A few months ago I was shopping at Housing Works Buy the Bag {$25/bag of clothes} and the trip seemed like a bit of a bust. I went with my girl because they were offering a 2 for 1 deal during the summer. It went like this: bring a friend and one of you gets a free bag. We split the cost so our individual bags were just $12.50 each!

After shopping for 30 minutes, I found a few items, but nothing really wowed me. That was until I dug through a bin and found a pair of oxblood booties. I thought they were cute and the heel was a manageable height versus my normal 5 inchers. Oh, and then I looked inside the shoes and realized they were Balenciaga!!!

I stuffed about 25 or 26 items in my bag, so 25 items for $12.50 equaled 50 cents per piece. So I paid less than $1 for vintage Balenciaga.

I finally wore the shoes last weekend and updated the vintage style with trendy pieces like black and white houndstooth pants by Evleo and a crisp white denim jacket from Kohl’s. Denim jackets are a wardrobe staple but instead of the basic blue, white is also a great option. And yes, you can wear white after Labor Day.

Printed pants can be tricky, but a darker bottom is easily wearable and more figure flattering. And the pants have a hint of green, which adds an easy injection of color. The shoes also gave a touch of color along with a chunky Rara Avis by Iris Apfel necklace and Prima Donna drop earrings.

I love the idea of mixing modern and vintage pieces, especially when the vintage gem was less than a buck!

The Housing Works Buy the Bag is already affordable, you can’t beat $25 for a bag full of clothing, but don’t overlook a thrift store’s sales. Different stores have different discount days and offers, so be sure to follow your favorite shop on Twitter and/or sign up for their newsletter so you’re always in the know.