Secrets of a Secondhand Shopaholic

Hello!!  Welcome to The Great Clean Out, where I am asking YOU to help me clean out my closet.  Figuratively, of course.  I like you all to much to have you come over and actually CLEAN my closet.

Yet.

Ha ha, kidding, but really, I need to get serious about The Great Clean Out, because I actually am moving in a month.   So let’s get down to business…

First, I have to amend the Glen Plaid post, because  I ended up finding a couple of stragglers.  Click here to to see the first round of GP jackets (jackets #1 – 5).

So here are two more that I found……

Glen Plaid Jacket #6:  Double-Breasted Mr. B.

Glen Plaid #6 - Double-breasted Mr. B's

While it does fit better than that Banana Republic one, I am coming to realize that double-breasted jackets just might not be my style.   What do you think?

Glen Plaid Jacket #7.  This one is actually a suit, but I tried pairing it as a separate……

Glen Plaid #7 – Suit (or separate)

I know, I know.  What was I thinking?  Really.

OK, Glen Plaid should be done (I’ll post the results in the next post) but now I’m onto GP’s cousin (and one of my favorite patterns): Houndstooth.

Here’s an example of houndstooth, and click here if you’re an information-junkie who’s just dying to know where the Houndstooth pattern originated.

Now it’s time to do some work……

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Houndstooth #1: Express Zippered Cropped Jacket

The first photo was pretty bad, so I had to do it over.  In the second photo, I styled it a little – and I gained an audience!

Houndstooth #2 – Navy/Tan:

Me likey.  I hope you likey too.  Remember – I like to dress professionally!

Houndstooth #3 – Dark Brown/Tan

Me likey again.  I know Houndstooth #3 looks alot like Houndstooth #2, but they are really different.  Look at the patterns:

Houndstooth #4  – ish

I call this “ish” because it’s not a true houndstooth pattern.  But I like it.  The one on the left is worn over a sheath dress; the one on the right is with a white button-down, and a pencil skirt.  Again, me likey.

OK, let’s just go straight to the poll.  Remember, you can select MORE THAN ONE ANSWER to – Which jacket SHOULD I KEEP?

Me likey again.

Houndstooth #4 – Houndstooth – ish

I say “ish”  because it’s not a true houndstooth pattern.   I like this one, so I tried it a couple of different ways.

And finally, Houndstooth #5 – Boyfriend cardigan

Houndstooth #5 - Boyfriend Cardigan

Hello!  Welcome back to the third installment of The Great Clean Out (TGCO).

(If you’re new to this blog, TGCO is my attempt to get rid of 1/3 of my wardrobe by putting each piece up on the “chopping block”  for all the world to vote on what should stay and what should go.  Kind of like Wardrobe Survivor.  To see what’s been “voted off” the island so far, click here for Red Jackets results, and here for Pink Jacket results).

And now it’s time for Glen Plaid Jackets.   If you’re curious to what Glen Plaid actually is, here’s a sample:

If you’re a trivia buff, click here for the Wikipedia definition of Glen Plaid.

There, now we’re all a bit smarter, aren’t we?

I have 5 Glen Plaid (ish) jackets.  Today.  I’m pretty sure after the Elimination Ceremony (in keeping with the Survivor theme), several will be voted out of the closet.

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Glen Plaid Jacket #1 – Doncaster

Glen Plaid Jacket #1 - Doncaster

This is a prime example of how screwed up my priorities were……………….  Are……………………. Were.

Doncaster jackets sell for $350 – $450.  I found this at Goodwill for $4.59.  So whether or not it fit me correctly was irrelevant.  It was EXPENSIVE for darn’s sake.  I mean, who really notices if a jacket fits right or not? The important thing, to me, is that I was wearing something really expensive.

I know the tribe will be speaking about that rationale…

Glen Plaid jacket #2:  Banana Republic double-breasted jacket

Glen Plaid Jacket #2: Banana Republic double-breasted jacket

Once again, I was in love with the label, and I ignored the fit.

Glen Plaid Jacket #3:  Pendleton 1-button jacket

OK, this next one I think has potential, so I took the effort to present it how I might wear it:

Maybe it’s the pose, maybe it’s the turquoise shell, but whatever it is, I think this is a nice classic jacket…

This might be a good time to remind the tribe a couple things about myself:

1. I am in my 40′s.

2. I work in a business-professional work environment, so wearing jackets is very appropriate and many times expected.

3.  My office seems to always be cold, so I usually have to wear a jacket or a sweater just for warmth.

4.  I live in the Midwest.  Being fashion-forward and on the cutting edge of today’s trends is not on my top list of priorities.   I am learning the importance of a good fit, but I also tend to lean towards a more conservative style…

5. I have an open mind and listen to your feedback, so although I tend to be conservative, positive encouragement and guidance does sway me to try new things….

OK, I just felt I needed to say that before you choose “Toss them all!”…

Glen Plaid Jacket #4: Casual Corner 3-button jacket

OK, I didn’t take the time to try this with a different pose or anything, but try to use your imagination and see if this one has staying power:

Glen Plaid Jacket #4 - Casual Corner 3-button jacket

And here’s one more that I really liked, so I made the extra effort to style it…

Glen Plaid Jacket #5 - Zippered Jacket with black collar

OK, the new haircut and color,  combined with the awesome Steve Madden pumps in the second picture might sway your opinion, but that’s OK with me!

Time for the poll – and guess what?  You can now CHOOSE MORE THAN ONE ANSWER!!!  That’s right – this poll is set up for multiple answers.  Woo hoo!

And, read the question closely, because this time I’m asking – “Which Glen Plaid jacket SHOULD I KEEP?

Last November, when I told my sister Kacey that I was starting a blog to write about my excessive secondhand shopping habit, she asked me, “Wouldn’t it be great if you could get rid of your whole wardrobe and start over?”

I looked at her like she had just grown another head.  Get rid of my whole wardrobe?  Didn’t she know how much my wardrobe was worth? I owned expensive brands:  Calvin Klein, White House Black Market, Nicole Miller, etc.  At one time I even had a Bob Mackie.

Geez.  Get rid of all of my clothes. What was she thinking?

My clothes were more than just, well, clothes.  They were what defined me.  They were my hobby, my passion, my obsession………Asking me to get rid of all of my clothes was like asking me to cut off an arm……pretty dramatic, I know, but I LOVED my clothes!

Fast forward to today.  After almost a year of blogging about my obsession, excellent feedback and discussions with all of you, and just two rounds of The Great Clean Out, I have to say, “Kacey, you may have been onto something.”

The surprising thing to me is that I’m not as crushed about throwing out most of my wardrobe as I thought I would have been.  It’s almost a relief.

(If you’re new to this blog, The Great Clean Out is my attempt to get rid of 1/3 of my wardrobe by putting each piece up on the “chopping block”  for all the world to vote on what should stay and what should go.  Kind of like Wardrobe Survivor.  To see what’s been “voted off” the island so far, click here for Red Jackets results. )

And today are the results of Pink Jackets Part 1 (click here) and Part 2 (Click here).

So without further adieu, here are the results of The Great Clean Out – Pink Jackets……….

The majority has spoken……….

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A whopping 60%  said to get rid of……..

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drum roll, please………

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ALL OF THEM!!!!!!!!

So here is my garment rack before The Great Clean Out:

And here it is after just two installments:

I can see daylight!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s installment:  Glen Plaid Jackets.  I have five……

Hello and welcome back to The Big Clean Out!! Piece by piece, I am going through my over-inflated wardrobe and re-evaluating my style.  Or, what’s actually become my apparent lack of style.  Well, maybe it was in style 10 years ago….

But don’t worry, I’m actually very excited about this whole process, and thrilled with the feedback I’m getting.

If you’re new to this blog, please join in with The Great Clean Out.  My goal is to get rid of 1/3 of my wardrobe (with your help!) and so far I’m tracking to exceed that goal.  However, I’ve only done one round of jackets (click here for the 6 red jackets I put up on the chopping block, and click here to see the results).

My next round is “Pink Jackets” – click here to see the first two in question.

And now let’s move onto Pink Jackets #3 – 5 (I’ll go over all the results in my next post, but right now I want to keep the momentum):

Pink Jacket #3: Petite Sophisticates Jacket with black detail

Pink Jacket #3 - Petite Sophisticates w/black detail

I think this jacket is sharp. The photo makes it look more red than pink, but believe me, it’s pink.  Maybe even fushia.

Pink Jacket #4: Casual Corner suite

Pink #3 - Casual Corner Suit

I think this is a nice suit, too.  I would even consider shortening the skirt to just above the knees.  The fabric is lightweight, but it could be a 3-season suit (don’t think I’d wear in in the fall, but it could brighten up a January or February day!

And finally, Pink Jacket #5, which is actually more of a coral jacket.

Pink Jacket #5 - Dana Buchman Coral Silk Jacket

Unfortunately the color seems off, and it looks like the pockets kind of bunched up int photo, but this is a really nice, soft and silky classic fit jacket…..

Well, there you have it!  I’m real excited to see if there’s a keeper in this bunch – I actually like all three much better than the first two, but sometimes I kind of feel like the Emperor and his New Clothes.  You know, where I’m standing there proud as a peacock in pajama-looking-white-cropped-rose-bu-Ralph-Lauren pants thinking “look at how cute these are!” and everybody is cringing and looking away saying “Oh my God – take it off!”

I guess that’s Emperor’s New Clothes in reverse, but hopefully you get the point…

So here’s the poll:

Hello and welcome back to The Big Clean Out!  The goal is to get rid of 1/3 of my wardrobe, and I’m asking for all of YOUR advice.  So far, this has been very cleansing for me, and I’ve only done 1 post (Click here to see the 6 red jackets I posted, and click here to see the results).

So now I’m onto pink jackets.  I only have 5.  But I think ALL of these are really cute – and each of them is so different, it’s hard to decide!

Here’s Pink Jacket #1:

#1 - Talbot's brushed suede-like jacket

First, I bought this jacket at Goodwill for $4.69 back in my shopping hey-days.  I tried it on, it fit, it’s from Talbott’s, it’s pretty and it’s soft (feels like suede).  I fell in love.

Looking at the photo above, I’ll admit I’m not as wow-ed by this jacket.

But it IS a nice jacket.  And it fits pretty well.

So after the Red Jacket Slaughterfest, I started thinking that presentation might affect how the jacket is received.  Perhaps this is a nice jacket, but it shouldn’t be worn with black capri pants.  Perhaps my decision to wear all my jackets with the same pants and top was sabotaging their potential.

So I decided to go back, and take a photo of how I actually might wear the jacket.  What do you think of Talbot’s soft suede-like jacket when you see it like this:

How do you like me now?  Does the fact that everything in the outfit above (except the scarf) was bought secondhand help or hurt the status of the soft, suede-like pink jacket?

Price Breakdown:

Jacket:  Talbot’s $4.69

T-shirt:  Banana Republic $2.89

Skirt:  Christopher and Banks $3.39

Shoes:  Franco Sarto $4.69

Belt:  Banana Republic $1.59

Total Cost:  $17.15

Now if you added in the cost of the scarf ($14.99), the price would almost double, and be a whopping $32.14 for an entire outfit. My thrift pride is beaming!

One more plug – I LOVE these shoes!  They were BRAND NEW from Goodwill, and have quickly become one of my Top 10 Favorite Goodwill purchases of all time.  Be prepared to see them mucho times this fall/winter.

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OK, let’s move onto the next pink jacket:

Pink Jacket #2:

Pink Jacket #2 - Liz Claiborne hot pink dimpled cotton cropped jacket

I found this jacket at Goodwill about a year ago without even trying it on. I thought “hot pink cropped jacket – that’s a fashion slam dunk!”.  I imagined wearing it to spice up a black dress, or to bring out the pink in some of my summer skirts.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.  I made it through the whole summer without  wearing it once.

But to maintain fairness, check out how I MIGHT have worn it:

Note how I threw in the turquoise cami to become less matchy-matchy. However, I don’t think that helped much.  Should I be glad I only wore this outfit to take the photo, and I didn’t leave the house wearing it?  Or does this work?  Would I have to change my name to Buffy if I wore it?  (The pants, by the way, are Ralph Lauren I found at Fashion Junction for $12.99).

I’m going to add  these flowered pants to the chopping block on this post……should I keep or toss them?

OK, I know I’ve only gone through two pink jackets, but I know your time is valuable, so I’m going to stop here and take a poll. I’ll bring back the other 3 pink jackets on the next post.  So this should be easy:

(note – if you’re receiving this post via enewsletter, you will need to click on the title of this post at the top of the page to go to my website, and then you can access the poll. Otherwise, just leave a comment.)

And don’t forget to comment on the Ralph Lauren cropped flowered pants!

Wow, wow, wow!  Thank you ALL so much for participating in The Great Clean Out.

Click here to read my first installment, where I put my 6 red jackets up on the chopping block.  The objective is to get rid of 33% of my wardrobe, but after the feedback I received on my red jacket collection, I might be getting rid my entire wardrobe!

Which is kind of a liberating idea, actually!

So let’s get to the results:

56% said to nix the “Dressy with black Trim”.

OK, I hear you loud and clear.  Gone.

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21% said I should toss the zippered suede-like jacket.

OK I have a confession about this jacket.  It was actually part of a two-piece suit.

Perhaps if you look at this jacket in the context of how it was designed to be worn, you might change your mind on your opinion:

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Despite my cat Scooter being a little annoyed at having his picture taking while he was cleaning his jewels, what do you think about the suit?  Better? A nice holiday outfit, with a pretty green wreath pin on the jacket, and Christmas light earrings?

Before you answer, let’s get onto to the red jacket results.  I’ll ask you again at the end of the post:

10% said I should “Get rid of them all!”

Ouch.

7% said I should get rid of the Ann Taylor boyfriend jacket.

OK, I have another confession to make.

I already threw this one out.  It had a huge grease stain just below the left pocket, and I just didn’t feel like going through the effort to get rid of it (although I’ve tried baby powder of grease stains before, and that has worked beautifully).

But I had a feeling this one wasn’t going to make the cut, so I took the liberty of tossing it right after I took the picture.  I know, not fair to those who wasted a vote on it, but I had to make sure my instincts were right.  I mean, what if it ended up being the coolest jacket ever?

Turns out it wasn’t.

Yea for me.

Now we come to the top 3, each coming in at 2% to toss:

First of all, I’ve definitely decided to keep the middle and the right ones.  Take a look at some scarf options I put together for the middle jacket:

I’ll probably let the double-breasted jacket on the left go.  I’d rather hold out and find something I’m more in love with, and open up some real estate in my closet.

And look – guess what I found?  Another red jacket! This one is an Ann Taylor jacket I picked up in an Ann Taylor outlet in Baltimore for $9.99 (Click here to read about that fun shopping experience!):

What do you think?  Should I keep this one?

So I have two more questions before I move on…..

1.  Two-piece suit with zippered jacket, long skirt, and cat – keep or toss?

2. Cropped Ann Taylor jacket with cool silver buttons – keep or toss?

Here’s a poll, or leave a comment…

Thanks again for all your help! Next up – Pink jackets.  I have 5!

Hello!

My last post – The Big Clean Out Begins, elicited some great feedback – including the need to see my jackets closer.  So this post is kind of a repeat of the last one, just more of an individual breakdown of my 6 red jackets – be honest and brutal if necessary – I can take it!

#1 Casual double-breasted; cotton/spandex mix

#2 Black-trimmed holiday jacket

#3 Ann Taylot boyfriend blazer

#4 Zippered Jacket - suede-like jacket

#5 Jones New York wool suit jacket

#6 Cropped no-label jacket - polyester blend, casual and lightweight

And here’s a good review, and the poll….

Hello all – and welcome to my first installment of The Great Clean Out. The objective:  Get rid of 1/3 of my clothes.  I think that’s an achievable goal, and might change my status from being someone who is borderline insane, to someone who just has alot of clothes.  There’s a difference…

How am I going to do it?  One item at a time.  And hopefully you’ll be able to help me….

So I’m starting with my red jackets.  I have 6.  How many red jackets does a girl really need?  Theoretically, if I’m trying to get rid of 1/3 of my wardrobe, then I should get rid of two red jackets….

So here they are – what do you think?  Can you find two I should get rid of?  Or more than two?

Please ignore my ugly shoes on some of them.  I did this whole “photographing my entire wardrobe” project one weekend, and I was amazed at how much my fee hurt after standing on heels while I took the photos. I had to keep switching out my shoes, because I was developing blisters in weird places – even when I was wearing old stand-by comfortable relatively low-heeled shoes.  My feel just really started hurting.  So I changed into a pair of dirty old boat shoes towards the end…..

But back to The Great Clean Out.  It’s hard!  I feel like I can find a use for all of them!  Some are casual, some are dressier, and that black-trimmed one really looks good around the holidays!  But is it worth it to give up much-needed real estate in my closet(s)/garment rack?

So let me try a poll.  Unfortunately you can only choose one, but I’ve included the “Other” so you can add as many as you like….

Hello!  I’m still here!  And I’m still following the Inspiration Calendar, however I have been sneaking in some outfits of summer clothes I just have to wear before the season is up.  You know, because the rule says if I don’t wear an item at least once in a year, then I have to get rid of it.

Yeah, right.

And then there’s some rule about wearing white after Labor Day.  Well, I wore this outfit last week, so I’m safe there.

But here’s  a skirt that had to come out and play at least once:

Price Breakdown:

White Blouse:  Label removed $11.99 (Fashion Junction)

Yellow Cami:  Old Navy $8.50 (Old Navy) Good Grief!  $8.50 for a cami???  What was I thinking!

Skirt:  Talbots $12.99 (Fashion Junction)

Shoes: Bandolino $14.99 (DSW)

Necklace:  $7.99 Estes Park

Total Cost:  $56.46

Check out how I added a pop of yellow to this outfit! I didn’t even have a go-by from the Inspiration Calendar – I just did it all by myself.  (If you’re new to this blog, click here to read about how I use the Inspiration Calendar with my daily outfit decisions.)

Ready for some more fun? Although I was very happy with my choice to wear yellow with the outfit above, I couldn’t resist seeing what the outfit would have looked with a pink cami.  And then I thought about trying a few other options.  So I took a couple of pictures to demonstrate different options.

But check it out – after I posted the pictures below, I realized we can play that “Find the Difference”  between the photos game.  That was totally unintentional when I took the pictures, but when you look at them side-by-side, it’s too perfect not to play!

I found 5 – how many can you find?

And now onto a little story that explains the significance of the title “Coming Out” to this outfit, specifically this skirt.  I bought the skirt two summers ago at a consignment store.  I had been back in Des Moines about two years, and I was reacquainting with old friends, and making alot of new friends.  “By the way, I only shop at secondhand stores” had not yet  become part of the conversation with anyone I hung around with.

So the first time I wore it, my relatively new friend Laurie came up to me and exclaimed, “I used to have that skirt a long time ago!  It’s from Talbot’s, right?”

OMG, I thought – since I bought it at a consignment shop, it probably IS hers!  The gig is up.  I just KNEW that she KNEW that this was her skirt.  So instead of saying, “Yes it is Talbot’s”, and leaving it be, I gulped and decided to come clean and admit my secondhand shopping secret.

“Well, since I bought it at Fashion Junction – maybe it is yours?” I said,  with a hesitant self-deprecating laugh, my head tilted.  I waited to gauge her response.  This was it.  My secret was out.

Immediately she laughed and made a comment of us not being the same size (which I found hard to believe), and then a long discussion followed regarding great places to shop secondhand in Des Moines. She talked about secondhand shopping with a bit of pride, and fascination that I was able to find such great outfits.  I found myself admitting that most of my clothes were bought secondhand, and her appreciation and admiration  was genuine and flattering.  I liked that feeling.  A seed was planted.

So this skirt will always hold a special place in my heart.  It reminds me of the day that my view of secondhand shopping shifted from being  a “hidden secret” to a sense of pride.  It was a long, slow shift – it took a year for me to formulate the idea of actually blogging about about it.

So this post is dedicated to my good friend Laurie, who introduced me to the idea that it was OK to feel good about my secondhand shopping.

I did, however, neglect to tell her that I was a secondhand SHOPAHOLIC.  I let that secret remain dormant for awhile…

Hello! Check me out looking all vintage.  Ish.

Price Breakdown:

Blue Cardi – Part of two-piece sweater set, Liz Claiborne $8.00 (Bargain Basket)

White T-Shirt – Banana Republic $2.29 (Goodwill)

Capris – Levis $4.69 (Goodwill)

Shoes – Sam and Libby $12.99 (Foley’s end-of-season sale)

Total Cost:  $27.97

There’s so much awesomeness going on with this outfit, it deserves my most prized form of appreciation……..yes, you guessed it……this calls for ……

(drum roll, please)

A  Top 10 List!

(for those who don’t know me on a personal level, my ultimate dream is to be on David Letterman, so creating Top 10 Lists is kind of a hobby of mine…)

So here are the Top 10 things I love about this outfit:

10.  Nothing fits better than a Banana Republic white t-shirt.

9.  I don’t care what Neil Sedaka says.  Breaking up (a sweater set) is NOT  hard to do!

8.  Love, love, love the zippered cardigan!

7. Levi’s Super Slim Capris. ‘Nuff said.

6. Although I never watch the show, I felt like I was dressed to be on an episode of Mad Men.

5. The outfit is so cute, you don’t even notice how crappy my hair looks!

4.  If receiving a compliment increases the value of the clothes, by the end of the day, this outfit paid for itself – several times over!

3.  At $27.97, I really am a cheap date!

2. Hey Fashion Police!  I’d like to report a crime of those blue pearls being over the legal AWESOME limit!

And the number one thing I love about this outfit……..

(another drum roll, please)

Can you guess what it is?

Here’s a hint……

Actually there’s two more things I love…..

Yes…………

of course……………..

it’s……………..

1.  THE SHOES!!!

Nothing says adorable like a cute pair of blue butterfly sandals.

So there you have it!  Ten reasons why I feel this outfit is a “10″!