Two phrases I never thought would ever escape my lips: I love mom jeans and ...oh, these jeans? I picked them up in Paris. But here we are. In the words of the Beibs, never say never, baby. (Also, the irony isn't lost on me that I had to go overseas to finally find the perfect pair of American-made vintage jeans.) Fashion and your own tastes can surprise you, and while these jeans would have been (and very much were) the bane of my existence as a pre-teen, I love them now.
Like any good closet staples, these vintage Levi's 501s and sweet ballet flats from Repetto have been on heavy rotation lately. The shoes were a score from ThredUp. Arrived brand new in their box, which still had the original price tag on it... but I'll get to that in a second. If you're unfamiliar with ThredUp, it's an online destination for gently used women's clothing. ThredUp is chock full of great pieces at prices similar to that of a higher end thrift store or consignment shop. You can buy and sell, which makes it a nice option for offloading pieces from your closet you no longer need or want, and there are often discount codes available and free shipping at certain thresholds... phew! Which means these gorgeous little leather flats ended up being just over $50. A very far cry from their original price from Bergdorf's, which was marked with the original sticker on the box at $350. Seriously... This is why I love thrift shopping, guys.
I learned early on in life that taking the time to scour the racks at thrift and secondhand stores will often reward you with pieces that you might not typically be able to afford, along with giving you complete creative control of your wardrobe. I have a collection of classic Coach and Dooney & Bourke bags as proof (all priced under $20, thank you very much). And one-of-a-kind vintage. And multiple items crafted from high end fabrics that would normally be laughably out of my price range. Plus, the satisfaction that comes with saying "oh, this old thing? I thrifted it for $6 bucks" really can't be beat. The time taken to comb through racks and drive to far-off Salvation Armies is far more rewarding to me than just popping into the mall to get exactly the thing I'm looking for. I like a challenge. I like to let the universe help me out a bit. And this year, I'm taking control of my closet and rediscovering my love for thrifting and secondhand in all its iterations, both online and IRL. It took awhile to comb through ThredUp to find a piece that fit my criteria (a piece my closet is currently lacking, well made, good condition, could work with multiple outfits and more than one season), but I approached it as I would any other secondhand shopping trip. You're not always going to find something, but eventually you will. And it'll be great. And sure enough, on my third site visit, there they were. The pair of walkable, go-with-just-about-everything shoes I've been looking for. And for a fraction of the cost of buying new. Resolution realized. Control taken. Secondhand forever.
Get the look: Schott NYC 'Ex-Boyfriend' Jacket // H&M Sweater // Vintage Levi's 501 jeans // Repetto "Camille" ballet flats via ThredUp // Zodiac 'Aquarius' ring via Moorea Seal
Note: A portion of the cost of shoes + shipping was provided by ThredUp. All opinions are my own.
Like any good closet staples, these vintage Levi's 501s and sweet ballet flats from Repetto have been on heavy rotation lately. The shoes were a score from ThredUp. Arrived brand new in their box, which still had the original price tag on it... but I'll get to that in a second. If you're unfamiliar with ThredUp, it's an online destination for gently used women's clothing. ThredUp is chock full of great pieces at prices similar to that of a higher end thrift store or consignment shop. You can buy and sell, which makes it a nice option for offloading pieces from your closet you no longer need or want, and there are often discount codes available and free shipping at certain thresholds... phew! Which means these gorgeous little leather flats ended up being just over $50. A very far cry from their original price from Bergdorf's, which was marked with the original sticker on the box at $350. Seriously... This is why I love thrift shopping, guys.
I learned early on in life that taking the time to scour the racks at thrift and secondhand stores will often reward you with pieces that you might not typically be able to afford, along with giving you complete creative control of your wardrobe. I have a collection of classic Coach and Dooney & Bourke bags as proof (all priced under $20, thank you very much). And one-of-a-kind vintage. And multiple items crafted from high end fabrics that would normally be laughably out of my price range. Plus, the satisfaction that comes with saying "oh, this old thing? I thrifted it for $6 bucks" really can't be beat. The time taken to comb through racks and drive to far-off Salvation Armies is far more rewarding to me than just popping into the mall to get exactly the thing I'm looking for. I like a challenge. I like to let the universe help me out a bit. And this year, I'm taking control of my closet and rediscovering my love for thrifting and secondhand in all its iterations, both online and IRL. It took awhile to comb through ThredUp to find a piece that fit my criteria (a piece my closet is currently lacking, well made, good condition, could work with multiple outfits and more than one season), but I approached it as I would any other secondhand shopping trip. You're not always going to find something, but eventually you will. And it'll be great. And sure enough, on my third site visit, there they were. The pair of walkable, go-with-just-about-everything shoes I've been looking for. And for a fraction of the cost of buying new. Resolution realized. Control taken. Secondhand forever.
Get the look: Schott NYC 'Ex-Boyfriend' Jacket // H&M Sweater // Vintage Levi's 501 jeans // Repetto "Camille" ballet flats via ThredUp // Zodiac 'Aquarius' ring via Moorea Seal
Note: A portion of the cost of shoes + shipping was provided by ThredUp. All opinions are my own.
