lovely little guest post

Hello to all of Lyndsey's lovely little readers! I'm Jessica from Dresses For Dinner. Lyndsey is in NYC and asked me to guest post! I was honored and at a loss for a topic, but if there's one thing I know, it's thrifting!

It's easy to write thirfting off. Either it's too trendy or it's too much work and dirty. Shopping should be fun and thirfting takes time and a special eye. The pay off, however, is just as rewarding as walking into a department store and scoring your most coveted item on sale.

A trip to the thrift store is never a quick adventure. I go down every aisle and I make sure to pull out pieces based on color and fabric. I check for rips, stains, durability, and then for the size. If it's only  a couple sizes bigger, I know I can make it smaller or wear a belt. Length? The longer, the better! The long skirt section is my favorite. I find wonderful fabrics and prints and I first wear them as dresses and second, chop them into fashionable mini skirts.

I've never been much of a designer lady. Not that I don't want to be, but because I cannot afford it and I know there are alternatives, but I've been known to score impeccable gems at the local thrift. Who would have thought?

This dress still has the department store tag on it. $395. The thrift had it marked down to $18. Which is a steal in itself, but it's color tag was half off. I spent $9 and I can turn this around for a minimum of $180. It's never been worn and it's beautiful.

These BCBG shoes were at the thrift for $10. There isn't a single scratch or scuff on them. They've either never been worn or very gently worn. They happened to be my size, so I scooped them up. These retail for around $200-$300.

Both of these designer gems were tucked in with all the other discarded items. It took time to discover these, but I'm glad I did. I've also found Betsey Johnson, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, Banana Republic, J.Crew and tons of other name brand items.

It's safe to say 89.9% of my wardrobe is from the thrift store and I have a blog centered around my wardrobe. It takes time, patience, and a little imagination. But in my opinion, the thrift knocks the socks off of any retail department store.

Happy thrifting!