Get Your Thrift On

Part of my new environmentally sound lifestyle is to buy as much as possible second hand. The full levity of this decision won't be realized until I'm furnishing an apartment second hand (keep an eye out for that blog in a few weeks time), which, at this point, still sounds like a lot of kitschy fun.

Back in the day (also known as the awkward years), I did the majority of my clothes shopping at yard sales and thrift stores--and I looked it. That was the point. As I got older, however, my tastes in clothing sophiticated. Since being home, I've cruised by Pollux (my own mini kryptonite) a few times and fought the urge to enter...you know...just to browse. That'd be like letting a recovering alcoholic go into a bar...you know...just for the atmosphere. So, you can imagine my relief when I found myself at a garage sale scoring some wicked cute j. crew pants and a scarf.

Itching for some more second hand finds, I decided to check out the new Good Will of which I'd been hearing good things. As I entered the brand new, well lit, clean, airy store, my palms began to sweat and my pulse started to race (ok, so that may be an exageration, but the store is pretty impressive). I began to take a look at what GW had to offer, but found myself with a new mentallity. When I'd thrifted in the past, I had always been looking for costumes and shock value pieces. Now I was looking for staples to my wardrobe that would make people exclaim, "You got that at Good Will?!" A challange indeed, but one that added to the fun.

With a fist full of skirts, I made my way to the fitting room.

Skirt one: OK. A good find for two bucks, but I'll never feel cute wearing it. No.
Skirt two: A wrap around (a thrifter's best friend). Really cute, but too small. Fine if I stand completely still, but an embarrbassing moment waiting to happen. No.
Skirt three: Whoa! Hello Captain Dumpy. No.
Skirt four: Too small. No.
Skirt five: Wrap around. Great audition skirt (color: neon watermelon). Pockets! I love pockets! It fits. It's cute. It's half off $1.99? Yes!

I ended up leaving GW with said skirt and a new pocket book--only $3.80 lighter. Over all: extremely successful (although the sales lady looked at me as if I were mad when I told her I didn't need a bag. I could just carry it). Of course, I wasn't looking for something specific. That will be the real test of my second hand committment. For now, though, I'm content.