November was a fantastic thrifting month for me and I had surprisingly great luck finding some awesome brands. I ended up thrifting three different times throughout the month at three different stores — 2nd Avenue, Savers and Goodwill.
{Pssst, you can read about my previous thrifting adventures here}
Let’s check out my thrifting scores!
Lilly Pulitzer “Treena” Hotty Pink Sailors Valentine Maxi Dress, medium, $16.99
This is the second time I found a Lilly Pulitzer dress at my favorite thrift store, so I must have some extra preppy luck going on! When I first saw this maxi dress was a size medium, I figured it wouldn’t fit…but I stuck it in my cart anyways because I just couldn’t leave brand-new Lilly on the racks. I decided to try it on anyways and was surprised that it actually fit and looks awfully cute:
I did a little internet research and found that this maxi dress was sold in 2012 for either $128 or $148. It doesn’t seem to have ever been worn and even still has the branded hanging loops inside the dress. Super weird that this person bought this gorgeous dress in 2012, let it sit in their closet for 5 years and then just donated it. I feel like I say this every month though… so these people are certainly out there! I’m going to pack this dress away for next summer, but I can see me wearing it with a solid colored sweater and maybe even a belt to make the top a little more blousy and then cinched at the waist.
Vera Wang Lavender “Leni” Bow Sandals, size 8, $26.99
These sandals were in the ‘fancy’ section of my thrift store, so I expected them to be priced a little higher. Sure, $27 is super high for thrifted shoes… but these have never been worn (no wear on the bottom) and they were originally sold at Nordstrom in 2012 for $158. Maybe my friend who donated the 2012 dress also bought these at the same time? I like these sandals a lot because they have an ankle strap (with a zipper in the back) and a super short wedge heel. These will be great with both pants and dresses for work and I wish I had found them a month ago. As it is, they will be packed away for next spring. I actually kind of love doing my closet switch-over and finding these gems that I totally forgot about!
Chico’s Striped Ombre Open Cardigan, size 1, $12.00
I went to dinner with a girlfriend and I could literally see a Goodwill across the parking lot when I left to get in my car, so I had to make a quick stop. I typically don’t stop at the Goodwill in Columbia because the prices are ridiculous and as I went through the store it reminded me once again that they mark things way too high. They do have a ‘boutique’ area, which was almost laughable because it was filled with Old Navy, Target brands and Loft items. Not that there is anything wrong with those brands… but they are not boutique and should have boutique prices!
I found this pretty linen and rayon Chico’s sweater on the regular racks, but totally got burned because it had the boutique pricing written on the inside tag. Oh and Chico’s sizing is super weird. They are sized from 000 to 4, which covers all normal sizes of 0 to 18. So, in Chico-land a 1 is actually an 8 or a medium. I checked thier website and it looks like similar styles go for $100. I really like the fit and color scheme on this cardigan and have really been wearing the crap out of all my striped sweaters lately, so I figured I’d add this to my collection. It’s a bit longer than my other sweaters, so it will be nice paired with some of my slimmer work pants for extra butt coverage.
Eileen Fisher Wool Open Cardigan, XL, $4
I have such a weakness for the Eileen Fisher brand because the items are so incredibly made (many in the US) and they use sustainable practices and materials. This beautiful wool sweater was marked at $8, but it was 50% off on clothes day at the local Savers. An almost identical sweater is on the Eileen Fisher website for $278, so I’m pretty happy with my $4 purchase. I usually shy away from wool because it makes me too hot, but this sweater is super thin and has an open front… so hopefully it will be the perfect layer for winter weather. I especially love this pretty berry color!
Eileen Fisher Silk and Cotton Blend Jacket, XL, $4
I lightened this picture up so you can see the details in it. I’m not really sure whether to call this a sweater or a knit jacket… it’s 80% silk and 20% cotton, so it feels like a sweater. But it has a zipper, zipped pockets and kind of is in the shape of a bomber jacket. Either way, it was $8 on sale for $4 and I really liked it over my t-shirt. I tried to find similar items to compare this to, and the closest I can find is a casual moto jacket on the Eileen Fisher website for $378. I was pretty unsure about how much wear I’d get out of this, but for the price I figured it was worth a try. I plan on wearing this over a casual t-shirt with jeans and a lightweight scarf.
Button Front Skirt, L, $2.75
This pretty cotton skirt is a lightweight cotton and midi length. I get a lot of wear out of my lightweight skirts for both work and weekends, and this one fit well… so I figured for less than $3 I’d add it to my collection. It still had the price tag ($40) and extra buttons attached, so this was another one of those buy and donate pieces.
Estimated Store Price Total: $1,042
November Thrifting Total: $66.75
I added up the estimated store prices based on my google-research for each item and it came to $1,042! OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS! I saved over 93% on those prices by spending some time at the thrift store. If you haven’t gone thrifting lately, try it!
I’d love to hear your thrifting stories! Did you find a diamond in the rough (literally or figuratively)? Would you be interested in a Thrifting Tips post?