Gettin' Thrifty With It: Old Man Sweater

There are a lot of items I'm proud to say that I have found while thrifting, but these leather boots are definitely one of my proudest finds. I picked them up at the Gig Harbor Goodwill of all places about two years ago. I remember I stopped to pick up a pair of cheap throwaway shoes because I had worn the wrong shoes to go to a show in. They were tall, uncomfortable and just entirely inappropriate for a concert where I'd be standing for a good 3-4 hours. So when I stumbled upon these beauties in the bin that hadn't even been put on the shelves yet, it was a sign from a higher power that they had to be mine.

Along with the boots, the top came from the Gig Harbor Goodwill, just a simple t-shirt with mint stripes. My sweater and skirt are a couple other great finds - two of many from Urban Xchange down in Tacoma. It's definitely one of my favourite thrift stores to scour, because it is so picky that there really isn't as much junk to dig through. However, because the selection is so small, there aren't a lot of options for my size 10 self. Thankfully, this sweater came from the men's section.

If I could give one tip for thrifting - especially if you're big on top - shop the men's section for sweaters, sweatshirts, and jackets. If they are slightly wonky in places, you can always get them tailored if you have the patience or funds for such a venture. I'm too lazy for that, so I'm just picky in what I actually buy at thrift stores.

The only parts of this outfit that aren't thrifted are the tights and socks, because we all know that it's both gross - and impossible - to find used hosiery. That is one thing I will always buy new. I mean, ack.

Both items were actually Christmas gifts from my mom, or "Santa." This year she filled mine and my sister's stockings with... stockings. But I know they both came from Marshall's. It's hard to hide those stickers.

I picked this necklace up from my mom's old vintage store - I'm guessing it's from the 70s, but I'm not entirely sure to be honest.

I've decided to enter myself into Dearest Lou's Thriftfanatic of the Week contest, so you should check out her blog. She does these weekly to help share the thrifting love, and I think it's a pretty cool idea. As much as I love online shopping (oh dear god can I please find a pair of 18th Amendment jeans that fit me?!), thrifting is usually where I end up because of how financially viable it is and because every time it's a grab bag of awesome!

I will admit, being on the curvier side can make thrifting a little disheartening because most of the stuff in my size that I find are painfully outdated (and not in a good way), and aren't flattering at all. A couple last pieces of advice I can give for those of us without thigh gaps or the need for bra padding - never stop looking for the perfect thrift store, and browse Etsy on the regular. I have a shop, if you were wondering. The link is up on my link bar, but I'll make it easier for you and link it right here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/hautemvintage

Keep on the lookout for more thrifted outfits - I've found a couple great pieces in the last several months that I'm dying to put together.

Best wishes

-Abby