5 Reasons to Wear Gray Jeans This Summer

Blue jeans are so easy and multipurpose that I end up throwing them on frequently. That's rather boring which is why I've been on a thrift hunt for gray denim. Still easy and multipurpose but cooler - literally and figuratively. 

Thrifted and Quilted

The majority of my closet is either old or thrifted. I've had this blouse for at least a decade. I'm surprised it's held up this long. I basically keep it around because I am black blouse deficient. I hold on to for the times like this when I really want all black as a background for a statement piece. I wanted the quilted Floreat skirt from my last thrift haul to be the full show.

Thriftanista Style File: Color Pops and #KissNailDress

I am not complaining about the weather at all. I will say there are wardrobe challenges now since it's too hot for tights and wool dresses / skirts. My summer clothes are mostly wrinkled and packed away. 

I won tickets to a fashion show and I needed a weather appropriate outfit.

I was able to find this dress hanging out in my closet. I bought it during the winter months so it wasn't packed away. It's a pseudo bandage dress (minus the tightness) and it's color blocked. Two past passing trends in one!

The green jacket -- I didn't put away because I adore the bright green color.

The leather clutch is nice and simple. A nice break from my Mama bag. I'm thinking about a DIY for it. Neon paint? Hardware? or just leave it alone?

The Stuart Weitzman pumps are growing on me. They're really girly. I smile when I look down at the flowers on my feet. Also, the heel height is really manageable on my "de-conditioned to high heels" feet.

Voila! All ready for momcation.

Green blazer - Russ Petites (thrifted)
Black/pink dress  Rabbit Rabbit designs (thrifted)
Black leather clutch - Higbee Company (thrifted)
Floral pumps - Stuart Weitzman (thrifted)

This is what I wore on my nails -- Kiss Nail Dress in a lovely shade of pink with sparkly rhinestones. I have been wanting to try them out for a while. I'm glad I had the opportunity with Influenster.

I love the texture of the rhinestones and can't stop myself from running my fingertips over them several times a day. I found the "dresses" to be really easy to apply. You have to go slow to get them on straight but you don't have 4 coats to be mindful of and there's no drying time. Woot, woot! I do have some lifting now on day 3 but it's not noticeable at all. They last up to 10 days. Because of the fickle factor, I will probably be ready to remove them on Day 5. We'll see.

Are you facing any style challenges right now? Have you tried Kiss Nail Dress?

Thrift Find: Black and White Pinstriped 80's Dress

I went to my favorite Ethiopian restaurant and wore a black and white pinstriped 80's dress I thrifted about a month ago. I don't always dress up when I go. I'm just running low on clothes again. All that's left are the dresses. Laundry is a beast!

This is my first time wearing it. I liked the elastic waist, ruffles, and vertical stripes. It has a stain on the back though. There's a reddish mark right in the center back. I thought it would come out in the wash but nope! It's stained. I can't understand. How does one get a reddish stain in the center of your back? It's very odd. Wearing it anyway.

Luckily, I have this yummy green cardigan to hide the damn spot stain. I find it hard to just wear all black and white anyway. It's one trend I don't think I'll be able to do. I like a splash of color somewhere.

I bought the booties in January and this is my first time wearing them outside. You know how I talk about being fashion fickle? Well, it looks like these booties have fallen victim. First of all, they're not very practical for the wet snowy weather we've been having. Second, I haven't found the right outfit to compliment them. Guess that means another shopping trip is in order or throw the boots in the donate pile.

THRIFT Isaac Mizrahi for Target cardigan - Stuart Randolph 80's dress - 80's stretchy belt - aviator sunglasses RETAIL Falke wool tights - Betsey Johnson booties

In other news, did you catch the Shutterfly giveaway? There's a photo acrylic block up for grabs! Great for your home, office, or as a gift. Check it out.

Google Reader is going away. Is anyone else super sad? I love my reader. I've already made the switch to bloglovin though. What's your alternative?

Baubles Bustier and Mom's Jeans

The best things in life are free. These new to me jeans are from my mama's closet. My mom came for a visit and dropped all a few pairs from her hoarder like stash of denim. I've been meaning to replace the ones that no longer fit but I blew my loosey goosey thrift budget up this summer! More so than usual.

Thrifted Outfit // Leopard Print Jacket

It's thrift store finds like this leopard print ruffled back jacket that remind me how badly I need to clean my closet. The really great pieces are getting lost in the jumble. I let out a tiny squeal when I spotted this jacket at Savers a couple of years ago. I have only worn it a couple of times since thrifting it though.

Stay at Home Moms Wear Crop Tops Too

I'm wearing a sheer back crop top on what I believe to be the last hotter than hot day in Chicago for a while. It really sasses up the typical stay at home mom style du jour. Leopard print just wasn't enough.

I held the siren back with a thrift store classic -- elastic waist midi skirt and ladylike peep toe wedges.

Thrift + Style: White Shorts

White shorts are complicated. They are not my friend. Yellow pants,  pink skirts, and other brights are more my style. Way too much drama with white. I have very few all white clothing and you will never see me at a white party dressed in all white.

I bought a $3 pair of white shorts from the thrift because...I don't know. My fashion fickle was probably all over it last year. Perhaps, I was won over by the high waist. The shorter length gives me a faux height boost too.

Thrift + Style: Vintage Cape

I read Buzzfeed's 19 Signs You're Addicted to Thrift Shopping. One of the signs was having different ideas than most about what's still cool. Well, that's me. That's me in my vintage microsuede cape. I found it at Goodwill last week along with the reversible clutch. It was steep at $7 but I had to have it. I sewed a cape long ago but it just wasn't functional for my work bag, train commuting lifestyle so I gave it away. Hopefully, I'll get some use out of this one. Knowing how my fashion fickle works, I'll probably tire of it in a week. 

DIY Vintage Blazer to Sleeveless Coat

Sleeveless coats and blazers are popping up on the fashion scene this fall and I'm here to tell you that it's pretty easy and extremely pocket friendly to make your own. Coats are expensive. There's no way I'm going to spend beaucoup bucks on a coat that doesn't have sleeves. It's simple enough to make your own.

4 Key Pieces to Leave Out of the Donation Pile

When I get the urge to purge, I run from closet to closet like a mad woman throwing things in bags to cart off to Goodwill. I'm pretty good about letting go of pieces because I know there is more fabulous to be had. Despite my proclivity to fashion fickle, I know these key pieces will always have purpose in my closet.

Top 10 Posts of 2012

I'm still enjoying the holiday. Indulging and enjoying the time with family and friends. I'm sharing with you the most viewed posts of 2012. The #1 post just happens to be my favorite thrift finds of 2012. As I look through this post, I have to say, I would never wear some of these outfits today (I'm looking at you 2nd most viewed post). Fashion fickle that is me.

10. Ruffle Bib Dress
features all thrifted everything including a fabulous pair of Stuart Weitzman floral pumps

9. DIY Maxi Skirt to Flouncy Tunic

an easy no sew "diy" and wardrobe expander

8. Thrifted Treasure: Thriftanista in a Trench
one of my favorite thrift finds and unsold etsy item. I think it's in need of a DIY. Stay tuned...



7. Thrifted Treasure: H&M Sweater Dress
of all the stuff I've thrifted, this is probably my husband's favorite :)



6. DIY Mullet Dress
a too long dress shortened to show the gams!



5. Style File: Statement Necklace
first foray into big old jewelry and another wear of the thrifted floral capri pants



4. My Mothers' Day Look
pumps featuring every color of the rainbow and then some!

3. On the road to even skin tone
a sponsored post with extreme close-ups of my naked skin

2. Thrifted Treasure: Red Plaid Shirt

what I wore to my television debut

1. DIY leopard playsuit
RAWR!!! another completed thrifted outfit featuring my favorite print

What's your favorite? How are you spending the holidays?

{The Thriftanista Closet} Style Capsule #2

The bad thing about shopping for The Thriftanista Closet is that I find stylish goodies that I want to keep for myself. My closet is getting pretty stuffed and I seriously need to scale back. There's no way I'm letting my Goodwill birthday discount coupon go to waste though. I visited my favorite Northbrook store and picked this Akira ruffled dress. 

Pretty and Preppy in Oxfords

I like to mix and mingle with different styles. Even before the days of thrifting, I considered my style pretty eclectic and hodge podge. It's the fashion fickle in me, I guess. Oxfords appeal to my miniscule preppy side. They have always been my thing.

Ruffle Shirtdress and Watermelon Earrings

I tried not to sweat all over the dress but was unsuccessful. Even under my shady tree, it's pretty hot. The light green sherbet color of this shirtdress isn't keeping me particularly cool either. I'm always a little apprehensive when I buy cheap clothes on Amazon but this one turned out to be a winner. The polyester fabric doesn't absorb the sweat at all. Otherwise, I'm pretty pleased. Off the shoulder ruffles are my jam.