Newbie Thrifter

[Aia]

What is considered "middle aged" and how are they supposed to dress?!

I remember my Gran still wore 3 inch heel and a long sequin gown when
she was 86 and went to dances.  She looked good too.

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Aia, I'm in my 50s, and I consider that to be middle-aged. I don't want to dress like the "Real Housewives of Orange County", for example. But I don't want to dress like Shelly Winters did in "Roseanne", either.

 I love your gramma's style! I hope I'm doing that when I am 86!

[ChrisMiss]

That was entirely appropriate for her to wear a long gown, sequins, and 3 inch heels to a dance.  It would not have been appropriate for her to wear that to a doctor’s office or to go shopping.  I personally would have a problem wearing the heels but that’s because of my physical limitations, not because I think I’m too old to wear them. 

Like SeSo I too am in my 50’s.  I’m very comfortable with my age, my gray hair, my “earned” wrinkles and with who I am.  I dress the way I want, not by what fashion dictates, because fashion will change next season.  My “style” on the other hand will not change, but hopefully it will evolve to reflect me. 

[Aia]

Ahhh.  I don't necessarily dress to the "style" either.
My Gran always told me to go with classic pieces and
then dress them up or down with accessories. 
Accessories can make your look "new"
without having to get rid of your whole
wardrobe because after one season it is dated.

I have tried to follow that advice, and I do agree.
I don't think you should go around wearing half
shirts and short shorts (unless your at the beach)
no matter what age you are...but then..ever notice most designers are men, and you
never hear them complaining about females not being covered enough

[ChrisMiss]

Aia your Gran sounds like she dressed beautifully and tastefully.  Sounds like she's a very elegant woman.

SeSo, do you like silk?  I like silk but am having a hard time finding any silk blouses that are long enough for my long torso.  My husband has me on the lookout all the time for silk shirts for him too.  He loves how nice and cool silk is in the summer.  Silk fabric is very light too compared to cotton or other fabrics.  We both don't like that weave of silk that is very thick and rough.  We both prefer the silky silk that slides over the skin.

[alexandra]

At 45, I consider myself middle aged.  I have a twin -- she thinks my clothes are boring. I think she dresses like Peg Bundy.  It's not a problem when we thrift together, as we are rarely interested in the same clothing.  Now that I am of a more mature age, I do tend to stay away from mini-skirts or anything with too many ruffles.  I also pay attention to brands.  Brands that are cut for young girls (Hollister, Aeropostal), don't wear as well as stuff that is cut more genrously (J Crew, Lauren, Adolfo, Liz, etc.).  I try to buy "timeless" stuff -- oxfords, polo shirts, jeans, chinos, etc.  I don't wear a lot of dresses or suits.  If I suddenly had to, I don't know what I'd do.  It would just be too strange!

Methinks that if you live to be 86, you get to wear what you want... and by that time, you probably know how to carry it off!

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Chrismiss I adore silk! It is such a sensuous fabric and feeling against the skin. And, as you mention, because it is a natural fabric, it breathes beautifully. 

Would that I could find great silk in thrifts!  You already know the kind I find, the chintzy, rough, icky kind. 

I guess I could buy it new--but spending big bucks just to wear it to Publix (my biggest event of the week) seems like a waste of money (Yeah, I know I should get a life, but I can't afford one right now )

Alexandra, you are so funny!  Who'd think you'd have twin who, in your words, dresses like Peg Bundy?

And I know what you all mean about dresses and suits!  I would love to wear dresses, except that I can't find one I can A. tolerate; and/or B. that fits me.  It's so good knowing that there are other fabulous women out there who deal with this also!

It's a constant evolution for me.  Though I will share a secret with you gals:

I decided that I would buy one really fabulous piece of clothing late last winter: I got a Wolford bodysuit from one of "those" stores. It cost $$$.  My husband was teasing me saying, "I can't tell the difference", until he saw it on. Then he could tell the difference for sure!  It is stunning and well-made and classic and elegant. Sometimes I just have to bite the bullet. Here I can wear it pretty much from now until April and I can acessorize it all different ways and wear it just about everything I own (and for what I paid for it, I should be able to do that!) Dress it up or dress it down--I can wear it to a thrift and then out to dinner at some chi-chi restaurant. Now, that to me is a bargain. I wear it along with all my thrifted stuff. Nobody knows that it came from Nieman's, but, OTOH, nobody knows all my thrifted stuff came from thrift stores, either. 

Ciao, my beauties!
SeSo

[ChrisMiss]

I had to google Peg Bundy to see who she was.  That's too funny that you say your twin dresses like her. 

I also had to google the Wolford bodysuit and WOW! those are great looking.  As mentioned buy what you love!  I've always loved the look of a bodysuit but they don't fit me right since my torso is so long.  It sounds great to wear any where you want.

You can't find silk blouses?  I'm always running across them, my favorite is Liz Clairborne.  I will stand there and think to myself "I can do it, I can fit my extra large sized body into this small sized blouse"  But then reality sets in and I don't buy it, I just clean the drool off of the blouse.

[alexandra]

Too much information, I know... but my hubby refers to my sister as "The Anti-Christ" or "The Evil Twin!"  Yes, he does like her... He just laughs when people find out about her and ask if he'd ever gotten us mixed up.

I am wearing a yellow silk blouse today -- Talbots brand.  The silk is in excellent condition, but as I was putting it on, I noticed it was missing a few buttons.  Oh well! That's what the sweater I am wearing over it is for... cashmere, of course!

I have had decent luck finding silk that hasn't been ruined.  But I am also guilty of putting a silk shirt in the dryer here and there (and thereby ruining it).  It's easier to swallow that sort of mistake when one has only paid a buck or two for the shirt.

I do love silk -- I have a thing for all natural fibers.  I am just not a synthetic loving girl.

In my younger rebellious punk-inspired youth, I wore a lot of animal prints.  Now I don't do that much at all.

I feel like a clutz in high heels, but every so often I see a pair that I just lust for, so I buy them.  Because I pay so little, it's not such a big deal that they don't get worn too much.

Thrifting has helped me hone my sense of fashion to be more traditional.  It has kept me from impulse buying, as I have to wait until it's a half off tag day.  By that time, I've decided whether I really need the item or not.

Until I got into thrifting, I was very unisex in my style.  I didn't have the funds to really concentrate on pretty things.  My clothes needed to be sturdy for work and rather neutral.    Now that I thrift, I can be more creative because each peice I buy doesn't have to do double duty.  Or maybe it's that the clothes I buy are so well made and well styled that I do get more use out of them.

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[Aia]

All I ever see is people wearing sweaters with white polos.  Isn't any other color shirt ok to wear with a sweater?!?!   The only white shirts I ever come across always have make up or something else staining the collar

[Jay2TheRescue]

All I ever see is people wearing sweaters with white polos.  Isn't any other color shirt ok to wear with a sweater?!?!   The only white shirts I ever come across always have make up or something else staining the collar

Right now I'm wearing a dark brown button down shirt with a brown sweater, tan cords, and black Chuck Taylors... 

-Jay

[foutchie]

I like layered color - no reason to stick to white, color has more impact and shows more imagination too!

[elementalcharmer]

Hi folks. New to the forums and I must say I love to shop thrift stores. I always have. When I was a kid on the weekends my mom and us kids would hit the different stores in the Mesa/Phoenix area. We had so much fun and it has carried over to my adult life. The only problemm with thrift stores is they very rarely have any clothes that fit me as I am not a normal sized guy (6'5" 305) So it can be depressing when your friends find all this cool stuff and I come away with a book or two...lol

[dukek9]

Elemental Charmer,

Are you still in the Phoenix area?  Because i have noticed a few Phoenix people around here that might be able to give you some leads on some good stores to go to that are more likely to have sizes for you or even a bigger selection, thus upping your odds.

Me, I lived in Tucson many years and get homesick for it every time someone mentions shopping in that area.  (Ok, it's winter here and really, really, really cold and we've had steel grey skies for days now so I miss the area for the weather.  Oddly enough, that happens a lot at this time of year, but I digress).

Anyway, there are a lot of great thrifts in that area, but even if you don't live there anymore, don't despair.  There are great thrifts out there and cool things out there for you. 

One thing I would suggest is going to any thrifts near a big/tall man's store or any store that carries your size. Also be sure to keep an eye out for any stores that donate to the thrifts.  Make friends with the clerks and stockers and they may well tell you that they have new stock coming in that will fit you. Or they may tell you that they always get leftover stock from such and such store at a certain time.

Finally, just keep looking!  You may go sometimes and find nothing, but then another time find a lot of stuff. 

Dee