Tuesday, November 2, 2010

More thrift store karma, and some musing

This might just be me, but there is totally something about this time of year that makes me want to scour thrift stores. (Not like clean them, just look around in them, scour is a weird word...)

I think maybe it's because autumn makes me want to dress like my Auntie M or my ma in the late 70's. Which, doesn't mean a lot to you guys, so um, think west coast, granola, feminist, whip-smart, potty mouth'd, sexy. With paisley. And good boots.
Still not clear?
Like this:
Germain Greer, 1974, Tuscany( image)
And this:
Margret Atwood, 19??, but she STILL dresses with enviable badassery, (image)

And lookit these suckers:
Ms. Atwood's shoes. Swoon. (Image)

So, thrift stores is where I'm shopping (H&M also has a few things but I'm still off the buying new - WR4life baby!).
A few weeks ago I had a couple of bear-free hours, a giant vat of sugary coffee beverage, comfy shoes, pointy elbows and some steely-eyed determination. Prerequisites for a successful thrift store haul.
But I also reckoned I'd hedge my karmic bets. That is, I figured out what we'd been buying for the bear most urgently, (footie jammies, sweaters) grabbed some of his old ones and took them with me to drop off. I was mostly thinking how crappy it would be to need warm fuzzy jammies for your baby and to not be able to afford them; pretty crappy I imagine. We really are lucky.

Anyway, apparently the thrift store dryads were happy enough with the trade, 'cause I scored these
(badly photographed) goodies:


The first one looks way better in person, I've worn it a BUNCH already. The second dress is kind of a tough one for me, I love it, and it kind of makes me feel like a Shieldmaiden of Rohan (heh, ubernerdy!); but it's tough to find the right situation to wear it.
Got any tips for Good Thrift Karma?

7 comments:

  1. Yay, thrifting! Love it. And I love your tone in your writing, too, btw. It's so fun.

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  2. Love both! I'd shorten #2 (keep the hem line...tres cute!) so you can wear it with great boots whilest (uber nerdy too!) showing some leg. Than you can pair it with a chunky knit on top w, belted, for a very now look.
    I think it'd be more wearable that way.
    The lenght now is right in the awkward spot between, too cassssh and too formal to bnbe either.
    Still great tho. I live in T.O an NEVER find good thrifty finds AND i donate a TON!! LOL!

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  3. I second the shortening of you Rohan dress. And maybe pair it with a corset belt a la Ruffles and Stuff?

    http://www.rufflesandstuff.com/2009/08/corset-belt-tutorial.html

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  4. That second dress looks gorgeous on you! I am in awe of your thrift store finds. I usually find crap. I agree you should shorten it a smidgen, not too much though, and wear it everywhere.

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  5. I love them both - lucky you with your scores!! My husband swears that I somehow put energy out into the universe when I'm looking for something specific at a thrift store - then the thrift store gods respond and place that exact item right where I can find it. (It can't possibly have anything to do with the fact that I spend way too much time "scouring" thrift stores!!)

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  6. I love both of these dresses, but I *especially* love the second one. Me, I'd wear it precisely as it is, and often--with boots, of course. (And that photo of Germaine Greer is fantastic.)

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  7. That first dress is killer! Way to appease the thrift store gods.

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