The Sisterhood

I'm an impulse buyer. An excessive impulse buyer. If you open my closet, you'll likely find clothing items that still have tags attached. Shirts that go months untouched. Pants that never caress my legs. Shoes that never touch a sidewalk. The hoarder in me can't let these items go. More often than not there's nothing wrong with them. I just don't wear them, or my favourite items take precedence. 

It's so hard to give something away that you love. How do you know someone will appreciate it as much as you do? How could just ANYONE strut around in that beautiful dress that was just slightly too tight on you? I take heart in knowing someone in my circle is wearing something I never took off the hanger.

The solution? The clothing swap.

My classmate and friend Tenesha of Every Dollar Counts hosted a clothing swap party last weekend. A group of girls came together, brought at least five clothing items (some went above and beyond the required item count), drank some wine, ate some snacks, and left with new wardrobe pieces. 

I was able to get rid of things I loved, but never wore. And they ended up in the hands of some pretty neat people. I also went home with some new tops, accessories, and footwear. 

If you have extra clothes lying around, sitting in drawers, or hung up that you just don't wear, I encourage you to host a clothing party like Tenesha did. You meet some new people, sit back and relax, and have a lot of fun. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

It's ugly sweater season!

I'm thrilled it's here. As soon as the temperature dropped below five degrees, I pulled the Rubbermaid tote with my winter clothes out of our storage closet. In it - my thick, heavy, and frankly, ugly sweaters.

I've been collecting these beasts for years. It's like wearing a warm hug all day long. They just don't make sweaters as thick, warm, and durable as they used to, which is why I turn to thrift stores for all my winter warmth needs. As frumpy as I look, I'm warm and cozy and there's nothing I'd rather be wearing when drinking hot chocolate or studying for hours on end. I probably looked like a train wreck at school most of this week, as my outfits of choice mostly included an oversized ugly sweater.

How I feel when I wear one of my many ugly sweaters - even though Carlton isn't wearing one in this scene...

I have a growing fear that the ugly sweater is going out of style (not that it was REALLY stylish...). It was a must-have for wannabe hipsters in recent years, but as I look around me at school ugly sweaters are a rare sight. Maybe it's just my change in location from the University of Winnipeg to Red River College (no offence...really).

That leads me to ugly Christmas sweaters. If you don't wear them over the holidays, you should start. There's nothing more whimsical, timeless, or nostalgic than an ugly Christmas sweater to make you feel like you're living A Christmas Story (need a bunny onesie or a Daisy Red Ryder Range Model 1938 Air Rifle BB gun for that special person on your list?). Also - host an ugly Christmas sweater party, and award the person with the prettiest (or ugliest) sweater a prize. It makes for good laughs and good fun.

Have a favourite sweater that's a little "out there"? Let me know in the comments and maybe send me a picture so we can swoon over your wonderful (or terrible) fashion sense and be frumpy together.

Tailor & Thief - a lot of old things, and something new

It's not everyday a friend approaches you and tells you about a super cool project they're looking to start, and you get so excited that you start shaking with joy and giddiness.

That happened to me earlier this month. My friend David asked me if I would be willing to help him spread the word about Tailor & Thief. I immediately said yes because not only is it edgy, innovative, and hip (I sound old when I use the word "hip"...), but it also has the potential to impact the local community.

Tailor & Thief is a pop-up thrift store coming in 2015. David is still hashing out the details, but from the plans I've seen so far it's going to be epic. Proceeds will be going toward different organizations and charities in Winnipeg.

At the moment, Tailor & Thief is accepting clothing donations and needs all the help it can get. If you have something you can donate (clothes, shoes, accessories) email tailorandthief@gmail.com.

I can't wait to get on-board this initiative and discover more as January approaches :)

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Penny-Pincher goes to the theatre

"Although much of our life is rooted in the anxiety of time, in other words the fear of death, the continuity of knowledge and wisdom that has brought us here together is rooted in love, a love that is not only as strong as death, but able to cast out its fear."

--Northrop Frye

Being in school full-time, buying lunches when I'm lazy, and simultaneously being a shopaholic means I don't have a lot of extra cash to spend on extracurricular activities or entertainment. Last night, I laughed so hard I cried and it only cost me $10 (thanks to a special discount). Our entire class went to see Michael Healey's Proud last night performed by Theatre Projects Manitoba at the Rachel Browne Theatre.

I didn't know what to expect from the political play I had never heard of. Since we were sent on a school assignment, I admit I was expecting a snore-fest. It was anything but that.

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The premise:

The federal Conservatives win a majority government by a landslide in 2011. The Prime Minister of Canada (played by Ross McMillan) takes advantage of a somewhat unknowledgeable MP named Jisbella Lyth (Daria Puttaert) who didn't have to do a whole lot to get elected. Lyth ends up becoming a distraction to hide what the PM really plans to do behind the scenes without the media finding out about it.

______________________

I don't want to give too much away, but I feel the play was an exagerrated and distorted version of reality. That being said, I don't actually know what goes on behind the closed doors to the PMO's office. The dialogue and mannerisms of the PM (McMillan does a mean Harper impression [for the record the character was technically not Harper but there were striking similarities...]) were a highlight. His awkward and robotic social interactions had me on the edge of my seat begging for more. I was shocked by the amount of f-bombs that were dropped. I'm no prude, but it seemed like every other sentence had at least one (or, you know, 10). It was excessive. I don't think anyone talks like that - even the most unprofessional of people. 

I had never seen a play heavily based on government or politics at all before, so that was new for me. I also didn't expect a show about politicians behind-the-scenes to be funny. I hadn't laughed as hard as I did last night since I saw Sound & Fury's Hamlet and Juliet at Winnipeg Fringe this past summer. 

There was a talkback session following the performance. One thing that stuck out to me was McMillan talking about his mannerisms and portrayal of the Prime Minister. He said even years prior to receiving the role Stephen Harper fascinated to him and that he found it easy to act like him. He said because he thinks Harper puts on a performance in the public eye, it was easy to imitate him. 

All in all, it was an interesting and entertaining play. I would see it again and recommend it. It's a thought-provoking piece that makes you wonder how and if government really does pull the wool over the eyes of the media and the public - or at least may try to. 

Be warned though - there is sexual content. And a whole lot of ma-freakin' swearing.

Always buy the button-up

Slapping together a thrifted outfit - easy peasy.

The button-up shirt - easily the most easily found and easily worn item you could ever thrift.

A nice button-up blouse that fits is essential to any wardrobe and can be worn no matter the occasion.

It's easy to pair a blouse with jeans, dress pants, circle skirts, pencil skirts, or leggings for any look from casual to business formal. You just have to experiment and learn to coordinate.

If you're going for an everyday look try to pair a loose blouse and a pair of leggings, or a fitted button-up and skinny jeans (ripped, high-waisted, cuffed, whatever). Slap on whatever footwear you want - heels, flats, boots, wedges. Seriously the easiest look and the easiest way to incorporate something thrifted into your wardrobe.

Thrifted this burgundy Smart Set top from Salvation Army this week - my favourite colour and it fits like a glove :)

Business casual - dress pants are obvious. Business formal - pair a button-up with a pencil skirt, tights or pantyhose, and heels. This look also works with a circle or a-line skirt.

Oh, and don't forget the blazer.

One thing I've learned recently is that it's super easy to look put-together if you add a bold and large statement necklace that fits snuggly around the collar.

The bold statement necklace makes the outfit a little more exciting, in my opinion

As I said, easy. :) If you thrift and have tried this look or have other tips, let me know in the comments or send a picture my way. I'd love to see how you tackle the button-up!

I've made a huge mistake

It's been a week. The guilt is still overwhelming. I feel like I've disappointed everyone close to me.

I bought new clothes.

No not "new" clothes. NEW clothes. From a store that doesn't sell second-hand items.

It was an accident. I didn't intend for it to happen. But when I saw the flashy blue Marshall's logo, my car simply veered into the parking lot and my feet floated me through the doorway. Before I knew it, I had tried on a number of items and was headed toward the checkout with two of them - a sweater and a blouse.

But that was simply not enough. I needed to accessorize. I dragged my boyfriend to ALDO Accessories where they were having a two for one deal on jewelry. So I bought two necklaces.

Both necklaces perfectly complimented my two new sweaters. Matches made in heaven.

Such glitz, so glamour, much wow

Now, I'm pining. As much as I adore the four new pieces I spent about $75 on, I am overwhelmed with guilt. Guilt over the fact I didn't have self-control. There is shame tied to my materialistic addiction. The new, never-before-worn clothes gave me a sense of confidence the first time I wore them.

As awful as I feel for spending the amount of money I did on these new wardrobe pieces (which likely would have cost a third of the price at a thrift store) I know that sometimes I need to treat myself. I'm working to get over my guilt and realize that I deserve this. I've been working hard lately and I think I deserve a little pick-me-up.

And I mean, if people didn't buy new clothes there wouldn't be anything used to buy in thrift stores, right? I'll be doing my duty when I feel the need to part with these by donating them.

Thrifter Profile: Zachary

This post may seem out of the ordinary, but starting now I want it to become a regular thing. As this blog runs its course I want to take time to feature other thrifty folk around Winnipeg. If you or someone you know thrifts and would like to be featured, please comment on this post or get in touch with me here. Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to my friend Zach.

Name: Zachary Oulton
Age: 21
Occupation: Communications Coordinator at Riverwood Church Community

Q: Why do you thrift?

A: I thrift for a few different reasons. One of those is definitely because it was engrained into me as a child. My family didn't have a lot of money growing up so my parents were huge advocates of thrifting. I also definitely have a style that makes it easier to thrift; things like an oversized sweater don't look out of place in my wardrobe and are fairly easy to pick up at a thrift store (At last count I owned upwards of 30 sweaters...). I really enjoy the process of thrifting. I like going through everything and then finding great things for a good price. I will often get people asking me where I bought something and I tell them that I picked it up at a thrift store.

Q: What's the best thing you've ever bought from a thrift store?

A: Oh man, picking just one is hard! In terms of home decor, I recently picked up a really nice typewriter from Value Village with the traveling case and all for $8. That was a good one. I also got a film SLR that I use all the time from Value Village that came with two lenses and a camera strap, so I'd say those two are tied. When it comes to clothes, I've had so many good finds over the years but one that I'm still proud of is my camel peacoat. I picked it up at Value Village 3 or 4 years ago and it makes a regular appearance in winter.

Q: How do you choose what is worth buying?

A: I definitely want something to be clean and in good condition. I think the key to thrifting is knowing when to abandon something. I've had countless items that I love but have left behind because there was a rip or a missing button or something like that. Sometimes items can be saved, but you also don't want to spend tons of money fixing up a thrifted item or it defeats the purpose of thrifting. Generally I go through and take all the items I have a mild interest in and throw them in the cart and then try them all on at once. After that I eliminate things based on fit, condition and if I've already got something else that's similar.

Q: How do you incorporate thrifted pieces into your wardrobe?

A: Make them the statement item! Generally I try and buy staple items that I wear all the time (dark wash jeans, plain t-shirts, etc.) at a regular store and then use a thrifted item as the focus of my outfit. This makes it easy to have a versatile style because you can swap out older items for newer ones and not break the bank while still staying current. I also keep a running list in my head of things that I'm looking for and then whenever I go thrifting I keep an eye out for those items.

Thrifted items in this outfit: H&M Beige Trench Coat - $12 (Value Village), Green School Sweater - $8 (Value Village), Brown Aldo Dress Shoes - $7 (Salvation Army)

"You don't wash your goodwill clothes?!" - a life lesson

That video on this blog has been a long time coming...

Anyway. This week I have been humming and hawing about what to talk about. Studying in Starbucks with my boyfriend James, it hit me that my deadline was quickly approaching as school assignments continued to pile up. I could feel my eyes looked panicked as I quickly straightened. I've planned my posts for the next three weeks, but for some reason failed to think about what I would talk about this week.

James suggested I discuss the importance of washing thrifted clothes immediately after purchasing them, to which I replied "I don't wash the clothes I buy from goodwill before wearing them."

His eyes widened with horror.

"You don't wash your goodwill clothes before wearing them...?"

I never really thought about it. Or maybe I'm just lazy. I don't even like doing my laundry when I've worn an item five times in a row, never mind immediately after I've purchased it. I mean, I've never bought anything that "smells like R. Kelly's sheets" (pissssssss [see video above if you don't understand the reference]).

After overcoming the awkward revelation of my uncleanliness, I said "no - never."

James looked at me with a blank stare. "That's baffling."

I guess this is grounds for lifestyle re-evaluation.

Now that it's been brought to my attention, not washing thrifted clothes before wearing them is kind of gross. I feel gross. For all I know, someone's dead skin cells are now gracing my outer layer. Or my new sweater dress could have been soaked in cat pee.

On that note, the sweater dress is now in the laundry hamper.

Plato is pretty stylish

I guess I have a lot of faith in the unknown. 

I drove 35 minutes across the city to check out this little consignment store called Plato's Closet. You can't really call it little, since you can find locations across the continent. 

Because it's a consignment store, not just anything makes it onto the rack like most thrift shops. Every item keeps up to trends, everything is organized by colour and size, and there were quite a few brand name pieces I came across. 

I had set out in hopes of finding scarves and shoes, but failed. I am not counting it as a failure though because I found some other gems which, when combined, became a full outfit. 

I picked up a red velvet shirt ($6), blue circle skirt ($6), and some grey tights (yes, also $6). 

The boots were picked up from Value Village last winter. 

My pal Joey featured this exact outfit on his street style blog last week. Check it out, he's pretty cool and he's an awesome photographer (you can check out more of his work here). 

Don't be cheap at a thrift store

 A little tip for this week - sometimes "overpriced" items are still extremely underpriced. Technically, almost everything is (or should be) cheap at a thrift or consignment shop. 

About a year ago, I was on a Value Village run with a couple of my friends. I stumbled upon a beautiful, sturdy pair of leather ankle boots with heels that could take an eye out. 

I looked at the sole of one boot to find a price tag - $14.99.

I would never in my life pay that much for used footwear. Or so I thought.

I tried the boots on anyway and they fit like a glove. With a heavy heart I placed the camel-coloured boots back on the shelf. My friend Zach (who I sometimes call "the Enabler") wasn't about to let me get away with it. His excuse - the boots were perfect, beautiful, and fit like a glove.

I sighed and put the boots in my cart, disappointed with my lack of self-control when it came to spending 15 bucks on a pair of used boots.

When I got home, I examined the boots a little more carefully. The name imprinted on the insole was Paco Gil. I had never heard of the brand, so I did some Google-ing. Turns out the mint condition boots I picked off the Value Village shelf for $14.99, were actually worth somewhere between $300 and $400.

So if you ever come across something that seems expensive and is by a designer you've never heard of, there's probably a reason for that.

THE boots - Value Village ($14.99)

Also, last week I promised some of the items from my haul would make it into a post this week. I follow through with my promises.

Green jacket - Salvation Army ($9.99); J. Crew hat - Value Village ($6.99)

Big shoutout to my little sister Briar for using my camera to take the above photos. 

Friends who thrift together, stick together

Over the weekend I realized it had been more than three weeks since I last went thrift shopping.

Three weeks.

I decided to round the troops last night and hit up two of the more mainstream thrift stores - Salvation Army (on Empress Street) and Value Village (Ellice Avenue).

First off, meet my wonderful friends Suntka and Zach. I can't count the amount of times I've loaded up a shopping cart with sweaters, jackets, and boots alongside these hooligans.

We hit up the Sally Ann to start. I had never been to this location before and to be honest, I was quite skeptical. I've never had luck at a Salvation Army thrift store before but I'm pretty sure I hit the jackpot here. I managed to scrounge up a couple of blouses, a coat, and a purse - all for $20. 

Next, we made our way to Value Village - my home way from home. 

Again, I was not disappointed. I bought two pairs of sunglasses, a skirt, an ugly sweater dress thing, a cat vest, and a pair of shoes. I spent a little more than I had hoped to - a whopping $40.

If you're just getting started or you're broke like me, check out the Salvation Army. Decent clothing for CHEAP. They also had a lot of beautiful vintage furniture and home decor items. I would have nabbed a few things from that section, but my apartment is getting full enough as it is.

Expect a master post of the items I got my hands on last night soon.

For now, here's a preview. I'm in love with pastel colours and so you can guess how quickly my heart melted when I found this lavender peplum shirt and these pointed toe flats from ALDO. Funny story, I actually tried on this exact pair of shoes months ago but couldn't justify paying $60 for them - $7.99 was a better deal in my opinion.

Can Canadians even pinch pennies?

I have a few pennies in my wallet. They are, in fact, American coins.

They are still useful. Kind of.

I grew up in a community where finding a dress that was as "cheap as borscht" was celebrated. I spent many Tuesdays after school at the MCC Thrift Shop in Winkler looking for the most worn-in wolf shirt I could find (they put the new stuff out on Tuesdays).

I grew out of my wolf shirt hipster phase...but the thick-framed glasses seemed to stick, and so did the thrifting.

(I'd also like to note, my style is now impeccable in comparison to how it was in high school.)

Now... (featuring Eugene the cat)

...and then (thank the Lord for fashion discernment
and making me the beauty I am today)

It came to my attention this week that not everyone has had the pleasure of living such a frugal life. I'm here to help these underprivileged, deprived souls by showing them a world of treasures. A world of framed cat paintings and fake plants; of instant film Polaroid cameras (which you can still get film for, by the way, but for a price) and grandpa sweaters; of wine bottle holders (that won't be used as wine bottle holders) and funny hats.

To date, this is still my favourite sweater and
the jeans have since become my most worn cut-off shorts

Yes, you too can own all this and more!

In all seriousness, this blog is about trying to live cheaply in a very expensive world. I love shopping and I love stuff. It's a poison. I'm a borderline hoarder. I shop at thrift and antique stores, participate in clothing swaps, and always beeline for the back of a store to find deals. Getting something for cheap, or for free, is like riding a convertible with the top down into the sunset on a warm summer night (although last time this happened, it was with an ex-boyfriend who dumped me shortly after so maybe I should come up with a better simile). I also have an addiction to buying old cameras (not just Polaroids) and shooting with film - a pricey, but timeless art. It reminds me of my childhood and Beaver Canoe sweatshirts. Expect some of my film photos to make it onto this blog as well (yes, most of those cameras were thrifted).

My bookshelf, featuring two of my many secondhand toys

If you're looking for money-saving tips in regards to food, you'll have to venture somewhere else. Or watch Extreme Couponing. I live off ramen noodles. I'm a student, can you blame me? Posts on this blog will focus on clothing and decor, and the success (and misadventures) in finding both. I'll be talking about how to integrate that ugly pair of shoes from the "old country" into a modern wardrobe, where to find the best deals, and what not to buy. I also plan to introduce you to some of my thrifty and not-so-thrifty friends.

Keep those Canadian and American pennies. We'll spend them together.