22 Aug

Posted at 09:00h in Looking FLY on a Dime, shopping, Thrift by
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I love the joy of thrifting. It's not just the idea of adding a new piece to my closet but I actually like digging through bins and racks to discover a cheap, unique treasure. However, I understand not everyone shares that feeling. Some people just don't have the patience or time for it. Luckily, a few thrift and vintage stores let you shop online. Yup, you can score secondhand clothing and accessories from the comfort of your living room.

I briefly mentioned online thrift shopping as an option if you don't have any great stores in your area, but I decided to expand on it. Below are a few options to shopping thrift and vintage online.ShopHousingWorks.com Though Housing Works is based in New York City, their website let's you shop from anywhere. If you're specifically looking for higher end designers {Chloé, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg}, this is the site to check out for chic coats, dresses and more. You can buy items or bid on them eBay style.

15 Aug

Posted at 09:00h in Looking FLY on a Dime, shopping, Thrift by
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This weekend I made a trip to Housing Works {157 East 23rd St} and after less than five minutes in the store, my heart stopped. I'm working on a project and was shopping for other people but I inevitably found something for myself.

Leafing through an entire rack of clothing, especially if it's tightly packed, can be time consuming, but I always tell people to maintain a sharp eye for colors and patterns they love.Since I'm a sucker for anything shimmery, this black and gold blazer clearly stood out. Besides the awesome collar, it's the other details that really caught my eye. The gold buttons...

12 Aug

Posted at 09:00h in Looking FLY on a Dime, shopping, Thrift, Thrifty Threads 365 by
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I've never been a fan of cropped tops. I mean, they're cute and everything but I always felt a little weird about exposing my stomach. However, when I found an adorable one at the Housing Works Buy the Bag sale, I knew it had to come home with me. Since I'm not fully ready to show the world my belly button, I paired the top with a high waist skirt, also from Housing Works, where I walked away with clothing for 35 cents a piece.

I normally don't like skirts this length {it's a few inches shy of being a maxi} but how could I ignore that pattern and built in belted waist. Gorgeous!

10 Aug

Posted at 09:00h in shopping, Thrift by
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Last week I received an email and the subject line read: What about plus size thrifting?The message proceeded: Patrice, I love your blog but it must be easy for you to shop since you're so small. I'm plus size (a 16) and I want to get in to thrifting. Will I be able to find stuff?I responded to the reader's email but I also wanted to post it on the blog since I've had people ask me this question before.The simple answer is yes, plus size guys...

08 Aug

Posted at 09:00h in How To, shopping, Thrift, Thrifty Threads 365 by
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Last week you guys had some great suggestions when I asked if and how I should continue my Thrifty Threads 365 challenge. A lot of you thought I should continue my thrift only wardrobe but set a monthly limit for my purchases. And that got me thinking about the cardinal sin of thrifting: overspending.

I know some people think, 'how can you go over budget when everything's so cheap?" But "cheap" stores are the prime location to go crazy and drop a ton of cash. You're so enamored by the prices and awesome finds that you snatch everything up, whether you need them or not.It's kind of like when you go to the dollar store {for me it's Dollar Tree. Isn't that place amazing!?}. You may walk in with the intention of buying a few things but other goodies always catch your eye. And you end up with bags of miscellaneous items and you rationalize by saying 'it's only a dollar." Well, those dollars add up. And it's the same way with thrift shopping. Though I like to think of myself as a thrift enthusiast, even I've been guilty of this.