Goodwill (Wardrobe) Hunting

When you buy used clothing, it's that much more important to focus on quality and timelessness. After all, the clothing is already used, and who knows how old it is? If you go after something that was trendy last year your clothing will soon look dated. These outfits, created from my new (to me) summer wardrobe , may not reflect your personal style or preferred colors, but note how just a few quality or classic used pieces can stand the test of time to create some very presentable outfits. Each piece shown was either purchased at Goodwill  or a local thrift store. The necklaces and belt shown were also purchased used. I hope you feel inspired to check out your local Goodwill or thrift store for your own classic, quality finds!

When I was a teenager, I LOVED the trendy styles! I've already mentioned the Gunne Sax  dress I'd gotten in high school. As a teenager in the 70's I owned "peasant" blouses, halter tops, tube tops, disco fashions... It didn't matter, because I was going to outgrow whatever I purchased anyway. Until I didn't anymore. By my early 20s (and full grown), I recognized that I'd been duped. I'd spend a lot of money on a trendy fashion, only to discover how OUT of fashion it looked in just a year or two. Surely there was a way to dress that didn't require me to constantly throw out my clothes (and my money)! In 1982, Leah Feldon published the book,  Dressing Rich : which turned out to be a classic in much the same way as her clothing recommendations. The book, reissued in 2001 with no changes, is nearly 40 years old, but you can still buy it new on Amazon (hint:  you can also get it used for as little as $1.99 plus shipping). It was my first exposure to...

 Confession I don't buy 100% of my clothing at Goodwill. For example, I generally purchase my shoes new (although I've gotten some good pairs at Goodwill in the past).  However, when I DO purchase new, I'm frequently disappointed because I don't follow my own rules. A couple of years ago, I purchased a red cardigan sweater with matching scarf at White House Black Market: I don't remember exactly what I paid, but I found a similar cardigan in their online store for $39.99, and a similar scarf for $19.99. Not pictured, but included in the purchase, was a white camisole that tied everything together - say another $19.99, for a total of - $78.98 (a lot more than I paid for my entire  summer wardrobe ).  They all looked great in the dressing room, and I already had in mind the trousers and skirts I could wear with these new items. I also had some black tops I was hopeful I could wear beneath the cardigan. However, once I got all of the clothing home, I only wore the new ...

 I've mentioned this in previous posts, but if you're going to buy used clothing, you want to limit your options. Thanks to cheaper clothing overall, more and more of us are giving away clothing that doesn't feel or look just right on us. As a result, the quality choices available at your local Goodwill store are vast: But having an explicit color palette does something else:  It gives you a reason to say no. A group of friends and I used to take a trip every year to wineries in Temecula, California , and then to the Desert Hills outlet stores in Cabazon to shop the deals. We were trying on clothes at the Banana Republic outlet, and I tried on a beautiful chocolate brown coat dress that had been steeply discounted. It fit perfectly, and my friends were insisting that I had to buy it. However, having previously absorbed the lessons of limiting my wardrobe colors (which didn't include brown), I knew I'd have to also purchase matching shoes and a matching blazer or s...

There is almost always a tension between time and money. On one end of the spectrum you can save a lot of time by hiring a personal stylist to select, purchase and alter clothing tailored for you. On the other end of the spectrum, if you are willing to spend some extra time shopping and doing some minor alterations, you can create (I believe) an equally nice wardrobe that is orders of magnitude less expensive. Since you can't specify the exact piece you want in your wardrobe when you buy used clothing, you need to have a broad plan or template in mind, then you can shop for the basic pieces to fill in the gaps.  Assuming you're on board with spending time instead of money, here are some considerations as you curate and build your own seasonal wardrobe: Step One - Start with pieces you already own. Visit your closet and pull out the pieces you want to work with. As an example, I recently retired, it's summer in Phoenix, and I wanted to expand my wardrobe of casual summer clo...

I found this silk baby-doll top and white "skort" at Goodwill to add to my retirement summer wardrobe in July of 2020. The necklace was also purchased at a used clothing store. Both items cost $6.29 each. The necklace was purchased several years ago, but goes nicely with this outfit. I didn't keep track of this cost, but it was likely under $10.00. The clothing was $12.58 total, and in perfect condition. I'm prepared to make alterations or clean stains, but that was not necessary for either of these pieces. The top is 100% silk and will need to be handwashed.

Suddenly Poor When I was fourteen, my parents divorced and my mother, who had full custody of me and my two younger sisters, moved us to Piedmont, a small enclave inside of Oakland, California. Don't be surprised if you've never heard of Piedmont - it's only one square mile big and almost entirely residential. However, it was (and still is) home to some very wealthy and successful people in the San Francisco Bay Area who made their money prior to the tech boom. A quick Google search of images of Piedmont will show you the mansions of the families I went to school with. My mother had gotten a toe-hold into a "poorer" area of Piedmont, choosing the town over Oakland so that we kids could walk to all of our school activities--something that would have been impossible for us to do in Oakland. It didn't occur to her or us that we had suddenly become drastically poorer than our new friends, and that this would have social (and financial) implications for us. The ten...