It’s officially summer! So I decided to wear this outfit comprised of some of summer’s best: sandals, stripes and sun hats.
Everything I’m wearing today came from a single trip to one my favorite second-hand shops: Side Show in Hudson, New York. Ya gotta love one-stop shopping! (I got several other great things on this trip I can’t wait to wear.)
We can call these items one, two, three and four of my 100 items for summer.
- straw hat - $22 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- striped sleeveless shirt - $15 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- striped drawstring pants (with pockets!) - $15 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- black sandals - $18 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- rainbow pendant necklace - birthday gift from Creighton (via Etsy)
- TOTAL - $70
there’s more...
After the craziness of what was South By Southwest, I’m back to publishing my Week’s Worth of Undies outfits…
While at TEDActive, wearing only what I found in Palm Springs thrift stores, a fellow attendee asked…
Is this your style or is this what you happened to find here?
Kinda both. We all know no matter where I am I’d dress colorfully, so I’d say 70% of what I ended up wearing could have been the same if I’d been home in Brooklyn. But it was the other 30% that really got me excited: pastel hues and floral prints I might not normally wear, tons of “leisure wear” (hello elastic waistbands and oversized casual blazers), and the mother load of tennis skirts! While I decided to forego anything short and pleated, I did work hard to integrate what I decided to call mature-lady-in-a-western-oasis authenticity into my outfits.
Nothing-New Insight #4
Embrace your inner child! Sometimes people tell me I look like I’m playing dress up, or that I remind them of their seven-year-old. I smile and say thank you. There’s lots of evidence to support the position that maintaing a childlike perspective is a key to creative thinking.
- red cowboy hat - $3 Palm Desert As Good As New
- floral blouse - $6 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- iridescent sequin tank - $5 Palm Desert Revivals
- magenta blazer - $6 Palm Desert Revivals
- green jeans - $8 Rancho Mirage Collector’s Corner
- brown riding boots - $10 Rancho Mirage Collector’s Corner
- TOTAL - $38
there’s more...
When I saw this dress, I knew I had to try it on. Since I’d never come across anything quite like it, I owed it to the thrift gods to give it a shot. To my shock, this became one of my favorite pieces of the entire week. I mean, what exactly is going on here? One part circus, one part artist’s studio, all parts nuts. All I know for sure is it’s a standout, and it was half price (originally marked $20, I got it for $10).
Nothing-New Insight #3
Fitting in is overrated. I spent a whole lot of my life trying to fit in and somehow be myself. JUST BE WHO YOU ARE. If you’re surrounding yourself with the right people, they’ll not only get it, they’ll support and appreciate it.
- red and silver scarf - $1 Palm Desert Revivals
- multi-colored dress - $10 Palm Springs Angel View Thrift
- cowboy boots - $19 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- TOTAL - $30
there’s more...
What do I do when I’m slammed with work but need to find something to wear to a wedding? Well, this time I spent 40 minutes at Buffalo Exchange and another 15 at The Sock Man on St. Mark’s. In an hour, I ended up with two possible outfits and an irrational sense of accomplishment.
As a rainbow lover, I’d usually steer clear of a black and white number, but something about this bold print seemed to be screaming for a bright pair of tights. This dress originally came with a black belt, but what’s fun about that? I love, love, love that it has pockets. It’s made from brushed cotton, so it’s super comfortable and easy to wear.
I’m thrilled to acknowledge that the photographs for this outfit (and many more coming up) are the work of the ridiculously talented and overwhelmingly generous Erin Sparling. Erin is my hero.
- black and white mini dress - $40 Buffalo Exchange
- cherries - $5 Alameda Swap Meet
- skinny red belt - $1 Starkville Palmer Home Thrift
- yellow tights - $10 The Sock Man on St. Marks
- black t-strap pumps - $2 Starkville Palmer Home Thrift
- TOTAL - $58
there’s more...
Around the fifth grade, I became enthralled by the concept of the high-powered female executive. My only real exposure came through movies, but I had an intense desire to tote a briefcase through a crowded crosswalk and take an elevator to my office where an assistant would be waiting to hand me messages. I’d stand in front of a packed conference table gesturing at a giant, upward-pointing fever chart, and this would ultimately result in applause from my fellow suit wearers, even the stodgy old guy who was skeptical a woman could hold her own in the boardroom. Of course, the whole fantasy was edited together montage-style in my head over a song about getting a leg up and not turning back. I didn’t really know what kind of work this meant I’d be doing, but I was clear it would garner two things I desperately wanted: respect and the opportunity to wear skirt suits and heels.
- pleated blouse - $2.00 Columbus Palmer Home Thrift
- skinny belt - $1.00 Columbus Palmer Home Thrift
- checked linen skirt - $3.00 Columbus Palmer Home Thrift
- peep-toe pumps - $2.00, Hush Puppies, Columbus Palmer Home Thrift
- TOTAL - $8.00
Now that I’m a designer in Brooklyn and get to wear whatever I want, I can’t imagine a life that requires pantyhose. But it’s fun to play dress up when I can find everything at a thrift store for under $10.
And now, I’d like to take a second to honor the genius of Joan Cusack, starring opposite her hair and makeup, in this reality check from Working Girl...
there’s more...
The inspiration for a nothing-new outfit can come from a tiny detail. In this case, it was this yellow, orange and brown striped scarf. As soon as I spotted it at the thrift store, I remembered an orange dress from a few racks back that I’d originally thought was too plain. Once I trimmed the brim of this orange straw hat (it had to be cut because it was too big, even for me), I was ready for my day at Churchill Downs circa 1973!
- straw hat - $1.40, Columbus Salvation Army Thrift
- sunglasses - $3.00, 23rd Street Manhattan Salvation Army Thrift
- linen dress - $4.00, Columbus Palmer Home Thrift
- striped scarf - $0.50, Columbus Palmer Home Thrift
- mary janes - $2.00, Columbus Palmer Home Thrift
- TOTAL - $10.90
How could I not fall in love with a scarf that looks like it was inspired by the color palette of the Price Is Right Showcase Showdown? This image may be blurry, but the color is as vivid as the first day Bob Barker stepped on set…
there’s more...
Everyone who knows me knows I’ll use any excuse to dress in a theme, so who’s surprised that I dressed myself like a flag for Independence Day? Ummm, no one. My starry skirt came from a trip to a thrift shop in Columbus, Mississippi. It was originally a floor-length affair until I gathered it like Fourth of July bunting and pinned it in place using two pairs of old-lady-looking earrings. The “look” is completed by a pair of leg warmers that I cut from a striped t-shirt and a red white and blue goblet that I can only imagine had some kind of crazy past life. Maybe it was the bandana plus all the stripes, but I somehow ended up looking like a patriotic pirate. Perfect for playing Rock Band and drinking “Beergaritas” with a my studiomates at Skylar and Josh’s awesome party!
there’s more...
