$1 Necklace

Lately, I've been appreciating the Walmart jewelry clearance section. In a recent post, I wrote about a bracelet from Walmart, and then on my last trip I found this necklace (shown below) for $1. 

Happiness!

Top: LOFT, $4 from a consignment store

Pants: Gap, $4 from Goodwill

Cardigan: $11 from Belk

Boots: $20 from Belk

Necklace: $1 from Walmart

Total: $40

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A Professional Outfit

I'm experiencing some camera envy looking at the difference between my home photos and my professional headshot above.

Anyway, I wanted to share how I score professional pieces cheap. The process of finding in-tact, professional clothing at thrift stores can be a chore. Be prepared to spend a long time looking at and trying on clothes. But! You WILL save a lot of money.

Purchasing button-up shirts from Goodwill or GCF is actually a very easy way to save when upgrading your professional wardrobe. Collared shirts are easy to spot on the rack, so you won't have to strain to find them. Look for durable fabric.

Pants are more difficult because you'll probably need to hem them. If you don't know how, google "how to hem pants." There are ways to cheat. I'm not a skilled seamstress by any means and I've figured out ways around the sewing issue.

As stated in my last post, I'm willing to spend more on suit jackets because well-fit ones are difficult to find. You may find this to be the most expensive part of your thrifted professional wardrobe.

Finally, read this. This article will help you focus towards finding the best-looking clothing for your body and how to pair clothing together to make expensive-looking outfits.

Top: East 5th brand, $3 at Goodwill

Jacket: Apt 9 brand, $8 at Hut no. 8

Pants: Twenty one brand, but I've had them for so long I don't even know where I bought them

Shoes: $4 from a thrift store

Total: about $20

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Sparkle Blazer

I bought this jacket because I thought it would be nice to wear around the holidays (Christmas and New Years). I love the gold colored threads in the fabric and the gold buttons. At $22, it was more than I like to spend on one item of clothing. For high quality items such as blazers, however, I remind myself that I'll be hard pressed to find these pieces at a lower price.

What are some items that you are willing to spend more on?

Have you met my garage sale mannequin?

Top: LOFT, $3 at Goodwill

Skirt: BCBG/Max Azria, $0 - $4?

Blazer: Old Navy brand, $22 at a consignment store

Wedges: $7 - $15 at Plato's Closet

Necklace: AEO, $8

Total: $40 - $52

(Sorry, I can't remember some of the prices!!)

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Floral Cardi

I am so happy to have found this floral cardigan at Goodwill. It is 55% silk and it matches my second new oversized grad school handbag. (See my first bag here.)

Cardigan: Madison brand, $4 from Goodwil

Shirt: free, secondhand from a friend

Necklace: $12 from a gift shop

Bracelet: $3 in the Walmart clearance section

Jeans: $8 from A.E.O

Shoes: $20 from A.E.O.

Bag: $10 from Plato's Closet

Total (with purse): $57

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Lacy Ruffles

Cami: free, secondhand from a friend

Necklace: ~$4 from Uptown Cheapskate

Cardigan: $11 from Belk

Crops: ~$18 from A.E.O.

Shoes: ALDO, $5 - $10 from Plato's Closet

Bracelet 1: $3 from A.E.O

Bracelet 2: $3 from Hallmark

Hairclip: family gift

Total: estimated $40 - $49

See how else I paired the cami here.

American Eagle bracelet

Hallmark bracelet

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Pastel Purple Sandals

I once had a dream that I owned a closet full of shoes of every color. For some reason, this dream has since heavily impacted my view of shoe choices. At the time of the dream I owned red, black, white, tan, and brown shoes. I have since sought to purchase shoes of many colors, including these $5 beauties.

What aspects do you consider when purchasing a shoe?

Scarf: $8 from American Eagle Outfitters

Crops: about $18 from A.E.O

Top: LOFT, $3 from Goodwill (probably 90% off retail)

Sandals: C. Wonder, $5 from a local consignment store

Headband: $10 

Total: $44

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Oversized Grad School Handbag

Of course if I'm getting a new bag for grad school, it's going to have enough space to hold a mid-sized filing cabinet.

I purchased this Jaclyn Smith (a Kmart brand, I later discover) from a nearby consignment store for about 50-60% off retail price. This wasn't my most successful purchase, as the bag has been proven to be of low quality. Knowing brands before you purchase second hand is always helpful to give you hints about the kind of bargain you're getting.

Oh well, I'm still learning.

Top: H&M, $3 from Goodwill

Crops: $20 from American Eagle

Flats: $12 at American Eagle

Earrings: $3

Bag: $10 

Total: $48

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Coffee Table and Makeover for $12

Table: $3 at the State Surplus Agency

Sandpaper: $1 at Dollar Tree

Spray Paint: $8 at Lowe's Hardware

A few years ago, we lucked out on finding this hideous, yet ridiculously cheap coffee table. It had a broken leg that I have since glued firmly to the table. Because this table was only $3 and still has hints of having a broken leg, I decided it would be a great project for me to practice my sanding and painting skills. I made a few mistakes, one of which was using too heavy a grain of sandpaper and overly-scratching the table. But overall, I'm so glad I was able to practice!

 Please admire the original, beautiful scratched orange-brown finish below:

I was surprised at the paleness of the fake wood underneath the paint:

The middle of the table, mostly before sanding. We love the pattern of the wood.

 Ta-da! Here is the finished product.

I didn't want the legs to stain the carpet, so that's why there are paper towels under the legs in the picture.

Bonus: The couch pictured here was free from a friend!

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