Secrets of a Secondhand Shopaholic

Today I’m going to reveal an outfit that was “inspired” by the Inspiration Calendar. Twice.

(If you’re new to this blog, the Inspiration Calendar is a daily guide to help you decide what to wear every morning – each day offers an outfit suggestion that combines colors, patterns, clothing articles, accessories,  etc.  Click here to view it. )

Yes, I “reuse” the Inspiration Calendar (IC) when I’m not particularly inspired by that day’s outfit.  The outfit I’m about to show is from March 25, 2010.  I wore it last year on March 25, 2010, and I’m wearing it today on April 7, 2011.

That’s the beauty of the IC – Kimberly, who created this wonderful resource,  has been doing it so faithfully for so long, that you literally have hundreds of different outfits to choose from.  So if you look at the one that is chosen for  today, and you’re not completely “inspired” you can look at another day, another week or month, or year and find the outfit that you feel like wearing that day.

And in my defense, “reusing” an old outfit should not come as a real shock to anyone – I am a secondhand shopaholic, remember?

But it does make for an interesting comparison of how I’ve changed in a year.  Or haven’t changed…..

Here it goes:

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Well, what do you think?

I asked around to friends and family to see what they thought.

First, the hair:  My mom loves my hair shorter – she feels you can see my outfits better. 11-year-old Sophie likes my hair longer.   “It’s too short and curly in the 2011 picture,” she said.

As for my boyfriend, he said he likes longer hair better.  But he immediately saw my reaction and realized this was the wrong answer, so he quickly said, “But honey, you are so much better looking now.  You get more beautiful with age.”   Good save, honey.

That’s what I love about dating a used-car salesman.  He is very good at reading non-verbal cues, and can quickly rescind anything he has said to reword it in a way to say exactly what I want to hear,  and being a salesperson, it comes very naturally to him.  He comes from the “happy wife, happy life” school of thought, and is willing to say whatever it takes to make me happy.  That’s why he’s a keeper.

Now, about the outfit – Sophie likes the pink sweater outfit from 2010, but she’s an 11-year-old girl, so pink is her default color.  She really has no choice.

My boyfriend likes whichever outfit I tell him to like.  Again, “hwhl”.

Me?  I like 2011′s outfit.  It just seems a little more put together. Last year, I did end up wearing it with a wider belt, which made the 2010 outfit look a lot better.  Click here to see how I ended up wearing it.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on my outfit?  Have I gotten more or less stylish with age, or do both work just fine?

Oh, and as for the pose?  It was unanimous:  I am still a dork.

Even my boyfriend held his ground on that one.

I’m in a bad mood.

And I had the best intentions to start this day off right.  I went to bed early last night,  and was up this morning at 5:30 a.m. so I could get into work at 7 and write for an hour.  I do my best writing in the morning, so I have decided to capitalize on that, and be an early morning writer.

So here it is 7:51 a.m. and I’m just now sitting down to write.  What the f#$%@! happened??

I’ll tell you what happened. It’s the stupid Inspiration Calendar’s* fault.   Here’s the  picture for today labeled as “Blue and Pin Stripes”:

(*For those of you who are new to this blog, I’m a big fan of the Inspiration  Calendar (IC).  The IC is a  is a daily guide to help you decide what to wear every morning – each day offers an outfit suggestion that combines colors, patterns, clothing articles, accessories,  etc.  It’s the perfect answer for those who ask every morning, “What should I wear today?”)

But it was no help for me this morning.

You see, I got hung up on the stupid cropped pants.   Who wears cropped pants in March?  Well, maybe 1/2 of the hemisphere  does – you know,  people who live warm climates year long – maybe they wear cropped pants in March….but this is Iowa – shouldn’t the IC KNOW that the other 1/2 is still freezing in March (except for the fact that we are having an unusually warm March this year, and it’s actually 53 degrees at 8 a.m. right now).

But that’s besides the point….cropped pants in March…..sheeesh, give me a break.

I know the IC is only meant to “inspire” me, and actually it called for a color/pattern combination, not “Blue and Pin Stripes and you have to wear cropped pants“….In fact, I usually don’t get hung up on specific articles of clothing, but for some reason this morning I did.

(Good morning, Aunt Flow!)

But the point is, I wasn’t inspired and I couldn’t find a gosh darn thing to wear.  I tried everything:

I had a nice pin-striped suit that I tried blue shirt under, but it was just too dressy, and I didn’t want my co-workers or boss to think I was going to an interview over the lunch hour (although probably wouldn’t be a bad thing to make them suspicious.  Keep ‘em guessing, if you know what I mean?)

So I tried a blue cardigan with the skirt from the pin-stripe suit – uh, uh – not.  Argh!!!  As I frantically tried to find something to wear, I watched the clock tick by, losing precious time minute by minute (actually, the power must have went off last night, so none of my clocks were working, so I wasn’t actually watching the clock, but I knew time was ticking by)

My cell phone alarm, by the way (for those of you who were wondering how I woke up at 5:30 if all the clocks in the house were blinking).

But what’s the friggin’ point of getting up early if you don’t get to work early to get things done???  What a friggin’ waste of a 5:30 a.m. wake up!

As I was digging through my closet, arms flying, clothes being jettisoned through the air, I kept thinking that I need to get into the habit of laying out clothes at night, like I used to….In fact, I used to pick out all 5 of my outfits on Sunday.

Man, was I organized.  And I really looked put-together those days, because I even took the time to get out accessories.

But no amount of pre-planning would have produced the final outfit that I ended up with.  I would have laid out all my first choices, and hated them just as much…

And then, to top it off, I couldn’t seem to do anything efficiently this morning.  For example, when I first logged on to my computer to check out the IC for today’s outfit, I  automatically shut off the computer when I was done.  Well, when it came time to take my picture, I had to re-boot and check out the pose.  Then I hated the pose, because it made me look fat, so I ignored that and just took the friggin’ picture and had to take about 10 pictures because I hated them all.

(Once again, hello Aunt Flow!)

So then I put the camera and tri-pod away, took one last look at myself and realized I really needed a necklace. Which was all the way upstairs in my closet.  Stupid stairs.  Stupid new house.

The good news is, this is where I found the “Blue” with a necklace, so I could finally be “Blue and Pin Stripes” . So there, IC!

The bad news is I had to take another picture, so once again, set up the tri-pod, set up the camera……

Of course, once again I hated every picture, and you couldn’t really even see the blue no matter how I posed.

Through all of this, my pissed-offedness had reached the point where I was banging and stomping and cursing, so I woke up my poor boyfriend on his only day off.  If I’m having a bad morning, everyone’s going to have a bad morning….

He just laughed when I told him the reason for my anger, and I could hear him chuckle with every new pound and stomp.

“You’re beautiful,” he yelled from the bed.

OK, that was nice.

In the end, I finally ended up with a white vest with black pin stripes, with a blue necklace.  In your face, IC!

Which is exactly what I was thinking when I took this photo:

Stupid IC.

There, I’m done venting.  Happy and cheerful Secondhand Shopaholic will return tomorrow.  I promise.  Thanks for listening.

Hello all, and Happy New Year!!

I’m back, and I’d like to start this new year sharing some cool stuff about my blog – Word Press is the platform that runs my blog, and today they sent me this cool little email that outlined how my blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of the overall health of my blog, Secrets of a Secondhand Shopaholic:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow!.

Crunchy numbers

About 3 million people visit the Taj Mahal every year. Secrets of a Secondhand Shopaholic was viewed about 39,000 times in 2010. If it were the Taj Mahal, it would take about 5 days for that many people to see it.

In 2010, there were 140 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 159 posts. There were 780 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 366mb. That’s about 2 pictures per day.

The busiest day of the year was February 19th with 816 views (this was right after my TV debut). The most popular post that day was About Me.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were youlookfab.com, facebook.com, whotv.com, and mymorningbitofblather.blogspot.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for secondhand shopaholic, pencil skirt, secrets of a secondhand shopaholic, second hand shopaholic, and long skirts.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

About Me November 2009

Polka Dots update – the results are in! April 2010
14 comments

Long skirts – friend or foe? December 2009
2 comments

The Dress Diaries – Part Two June 2010
12 comments

Red Coats – a closer look! September 2010
8 comments

Is that cool or what?  It really inspires me to keep going!

What a great way to start off the year – having someone else toot my horn for me.  Thank you Word Press!

And of course, that you for clicking on my blog over 39,000 times.  That’s huge, and I am very humbled.

So stay tuned for lots of good stuff – a review of the Consignor Sale (one word: Disappointed), the Great Clean Out update, Inspiration Calendar outfits,  etc.  Happy New Year!

Hello all!

Just want to remind you that I am selling my stuff at a Consignor Sale this Friday and Saturday at the Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston.

5291 Northwest 84th Street
Johnston, IA 50131

Friday, December 10th – Open to the Public – 9am-7pm
Saturday, December 11th – 50% off day – 9am-5p

Yes, I delivered all the stuff that you have voted out of the closet – Banana Republic Boyfriend Jacket, Talbot’s Navy jacket,  Dana Buchman 100% silk suit, etc. all on sale for someone whom they might fit better.

Also, for those who have young children, the first 50 people that get there on Friday get a pass for Incredible Pizza – $10 for the whole family includes buffet AND all the games for the entire day!  That’s an incredible offer!!

So check it out! Even if you don’t like my style of clothes, there might be some great stuff!!

And don’t worry, I still have more stuff to post for the Great Clean Out…..I didn’t take any clothes that  you haven’t seen yet..

Hello everyone, and welcome back to The Great Clean Out – where I am purging my closet of ill-fitting, out-dated, under-worn and just plain ugly clothes, and leaving only the top-notch, stylish, classic and great-fitting treasures that I’m proud to wear.

The best part is that YOU are the judge!  You see, I’m a Libra, and I can’t ever make up my mind, so this Wardrobe Survivor is the perfect solution.

And we’re doing so well!  Today’s segment is Green or Olive Green Jackets.  Olive Green? you ask.  That’s so 70′s….Or maybe I think that because my childhood home was olive green.  But I did find this blog that says olive green jackets are in style this season (click here).  However, according to this blog, the key to wearing olive green jackets is to look for something with an interesting detail such as metallic buttons or interesting closures.

I’m not sure I hit the mark on many of these.  But let’s see what you think:

Olive Green Jacket #1: Casual Corner

Olive Green Jacket #1: Casual Corner

Pardon my red dress – it just seemed like the best way to show off the jacket, having a bright contrast underneath.  Several of you offer great styling advice, so feel free to suggest what might make these jackets work better.

This jacket isn’t so bad, really.  It fits pretty well (or are the shoulders too boxy/big?).  I think I could snazz it up with a bright scarf or colorful skirt.  What do you think?

Olive Green Jacket #2: Petite Sophisticates Suede-like jacket

Olive Green Jacket #2: Petite Sophisticates Suede-like jacket

I say “suede-like” because is soft and velvety.  Do you give extra points for the feel-good factor?

Olive Green Jacket #3:  Kasper Zippered

Olive Green Jacket #3: Kasper Zippered

For some reason I love zippered jackets.  I think it’s because a very stylish colleague wore one once, and I’ve always admired her style, so every time I see a zippered jacket, an alarm goes off in my head saying “Zipper! Stylish! Buy it!”.  That being said, I did pull out some scarves and tried to style this one, in hopes you might be swayed to like zippers as much as I do.  I know the photo on the right is all distorted – I was too lazy to actually change to pants, so I Photoshopped a previous photo where I was wearing pants.  Hopefully you can still get the gist of what it might look like with slim-fitting pants:

Also, keep that yellow/eggplant purple scarf in mind when you’re voting on Olive Green Jacket #1 – it’s really a great scarf for that color.

Olive Green Jacket #4: Leather!

Olive Green Jacket #4: Leather!

It was leather, and another stylish friend has the coolest olive green leather jacket, and it looks great on her.  So when I saw this at Goodwill for $4.69, I thought I could pull it off…..

I’m such a wannabe, aren’t I?

OK, that’s all I have for Olive Green Jackets.  It’s poll time! Remember, you can vote for more than one, and you’re selecting the jackets you think I should KEEP.  Shouldn’t I have at least one Olive Green jacket in my wardrobe?

Hello everyone, and welcome back to The Great Clean Out (TGCO)! If you’re new to this blog, TGCO is pretty much what it sounds like – I am cleaning out my closet, and it feels great!  Well, there’s also the part about how you get to vote on what stays and what goes (kind of like Wardrobe Survivor, without all the drama).

Except ya’ll were pretty ruthless with TGCO Suits (Part 2).  63% say to “Toss them all!”.  Ouch! Did you even see the cute little bows on the Adrianna Papell suit?

Admittedly, a couple of the suits are pretty dated, and most of the comments claim that the suits just don’t fit me.  This whole process has been such a huge learning experience for me.  I’ll probably reflect more on that when I’m done with TGCO….

Because right now, I need to stay on task….I have 6 navy blue jackets:

Navy Jacket #1: George Marciano Boyfriend Jacket

Navy Jacket #1: George Marciano Boyfriend jacket

Last season boyfriend jackets were all the craze. I’m wondering if that’s holds true this season.  Or are they going to be “so last season”? And for me, while this might be a cute jacket, it might just be a size too big…

Navy Jacket #2:  Ann Taylor Short-Sleeved Jacket

Navy Jacket #2: Ann Taylor Short-Sleeved jacket

I think I could get alot of use out of this one – don’t you think?

Navy Jacket #3: Ann Taylor Long-Sleeved Jacket

Navy Jacket #3: Ann Taylor Long-Sleeved Jacket

Or how about its long-sleeved cousin?

Navy Jacket #4: Talbot’s Jacket

Navy Jacket #4: Talbot's Jacket

I thought I’d give you a side-by-side comparison of the two long-sleeved jackets, since they’re so similar:

The Ann Taylor one has 4 buttons,  and a little more tailoring than the Talbot’s one.  It’s also two sizes smaller than the Talbot’s one.  Neither are petite though.  But if the voting leans towards the smaller-sized Ann Taylor one, then that might help me in the future, when I’m trying on stuff, to remember what my actual size really is……

Navy Jacket #5:  Christopher & Banks Casual Jacket

Navy Jacket #5: Christopher & Banks Casual Jacket

Here we are again- this probably could be a cute jacket, if it was a size smaller, and came in petite, wouldn’t you say?

Navy Jacket #6: Petite Sophisticates Double-Breasted w/leopard trim

This is a fun jacket!  Look at the trim!  It’s petite, and it seems to fit me…..

Here’s a final look at all the jackets:

One more thing – if you see something you like and it might be your size, I’m selling all the stuff that get voted out of my closet on December 10 and 11, at a consignor’s sale.  Click here for more details.

OK, time to vote who stays and who goes!  Remember, you can choose more than one, and you are voting “Which navy blue jacket should I KEEP?”

Hello all, and look at me posting again so soon. Moving day is approaching, so I really need to buckle down and keep trudging the road to a happy wardrobe.

Oops, there I go, using the word “trudge” again.  I looked it up in the Urban Dictionary, and realized that I don’t think I’m trudging, because here’s the definition:

Trudge:  to wander aimlessly with no purpose or direction with confidence.  This more often than not recruits more people to follow along on the journey to nowhere with no hope of an outcome (these people are called “trudgees”).

Don’t worry, my little trudgees!  We are not wandering aimlessly – we have purpose!  We have direction!   We are winning the battle of the over-inflated, out-dated wardrobe!  We are confident!

So perhaps we are not trudging……perhaps we are “tredging”, which means:

Tredge:  To walk a seemingly impossible distance whilst under the influence of Marijuana.

Hmmmm.

Well, whether you’re a trudgee or a tredgee, I am so happy you have joined me on this seemingly impossible journey.

So let’s get back to task on The Great Clean Out, Suits (Part 2).  You can read about Suits (part 1) here.

Suit #7: Ann Taylor Cream Pin-Striped suit

Suit #7: Ann Taylor Cream/Pin striped suit

This is a nice suit – I tried to include a close-up of the fabric – there’s a bit of texture with the pin stripes.  (Ignore the sandals I’m wearing with this suit – I took most of these photos all in one day, and my legs were starting to kill me, so I had to keep switching out my shoes….)

Suit #8: Geary Roark Boucle holiday suit

Suit #8: Geary Roark Bucle holiday suit

This is a gorgeous 100% silk suit, so I’m not sure if I can call it boucle?  I’ve added a photo of the embroidered detail – the jacket really is nice, and perhaps I could separate it from the skirt, and wear it with some nice black slacks or a pencil skirt?

Suit #9: Kasper Slightly Olive-Colored Pin-Striped suit

Suit #9: Kasper Slightly Olive Colored Pin-Striped

Once again, ignore the sandals.  But this is also a nice suit – the color is kind of tan or olive green – depending on the light.

Suit #10: Casual Corner Paisley suit w/black trim

Suit #10: Casual Corner Paisley suit w/black trim

Funny story about this suit.  About 9 months ago, when I was at the height of my Goodwill addiction, I keep seeing this suit at one of the stores I kept going to.  Because I had no grasp on the contents of my wardrobe, I kept thinking to myself, “Did I bring that suit in?  It sure is a nice suit – maybe I really didn’t want to bring it in.  Maybe the wardrobe gods are telling me to re-buy it…..”.

Thankfully, I resisted, because look!  I still have it!  I have a feeling, though, I’m not going to have it for long…..the word “dated” keeps coming to my mind, what about you?

Suite #11:  Adrianna Papell Silk Suit

Suit #11: Adrianna Papell Silk Suit

Yes this suit is as beautiful as it looks.   I have worn it to work before, but I did feel a little over-dressed, so I was at a loss as to where I might wear this suit.  Problem solved when I recently wore it to a evening bridal shower held at a fancy private club.  It was the perfect occasion.

Suit #12:  Liz Claiborne Double Breasted White w/Navy stripes suit

Suit #12: Liz Claiborne Double Breasted White w/Navy stripes suit

Guess what? You really don’t need to say anything about this suit, because while I was taking this photo, my cell phone rang…….Check out who called me:

I crack myself up.

OK, it’s onto the poll!  Remember, I’m trying to get rid of 50% of my wardrobe, so theoretically I can keep 3 of the 6 suits shown here (or 6 of the 12, if you’re keeping track of what you voted on with Suits Part 1).  Remember, you can choose as many suits as you want (please don’t choose #12!), and you are choosing “Which suit(s) should I keep?”

OK, here’s something I’m going to try,  and I’m curious as to what you all think….

I get lots of emails about great (and some not so great) sales.  Would you like me to forward them to you?

Remember the Old Navy Secret Cami Sale?  And my disappointing results? Are those helpful/enjoyable to read about?

For instance, Jones New York has just announced a special sale on ALL Coats. For 2 days only, you’ll get 50% off all coats. Yep, all of them. Your discount will be reflected at checkout.

This offer runs from November 17th – November 18th, 11:59 pm ET. That’s today!

Check out the Jones New York 50% Off Coats Sale.

And then there’s this one from American Apparel for today only:

$25 for $50 Worth of Online Clothing and Accessories from American Apparel: Click here (for full disclosure purposes, I would receive $10 worth of Groupon dollars if you purchase this).

But my purpose for forwarding you these specials is not to make money – I just run across them, and think it might be something you want to know about.  Unless I let you know, like I did on the Groupon one, there is no pay-per-click or monetary reward for me.  Just the satisfaction that I have enabled someone else to partake in their shopping addiction.  (I’m evil, aren’t I?)

So let’s take a poll, and you can let me know what you think about my Sales Alert:

Hello all!  Yes, I am still here, and still trudging forward with The Great Clean Out.  It’s hard, scary and liberating all at the same time.  (If you’re new to this blog, I am cleaning out my closet, and you get to help me by voting what I should keep and what I should toss!)

I know I haven’t posted anything for over a week – and I really have no excuse…..well, I sort of have an excuse.  You see, I’m in the process of moving, so my extra time is spent on packing.  Ish.

Have you ever had a huge project that you were almost too afraid to start?  That’s kind of how I feel…..I go home after work and feel I should be packing instead of writing, and then I’m too overwhelmed with the packing part, not to mention what I’m going to do when I actually move into my new place (it’s going to need some cosmetic improvements such as paint, window treatments, light fixtures, etc), so I sit on my sofa and watch HGTV, then get depressed because my new home will NEVER look as good as the ones I see on those programs.

So that’s my excuse.  I’m frozen in fear.

But here I am, ready to blog my way out of it…..

So let’s get started on suits…..

Yes, I said suits.  As in a jacket and a (usually matching) skirt.  I have 12, and I’d like to narrow it down to 6.  From the feedback I’m getting, I’m confident you all will be able to help me.

Perhaps I should phrase it like this:  I have 12, can you all let me keep at least one?

You see, I love wearing a suit on a Monday morning. When I wear a suit, I feel sharp, put together, professional and focused.  And suits don’t take alot of work or thought.  The tops and bottoms already match, so all I need to think about is a shell and shoes.

So while suits might not be everybody’s  cup of tea, they are my comfort clothes.  I feel safe when I wear a suit.  So let’s get started on my first 6……

Suit #1:  Casual Corner with leather (ish) trim:

This is a good Monday morning suit.  Clean and crisp.  Very low maintenance…

Suit #2:  Kasper Navy Pin-striped Suit

Not my favorite.  I can let this one go, unless an overwhelming majority of you just love it.  Like if everyone that read this post joined together and started a Facebook page titled “Friends of the Navy Pin-stiped Kasper Suit”, then I might be swayed to keep it, but other than that, I can let this one go….

Suit #3:  Navy Dana Buchman Silk Suit

It’s 100% silk!!  I bought it for $50 at a consignment shop, and I’ve never worn it.  At least it doesn’t have shoulder pads!!  It really looks a lot sharper in person than it does in this photo…

Suit #4:  Paul Harris Casual Suit

It’s short sleeved and great for the summer….perfect for when I have a seminar to attend in the summer, and I want to look a step above business casual?

Suit #5:  Talbot’s Royal Blue Suit

(insert buzzer sound here) Next……

Suite #6: Liz Claiborne Navy Suit with Sheath Dress

This is my lucky interview suit.  And I wear the navy sheath dress under cardigans all the time.  Although I’ve had it for years, I think the style is classic and timeless…don’t you?

So there are my first six suits.  If I’m trying to keep six out of 12, then theoretically you can choose three for me to keep, but feel free to eliminate more or less.  I love reading the comments, too, so feel free to elaborate on your thoughts.

So here’s the poll:  Which suit(s) should I KEEP? (you can choose as many as you want!)

Hello all, and welcome back to The Great Clean Out!  If you’re new to this blog, welcome and get out your score card!  I am posting photos of my over-inflated, over-sized, ill-fitted and out-dated wardrobe, and allowing you to vote what should stay and what should go.  Think Wardrobe Survivor.

And since now I’m on an actual deadline (I’m moving in a month!), I need to crank up my output, and stop all my clever banter….so let’s get down to business.

All of these jackets are heavier knit – woven cotton, acrylic, wool, etc.

First, here are the jackets with fringe:

Winter Jacket #1: Talbot’s Black and White with fringe

Winter Jacket #1 - Talbot's Black and White with fringe

Um, no.  Feel free to vote this one out of the wardrobe.

Winter Jacket #2:  Green and Black with Fringe

Winter Jacket #2 - Green and Black with fringe

Ditto on this one, too.

Winter Jacket #3:  Black and Yellow with fringe

Winter Jacket #3: Yellow and black with fringe

Finally, something me likey.

OK, no more fringe jackets.   Just a couple more wintery jackets:

Winter Jacket #4:

Winter Jacket #4 - Black and white with rounded collar

I would need styling advise on this one:  Wear it with a belt?  What type of shirt goes underneath?  The length seems good, but the round collar has me all confused…

Winter Jacket #5:  Holiday Jacket

Winter Jacket #5 - Red Holiday Jacket

I really like wearing this jacket around the holidays, so I made a little extra effort with styling it for my staging.  What do you think?

Winter Jacket #6:  Drapes

Jacket #6 - Drapes

Ok, I tried to style this one too, but all I can think of is that this jacket looks like drapes.  I couldn’t figure out why they reminded me of drapes….then I looked at MY drapes in my living room, and I saw the similarity.  Can you tell which are drapes and which are the jacket in the photo below?

OK, onto the poll.  Remember, you can choose more than one answer, and help me decide which jacket should I KEEP?