When in Vancouver ...

"During a lull on a train from Amsterdam to Paris, it hit me. A group of Canadian backpackers was chatting with the Belgian conductor, and inevitably the subject of Canada's southern neighbor arose.

The predictable sighs about American foreign policy were balanced by compliments about Americans' general good-heartedness -- until one of the Canadians offered a scalding criticism of American tourists' wardrobes.

'Oh, please,' I thought. 'As if Winnipeg's such a fashion capital.'

Then I looked down. He was right: my outfit was baggy (jeans), backward (hat) and blousy (shirt). I was a sartorial simp."

>>> READ MORE @ Vancouver's secondhand stores: a real treasure trove - chicagotribune.com

Designer ThriftScores

Los Angeles is lucky enough to have many Council Thrift Stores in and around its environs. My friend Erica and her teenage daughter make regular pilgrimages to the Westside to score there.

If it's important to you to shop for labels, this is one way to do it -- cheap. The goods have been vetted by shrewd volunteers and put away for the Best of the Best sales, which happen periodically through the year.

Best of all, your designer duds help those who really need it. Here's the mission: "Because of your generosity to Council Thrift Shops, NCJW/LA is able to give away more than 30,000 items to 2,000 needy individuals each year through the 20 social services agencies that partner with us at the NCJW/LA Annual Clothing Giveaway. NCJW/LA provides these same agencies, as well as its own clients, with free clothing vouchers that can be used by individuals who may be returning to the workforce or who need back-to-school clothing for their children."

Hunt and pounce

I saw this shirt, which is from a designer named Donna Lou, a few weeks ago at my local Out of the Closet. But it was pretty pricey at $8.25. I held onto it longingly, and then let it go.

Last week, it was 30 percent off ... still a little more than I wanted to spend. But Sunday, it was half off, and I pounced. I knew it wouldn't make it to the $1 rack next week.

Paying the extra $2 isn't that much in the scheme of things, especially because I really like this shirt and would have even paid double digits if it were new.

But sometimes, just sometimes, it's about hunt.

ThriftScore: Skirt!

This particular ThriftScore was a milestone for me. The purple H&M skirt cost $1 at my local Out of the Closet. Upon getting it home, I realized it was a size or two too big, and not quite flattering (if you consider wearing big purple barrels unflattering, as I do). It sat in my closet, and occasionally came out, only to be returned moments later after a look in the mirror.

For Christmas I got a sewing machine, and made a stab at taking in the sides of the skirt. I know I didn't do it exactly the right way -- it's a little clumsy if you look closely -- but I did manage after a few passes to get the line right.

One of my normal rules for ThriftScoring is not to buy anything you have to do anything to -- after all, what's your time worth on a $3.99 pair of pants or whatever? But in this case it was a way to practice my sewing, and also to turn something I would end up returning to the cycle into one of my favorite pieces of clothing.

Karma Points

 

Several years ago I lived with a man, who, at one time, was a great adventurer. He was a fierce martial artist and had lived a year in Antarctica. He'd made it a habit to climb sheer mountains, and spent summers as a fire watch in a solo cabin in the mountains. I'd somehow fallen in love with the man he used to be, and didn't recognize the one who was spending more and more time on the couch. When I'd get home from work, the TV was on featuring one judge or another. At night, he'd fall asleep in his clothes on the couch, while the ads for Cham-Wow and ambulance-chasing lawyers and Hits of the '70s compilations went unobserved.

I finally said one too many snotty comments about the TV, and right there, with the neighbors over, he unplugged it and put it on the curb.

A tentative peace returned to the kingdom, but of course, that peace would not stave off the inevitable implosion of the relationship. He left, and I lived in my home alone, happily catching my two favorite shows, The Office and 30 Rock, on my computer.

Then a lovely guy at work learned I had no TV and he felt so sorry for me that he gave me one that had been in his spare room. The parrot had bitten through the cord, but nothing a little tape couldn't fix. I accepted this TV, and used it for many years. 

Then today, my current boyfriend brought his TV over. It is bigger and better and stronger than the last one. So the old TV went out onto the curb, and on Craigslist for free. Within a half hour, someone had taken it.

The EPA tells us are 27 million televisions, 205 million computer products, and 100 million cellphones thrown out every year. Only 16 percent of those are recycled.

It takes energy to recycle, and even that creates waste. When we can extend the life cycle of a device, especially if we give it away, we earn karma points not only for ourselves, but for the environment.

To date, I've never, ever bought a TV.

ThriftScore: Boots!

When I saw these boots in my local Out of the Closet, I thought there had been some kind of mistake. They were brand new, with the paper and cardboard still in them. They were my exact size. They have this beautiful gold embossed leather over the matte black leather, with three-inch stacked heels. And they're Timberlands, which retail at $120+.

ThriftScore = $9.

Even after I paid, I felt like I stole them.

Beyond Basic

If I saw this Benetton blazer in the retail shop, I would likely give it a look and then pass it by. But it was a $1 ThriftScore, and it fit perfectly, so I scooped it up. Imagine my delight to learn that the herringbone colors matched my Rocket Dog shoes EXACTLY!

Which brings me to this: ThriftScoring allows you to branch out and coordinate your wardrobe in ways you wouldn't normally think about. And the more stuff you have, the more you can match!

(Also pictured: Halogen jeans for $4 from The Blues estate store in Redlands.)

Soles for Souls

I am very, very American. I have a great job and lots of friends and tons of wardrobe choices every day. When I go ThriftScoring, it is mostly because I want to. It's fun and cheap and ecologically responsible. But I don't want to lose sight of those whose choices are limited. Like people who have suffered great disasters, in Haiti and after Hurricane Katrina. People who HAVE to take pre-worn goods.

There's a great organization called Soles for Souls that collects gently worn shoes and ships them to the people who are the most in need. Right now the focus is on Haiti.

So I ask that if there are any shoes you don't want, need, or have simply tired of, please consider donating them. It's easy to find a location near you.

Very Important Message About Jeans

 

I'd like to talk about a subject very important to many of us. Jeans. They are the little black dress of pants. 

Jeans are solace when you're facing another long workday. Top off with a blazer and step into a sexy demiboot, and you can walk into pretty much any office and not feel schlubby. 

My favorite jeans are a pair of Lucky's that my neighbor Amy passed to me. They always felt good and fit perfectly. They were so favored that a few months ago holes appeared in the thighs. I'd patch one and another would go.

So began the search for jeans. For months. I don't know if it's my long legs and thick waist, but I have had a devil of a time finding the next great pair. Sometimes I'd ThriftScore jeans that initially fit well, only to find that the magic stretch properties made them slink down my hips as the day went on, and I felt like myself in third grade, always hiking up my tights with the dirty knees.

This weekend I went to Redlands, a town way out in the middle of California's Inland Empire (why they call it "Empire" I will never know. I would like to meet this Emperor). I found a couple pair of jeans during a quick dart into a vintage shop called The Blues (the owner cherry picks estates and puts the hot stuff in this store, and the rest goes to Redlands Thrift). The pair in the photo is a flair-leg pair of Miss Me Jeans that retail for $98 at Nordstrom. They fit well, feel good, stay up, and rock that Hendrix vibe. ThriftScore: $6.

'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.

Low Risk - High Return

This brown skirt fit well but was just too dang short to wear to work. I'm learning to sew and had some leftover blue shantung silk from a DIY headboard project, so I just figured I'd tack it on to extend the skirt.

It was a low-risk move because although I'm a novice seamstress and had a high probability of completely bungling this, the brown skirt was only $1 at my local Out of the Closet. And I wasn't wearing it anyway.

I did have a little misalignment on where the seams meet, so I made a little flower from more of the silk and just pinned it on there. 

ThriftScoring is a great way to practice your skills, without worrying too much about wrecking something if it was super cheap.

Tah dah! Now let's just hope that it doesn't all unravel in the wash ...

Garage Sale Bonanza

 

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This weekend I went to a garage sale. I happened to mention to the very nice woman in charge, who happened to be my size, that when I have a garage sale, I let people fill up a bag for $5. Well she thought this was grand and let me do the same. Two of the items I ThriftScored were these two skirts, which I reorganized into two retro aprons.

The issue I have with garage sales is that you generally can't try clothes on, so you have to be pretty good about knowing what size you are in which brand. However, if you manage to score a ton of clothes super cheap, you can still repurpose them, or hand them over to a friend. Or, of course, your local charitable thrift store.

She also sold me a pair of nearly new Stuart Weitzmans for $2. 

Michele's ThriftScore

My mother is a great ThriftScorer. I can guarantee pretty much everything in this picture, from 1968, is a Thrift Score.  Even the pram!

Today, Michele brings us an excellent angle on ThriftScoring.

"Other Mothers in Maplewood, NJ is amazing. It is stocked with gently worn children's clothing. My son grows like a weed, so I take clothing there for trade-ins. I just picked up a London Fog rain coat for him for under $10, and it is in excellent condition."

Kids go so quickly through clothes -- weather they're growing out of them or destroying them by the impromptu roll around the mud -- why WOULDN'T you make ThriftScoring your main mode of buying for them? Likewise for maternity wear. Unless you are expecting to win an Academy Award on national TV and need a sparkly new number that will behoove your bump, why not ThriftScore your clothes for those six months you're showing and save the rest of your pennies for spa treatments?