small piece of fabric, but I have had my eye on it for over a month and they were running out of smalls. It was now or never—I did what I had to do.
This Ralph Lauren men’s button down shirt is a gem I found at Value World for $1.60. Menswear is one of my favorite trends and I like to kick it up a notch by actually buying menswear.
Here I have mixed the menswear and cropped top trends by pairing this tied-up button down with a maxi skirt I found at Forever 21. The shirt cost me a cool $2.40 from Value World and it was worth every penny.
5 Tips for Thrifting
1. Make sure you have plenty of time. The key to thrifting is digging through everything you see until you find your treasure; it will usually never be a quick process so set aside a few hours and make sure you are in the right mood to sift through everything and try things on.
2. Keep your personal style in mind. If you see something different that you would normally never wear and think to yourself “Oh! It’s only $5, I might as well!” Don’t get it. Yes, it is easier to try a new trend if it’s cheaper but chances are if you don’t have to have it, you will never wear it and it will still be a waste of $5.
3. Examine your treasures carefully before you make the purchase. Even if it’s inexpensive, no one wants a ripped shirt or something with a stain on it.
4. Wash/dry clean EVERYTHING. Enough said.
5. Keep the “one purchase in, one item out” rule in mind. You don’t want your closet to overflow and why not give away something old so someone else can find it and rock it as something new? Giving can be just as good as receiving.
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