Secrets of a Secondhand Shopaholic

Hello everyone!  Today Day 8 of 28/28/28!*

*28-cubed”  in which means that for the 28 days of February, I am going to wear 28 different outfits that cost me $28 or less.  And I have done if for a week!

The outfit I am highlighting is a dress that would be perfect for church or any other formal occasion such as a wedding, funeral, awards ceremony, etc. It has a  beautiful ribbon trim around the neckline, and the bow belt with the gold clip is the perfect detail that exudes simple class and style.

You see, I am trying to give you a sample of all the types of outfits I find at secondhand stores.

Price Breakdown:

Dress:  Henry Lee Petites $5.89

Shoes:  Ellen Tracy$3.39 (Dollar per wear, these shoes are probably the most valuable things I have ever purchased!)

Total Cost:  $9.28

A note about purchasing this type of dress at resale/thrift stores.  To me, this makes the most sense of any type of clothing to buy.  I Googled Henry Lee Petites, and this dress is a $100 dress.  I will probably only wear it once a year, if even that.

But it’s a classic style, and it’s timeless.  And I need to have this type of dress in my wardrobe, for the kinds of occasions I listed above.  Why spend $100 on a dress that rarely gets worn?

I do have some suggestions for shopping for dresses at thrift/resales stores:

1.  You need to be patient.  Don’t expect to go out on one shopping trip, and find the exact dress you are looking for.  It just won’t happen.  Make a wish list, have an idea in mind of what style and color you are looking for, and then just start skimming through the dress section whenever you’re out thrifting.  It may take several weeks or months, but in the end, when the invitation comes for that company awards ceremony, you’re ready with an an appropriate and elegant dress.

2.  Make sure you have enough time to look.  You have to try dresses on, and this takes time.

3.  Thrift stores are great for buying off-season dresses.  In the past few months, I have picked up 4 or 5 summer dresses that I can’t wait to wear once the weather gets warmer.  There’s nothing worse than having summer arrive, and feeling like you don’t have anything to wear.  I have a whole section in my closet of dresses that are just waiting to make their debut.  I mean – really, it will be like Christmas in the summer with all my new clothes.  (Well, new for me!)