daily outfit: loosey goosey

This afternoon my husband wanted to show me some houses in a near-by neighborhood. We made a quick stop at Rockwood Bakery for coffee and then meandered down a few streets of real estate. He wanted to show me one house in particular which was run down and abandoned...but AMAZING for someone with the time and money to invest in fixing it up. So, what's a good outfit for coffee and real estate? I figured easy and breezy, something slightly boho for strolling around town, but put together enough for a coffee shop.

As I threw on this purple skirt (worn as a dress) it obviously needed a belt to give it shape, and unfortunately flats were necessary. I was about to run out the door when I figured it's not mid-day and I would probably need a bit of warmth. I grabbed this grey cardigan/sweater a little apprehensive of what the outfit would look like all together, but I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the proportions and overall drapy-ness of my choices.

dress: skirt worn as dress, rummage sale, honolulu, $2 (it also has a matching top that is adorable on its own, but hideous as an ensemble)
belt: chewelah thrift store, $1
shoes: salvation army, spokane, $0.38 (50% off $0.75)

daily outfit: stripes and denim

As I threw on one of my all time favorite shirts (it's some crazy nylon/spandex blend that feels like you're wearing nothing) I looked outside and realized that it was well over 70 degrees. I figured the only thing to do when the weather is still this warm is wear short-shorts. So I threw on my high-waisted early 90's mossimo light denim shorts and to avoid looking too "momish" I usually put on a belt with them. But then I remembered something. For a brief time in fashion history (approximately when I was in 7th-8th grade) Abercrombie, or some other hideous chain store, came up with the idea that it would be "cool" to roll the top of shorts, pants, anything, down. Something I like to call "the foldover."

Now back in the day when this trend first hit, it was pretty horrible. This was because the foldover was employed on already low cut jeans...hence your butt (or underwear) was guaranteed to be showing at some point. But when I tried this old trend out on my high waisted shorts, it actually gave a pleasing effect. It did the job of the belt, without actually needing a belt. Genius!

I threw on my newly discovered (meaning they've been pushed in the back of the closet) and possibly newly favorite bottega veneta platforms, and grabbed my reliable slouchy brown no-name bag. Voila! Off to run errands I go.

shirt: vintage (pretty sure it's some japanese creation), Buddhist temple rummage sale, Manoa Valley, Honolulu, $2
shorts: early 90s mossimo, salvation army, spokane, $1.50 ($3.00/50% off)
shoes: bottega veneta, NEW
bag: old-faithful, value village, seattle, can't remember the price I've had it so long

Store Story: Intro to Spokane, and Evergreen Club Thrift

I have officially moved into Spokane, WA. It may not be as big as Seattle, but it definitely retains that Great Northwest charm. Also, they have some GREAT thrift stores.

The first day in town my husband and I strolled around downtown (looking for jobs and familiarizing ourselves with the city).

I even found a sign in a window that directed me towards the farmer's market!

We stopped at a Japanese restaurant called Sushi.com. I ordered the lunch combo II bento for $8.95. By the end of our meal the place was packed. It seemed we stumbled on a Spokane Asian cuisine hot spot.

Store Story: The next day we went to a couple thrift stores. This one associated with the Evergreen Club is located on E. Sprauge east of downtown.

I knew I had come to the right place when I saw this sign outside:

and for those of you who don't know...this is the jackpot. It basically means you get whatever you can shove into a shopping bag all for a dollar.

The thrift store itself isn't much, but they do have a good assortment of clothing. I found a great blazer and a pair of snow boots. They also had a great collection of vintage shoes:

plunderings

This plunderings posting is a compilation of things I've bought over the past few thrift store visits.

Outfit 1:

Bought this yellow vintage tee for $0.50 at Lifelong Thrift.
skirt: black vintage peasant skirt, $1 Central Union Thrift, Honolulu
shoes: black suede stacked heel, (new) Michael Kors

Outfit 2:

Mixing hard (leather) with soft (grandma crochet). Both top and skirt from Goodwill Outlet %1.69/lbs.

clutch: vintage ($2), garage sale, honolulu

shoes: ankle boots with frings, (new) Michael Kors

Outfit 3:

I'm not normally one to wear leggings, but sometimes they work. This is the peasant blouse from salvation army ($3.99). I didn't like how flowy and free it was on its own, so I added the structure of a "shrunken" blazer (the reason it's not really shrunken is because it's actually an authentic vintage English boy's school blazer).

blazer: vintage (recieved as a gift)

leggings: black, (new), local fever, honolulu

shoes: rose patent wedges, (new), ninewest

store story: Salvation Army, Seattle 4th Ave.

Today I went to the 4th Ave. Salvation Army. As you can see, it is right next to Seahawk Stadium/Qwest Field:

Inside, the racks are all low which actually creates a welcoming layout. There is also a separate antique "store" within the store and a basement for bric-a-brac and furniture.

Unfortunately, the prices were a bit high. Blazers averaged around $8.00 and dresses around $10. The "finer" wear (evening dresses, suits) cost up to $20.

The best part of this Salvation Army was their slip selection. I am a sucker for a nice slip. Used in an unconventional way (layer a few and throw a blazer on top), a slip is instantly feminine and demure.

This slip was my favorite ($3.99):

These are things I almost bought. A sheer mauve/pink/brown dress with green flowers and beading (this would have needed a belt and some gold bangles) ($8.99); a rockin' 80s prom dress ($9.99); and a very unique vintage calvin klein leather coat with pintucked-leather detail around the collar ($12.99).

In the end though, I only purchased a peasant blouse (which will make a later appearance). But, while this may not be the best place in town to score clothes, I did fall in love with this set of chairs:

update

well...just in case any of my very few readers were wondering, yes, I got married this past weekend. This is why the posts have so suddenly stopped. Stay tuned though, I promise to begin regular posting again next week.

Thanks!

Jody Hanson/Barbour