This Is Why You Should Be Shopping In Thrift Stores

When I was younger, I dreaded walking into thrift stores with my mom. It felt like my social life would go down the drain if my peers saw me in there.

Fast forward to today, you can't keep me out of the thrift store. Thank you mom, for giving me the thrifting bug. I must say I am a thrift store connoisseur, and you should be one too. Ok, maybe connoisseur is a strong word, but you know what I mean. Here is why I say you should be shopping at the thrift store.


1. Experiment with styles
   
     Shopping at the thrift store gives you a chance to try new pieces without spending a lot of money. I fell in love with pleated skirts by thrift shopping.

2. Supporting a good cause

    Most thrift stores serve some other purpose other than just selling clothes. Local thrift stores in my area support developmentally disabled adults, and another one recycles clothing that goes to waste. You can even donate to the stores and receive a tax credit!!

3. Find authentic ethnic clothing

    Shop at a thrift store in a culturally diverse area of town and you are sure to find some authentic pieces that people have donated.

4. Your friends won't have your clothes

     You never have to worry about going somewhere and having on the same dress as your girl. Generally there is 1 of everything at the thrift store.

5. Saving money

     You can lower your budget amount on clothing, because you'll get so many things at a lower cost.

6. Bargain prices

   Along with saving money, prices are low at the thrift store. Find the sale dates in your area, and you can leave with some dirt cheap items.

7. It's fun

    You never know what you will find at the thrift store. It kind of like a treasure hunt.

8. You can outfit the entire family

    The thrift store  is for everybody, it does not discriminate. Young, old, boy, girl, woman, man, and possibly pet too.

I would like to know if you thrift shop. If you do, tell me why. I hope these 8 things persuaded you to try out a thrift store near you soon.

Be Blessed! Be Free! Be Fashionable!

~Chris

What's Up With ChristinaKristin?

Happy Hump Day ChrisKris supporters! Christina and I know it 's been a little quiet lately so we wanted to inform you of some new things we have been working on. We have two new additions to the blog. We have finally set up a Poshmark account, so that you can shop from our closets. You can find our shop through the tab labeled 'shop our closet' on our home page. There is also a new section called '(Kris)tin's World' where you will find my personal insights about life, food, travel and more in a new blog called 'Once Upon A Stylish Life' (Chris)tina's World is also on it's way. 

*Update as of 4/3/14 (Chris)tina's World premiers today at 1:00pm.


With the warmer seasons finally here, look for a steady stream of posts like our Top 5 Spring Trends, Chris's/Kris's Closet, Style Adventures and Her Style/My Way.Until then check out the latest posts on onceuponastylishlife.blogspot.com

Be Blessed! Be Free! Be Fashionable!
Kris,

Kristin's Top 5 Fall Trends of 2013!!! Part II

Hey it's Kristin!!!

5 Fall trends I'm crushing on for 2013!!! Part II

The Shopping List!!!
Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I decided to try something different and break up my top five fall trend post. It always seems to take a long time to collect all the photos and information. I have to do a lot of research to find my five trends, select photos from dozens of designers who usually have 'ready to wear' and 'couture' collections for the same season, then find items online at my favorite shopping sites to create that particular look I discussed that you can purchase if you want. This past Wednesday, I posted my top five favorite trends for the season with photos from the designers who showed the trends in their collections. Today I wanted to show you some of my selections that you can get today should your heart desire. Most of the sites are sites I shop regularly. Since we all have different budgets, I selected many different price points from the trendy store to the high-end department store. Check out my selections and refresh your wardrobe!

5. White on White 

I have never been a fan of white for myself though I love the way it looks on everyone else. I will admit I have been very afraid of it for many reasons. White is not forgiving when it comes to size or stains and I am not a very small girl past my short stature nor am I very careful. Clumsy should be my middle name. This all white trend is beautiful though and has inspired me. I pulled together a complete white look for you today. In a perfect world I can imagine myself wearing this, at least until I was ready to eat or drink. It would have to be an all clear food day with an emergency stain removing kit on hand. Check out my completely white look!

1. Coal Emma Hat Antique White 6pm.com $54.99

2. MICHAEL Michael Kors Cassandra Belted Trench zappos.com $134

3. Pure Serenity Sweater Modcloth.com $47.99

4. Ann Taylor Corduroy Pants Winter White $59.99-$79.99

5. Style&co. Mickay Boots Winter White $79

4. Emerald 

 I love the idea of bright and bold colors. Bright colors have been proven to improve our moods and the moods of those around us. When I am having a bad morning, I throw on a bright color and some make-up. Really it helps! Last week, of all the bright colors designers showed for the season, I selected emerald for my color to focus on for my season trend list. Since then I have located some fun emerald pieces that I personally love. Check them out!

1.  Emerald Mink Faux Fur Perfect Little Jacket fabulousfurs.com $149

2. Belle Badgley Mischka Crepe  Faux-Leather Peplum Dress dillards.com $149

3. Elvira Sazesh Emerald Green Suede Bracelet boticca.com $71

4. DianeVon Furstenberg Sutra Mini Shoulder Bag  saksfifthavenue.com $295 

5. Jessica Simpson Shirley Pump amazon.com $33.99-$79.99

3. Leather

Leather is one of the most expensive trends this season. I always advise starting at the thrift store for vintage leather and sometimes you get lucky and find some current pieces that someone decided just wasn't for them. If you must shop for new leather, the leather look aka 'vegan leather' is just as fun. Some of the leather look pieces I have seen have been so close to real that I must admit I have almost been fooled a few times. Either way leather will always have a place in our closets during the cold seasons. I see this purchase as an investment. This is true unless the leather piece is a pair of overalls, a trend that we saw sprouting last spring/summer that will be even bigger this coming spring. A pair of vegan leather overalls would be the way to go since this is probably not going to be a long lasting trend. A genuine leather skirt will probably be something you will get to wear many times over the years. Check out some of the real and faux leather pieces I love!

1. ASOS Overalls in Leather Look asos.com $86.32

2. BCBG MAXAZRIA Laika Leather Mini Skirt Dark Poppy zappos.com $138

3. Betsey Johnson Laser Cut Faux Leather Dress betseyjohnson.com $168

4.  Mason by Micheele Mason Leather Paneled Printed Dress net-a-porter.com $495

5. Metallic Leather Swing Tee TopShop $190

2. Plaid

Plaid comes in so many color options. I love red plaids or a plaid with at least a little red in it. I am sure that is evident with my selections. After the Met Gala with it's Punk themed exhibits, I noticed a lot of designers showed lots of plaid, creating preppy and punk looks with it. To recap, my favorite looks came from the Moschino collection. The collection included completely plaid pantsuits with matching hats. It was great for runway purposes but for everyday, I suggest one piece of plaid at a time. These are a few of my selections.

1. Arts Thread X UO Nicolette Plaid Dress Urban Outfitters $99

2. Topshop Plaid Tube Skirt Nordstrom $48

3. Lovers + Friends 'Days Like These' Drape Front Jacket  Nordstrom $148

4. Vivienne Westwood Flutter W1056 zappos.com  $485

5. LAUREN Ralph Lauren Tartan Touch Glove zappos.com $45

1. Beanies

My favorite trend is also the cheapest if you know where to shop. While I really love the different options for beanies this season, I will probably end up buying most of my beanies from the same place I buy my hair products. Being a creative person, I can always turn a couple beanies into DIY projects to create some of the same fancy beanie looks I ran across browsing the web for this post. In fact that sounds like a brilliant future post. DIY beanies!  I love cheap but I also really love the beanies I found for you no matter the price. I may not buy them all for myself but I do really love them. You can find beanies in fur, patterns, with ears and even embellished with rhinestones, crystals and sequins. Check out some of the fun ones I selected as my favorites!

1. Le Clement Rabbit Fur Beanie farfetch.com $185.18

2. Sweet Polka Dot Beanie forever21.com $8.80

3. Grey Knitted Pug Hat dorothyperkins.com $21

4. Fur Pom Cable Beanie topshop.com $28

5. Silver Spoon Attire Beanie with Mesh Netting  farfetch.com  $112.39
6. Heavy Embellished Beanie topshop.com $40

Look for more on my top five trends soon!

What are your favorite trends this season? Lets us know!

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

Kris,

Style Crush

Every woman has a crush on another woman, whether it's because of her amazing hair, her confidence, or in this case her sense of style. We will be highlighting women whose style we have a crush on, either a celeb or an average Jane. Enjoy!!

Madewell

This week's style crush is not a person, but a store I have a crush on. Essentially we have a crush on someone that we like or admire, but have not yet attained that person or an attribute of that person. Well, that is how I feel about Madewell, I love the vibe when I go into the store, every single item on the rack appeals to me. I have yet to shop there because they are a little pricey for my budget, but maybe one day. Until then I will continue to stalk the store on a consistent basis.

Madewell has a very vintage inspired feel, from the fabrics they use to the choice of prints. The quality of the clothing does balance out the high prices. If you like vintage clothing, but don't like the hassle of shopping in second hand stores, Madewell is perfect for you. The jewelry is amazing just as it is in their "Big Sister" store J.Crew.

Photo taken from: madewell.tumblr.com

This is what I am used to seeing when I go into the Madewell store and when I peruse the website. The look is pretty plain, but I love the color blocking, and the monochromatic blues. Her outfit has a lot more potential, I would accessorize it more.

Now how much more inspiring is this?

Photo taken from: www.fashionbased.com

Using Solange Knowles as the face of Madewell was a great marketing strategy. She will definitely bring a different customer base to the company. The way she rocks her Madewell makes me want to shop in the store even more. I may be biased because she is a fellow naturalista. :)

Photo taken from:www.necolebitchie.com

If you are in Columbus, check out the Madewell store at Easton Town Center. They are also online at www.madewell.com. If you go into the store pick up the monthly newsletter, you will find some good fashion tips.

Until next time,Ciao!

*Chris*