3.11.2012

i'm losing a dang hour of sleep!

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how awesome is this jacket?  it's reversible.  yes.  i know.  i just adore thrifting.  i actually hit quite the jackpot the last few goodwill visits.  since i've last blogged i've scored a pair of black ksubi jeans & theory trousers (santa monica goodwill), this jacket & the fairy tale world of arthur rackham (pasadena goodwill) and these bum equipment overalls (glendale goodwill).  i think i have a goodwill problem haha...

so shopping edition...

after scoring this jacket i decided to do a post on shopping... but alas madeline beat me to it so i will just expound a little.  here is my shopping breakdown:

85% secondhand
this includes thrifting, online vintage shopping, trading and high end used ebay goods

10% new
mainly socks, tights, bras/undies, the occasional shoe splurge and the occasional luxury item (this is mainly a birthday thing haha)

5% handmade/small business
mainly etsy and small homegrown (online) boutiques

my shopping philosophy is very similar to madeline's... i really recommend reading her post on it here.  i'm using her post as a point of reference because 1/i am too lazy at the moment 2/i agree with her wholeheartedly and 3/i couldn't have said it better myself.  but i do have a few other things to add...

sell things that you aren't using.  one grrl's trash is another grrl's treasure :)  i am kinda ocd... so i clean out my closet A LOT.  living in a small apartment kinda helps me keep this a ritual and i highly recommend it to all you bloggers/fashionistas.  being a thrift junky (or shopping junky for that matter) really keeps a closet nice and full and often enough we have things we don't really wear.  i take my vintage pieces to squaresville/wasteland/buffalo exchange and the more contemporary pieces and name brands to crossroads/buffalo exchange to sell/trade.  you will often find something that fits into your current aesthetic.  and the best part is it's affordable if you are trading and it's secondhand so you aren't contributing to the demand for creating more things for people to buy.

i also really recommend buying high end and designer items on ebay.  there is always someone selling things that they barely wore.  that is where i get a lot of my shoes and sometimes you can even get a deal.

buy handmade, local and from small businesses.  it is just all around a great experience... you get unique things made with love and passion AND you are supporting the artist lifestyle.  supply and demand... an artist can only survive on their art if there is a demand for it.  i find it easier to swallow spending a chunk of change on an amazing unif piece than shopping at f21.  i would love to buy more handmade items... if i could buy 95% secondhand, handmade and small business i would be veryvery happy :)

and lastly donate.  because it's time to stop abusing our planet and because there are people who shop at thrift stores because they can't afford to shop anywhere else.

xo

ps... all those trade/sell shops i mentioned above are in l.a.  i think you can google or yelp places in your area  pretty easily though :)


wearing vintage jacket, diyed bum equipment overalls & tee-goodwill, aa thigh highs, harley davidson boots-tunnel vision, sunnies-etsy

Bloglovin/Tumblr

15 comments:

Michele said...

LOVE, you are so right and I also abide by this. It feels so rewarding when you find something that fits your style perfectly and is cheap as well! Kind of makes luxury items that more valuable when you buy them. And it also feels good knowing that you're not being wasteful.
I really like your sweater, I would wear that in a heartbeat. And digging the socks. I have kneehighs too but they never come up as high as I'd like them to. Tall people problems..

Closet Fashionista said...

Ooh love the jacket! And yayyy for the VW
http://www.closet-fashionista.com/

Hannah Lily Sunshine Stowe said...

The backdrops to these photos are so good. The chain link fence really reminds me of David Bailey's shoot with Jean Shrimpton in New York, it's a really interesting composition. Of course, lovely outfit, great advice.

http://www.nothinlikesteel.blogspot.com

Sweet Indigo Road said...

thrifting is so amazing because you turn out with adorable jackets like the one you are wearing! i really love all the colors and i'm obsessed with the purple VW car/truck you're with :)

http://www.sweetindigoroad.blogspot.com

ASH said...

i love your shades.

Ms. Smart said...

fun look while having fun. very cute. purple

Halie said...

On a whole other level. :)
http://halielandry.blogspot.com/

No said...

my initial thought included celebratory swear words that are inappropriate for this comment box. in summation: i love your outfit. also, i saw these and automatically thought of you:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/93310365/90s-chunky-platform-suede-buckle-ankle

Sarah said...

I just discovered your blog and I think I'm in love! I'm your newest, most avid follower xxx

Isabel Hendrix said...

yes! yes!
Completely agree. Madeline's post was spot on, and your additions are as well. I wish I bought more from local shops, but I do almost 95% of my shopping at thrift stores. When I buy jewelry I often buy it from small businesses though. :)

you rock so much at wearing clothes. haha seriously. wow. I can't wait to go to LA.wahhhh. everyone cool lives there!!

MADELINE said...

Excellent additions! Please tell me you own that vehicle. My brain would explode from how perfect that would be.

AleksandraNajda.com said...

♥ i love your jacket.

Sylwia from the sign of design said...

I like the quality of your photos:) ! What do you think about following each other?:) Please let me know on my blog:)

Kendra Alexandra said...

Thanks for the comment. The ring is actually one I got for finishing school, I never take it off now :)

Annie and Chezza said...

I am in love with apple campers and i love your sense of hippie nostalgia, so authentic

sillylittlefreaks.blogspot.com/