Vintage Wool Skirts on Etsy

Hello dear readers!
Sorry it has been so long between posts... work has been busy and to be honest, we've felt like we don't have much to add to the blogosphere. Until we can focus on better pictures of our own outfits, we feel far too outshined by other bloggers, so... we're back but will be discussing shopping only, with a strong focus on thrifting!

Today we wanted to share our latest scores with you!

As you may recall, warm skirts are a hole in our wardrobe that our general shopping embargo rules do allow. We tire of pants in the winter and wish for more options, but we spend a good bit of time outdoors waiting for buses and such (have we ever mentioned that we've never had a drivers' license?) so we need skirts that will stand up to the frigid Boston weather from December through April...

We strongly recollect (rather traumatically, actually) being terrorized by hand-me-down kilt-style wool skirts as a child, when they were possibly the most obvious faux pas beyond the saddle shoes our mother tried to put us in... but now that we are grown, we recognize that they're not so ridiculous. Awesome, even. Especially the non-pleated, non-wrap variety.

First, from Etsy shop RuLaLa Vintage, we found this very affordable (even for us- $28) genuine Pendleton wool pencil skirt:


Isn't it divine? It's a bit snug on the waistband due to a severe lack of moving our ass lately, but a safety pin and a longer shirt work just fine ;)

We spotted this other vintage lovely in her shop, and what with the great price (also $28), reduced shipping for a second item, and the rainy weekend, we just had to have it (see how we justified like that?) even though we're not supposed to be buying sweaters. Especially pink sweaters.

(But it's soooo cute! And it has lovely metallic threads and that cutout detailing... swoon).

If you are horribly jealous, never fear: she still has this one available ($32)!


...And if you are also craving a cute skirt to get you through the colder months, here's another precious little thing ($26):


The package came swiftly, with delightful wrapping and a hand-written thank-you note as well as a copy of the (very generous) return policy-- quite unusual on Etsy, really, as most sellers say "as is, no returns." A fantastic seller-- check her out!

Tomorrow we'll share our latest Goodwill scores! (more wool skirt!)

Happy thrifting :D

The Return of Grunge

We're sure you haven't missed the destroyed jeans, stud detailing and plaid showing up everywhere in the magazines and blogs lately... it is evident that the 90s grunge look has returned, quite bit before the "traditional" 20-year mark for trends to come back into vogue; but, as we were firmly entrenched in the plaid religion last time around, we're certainly not displeased.

The interpretations showing up on the runways over the past year (for the upcoming seasons) are more grunge-inspired than literally scrubby: as Focus on Style puts, it, "[t]hink of the essence of a downtown rocker with a northwest casual vibe with an eye for off-handed irreverent style. It’s wholesome yet urban at the same time-- grunge but not grungy."

Start your grunge style off with an updated flannel shirt. No need to borrow your dad's or brother's like we did in 1992-- there are plenty of adorable, updated versions that are actually cut for women, like these cute little options with princess seam detailing and contrasting/reversible rolled sleeves, from Dollhouse.com, $18.99:




(Try to ignore the fact that the model looks to be about fourteen years old; when you're a bargain-hunter, you often have to venture into the geared-toward-juniors market, as we're sure you have experienced and noticed here... one problem, though, which Dollhouse acknowledges in the listing, is that things run tiny, so you often have to order up, and XL is often as high as it goes. Boo to excluding a good half of the population, designers!)

Or perhaps instead of seeking out a button-down, you would prefer to have your pop of plaid appear in a girly, sexy, updated manner, like these gorgeous tops and dresses (Via Polyvore (so right click the picture and open up the tab for your prices, brands and links!)

Thrifty Sexy Plaid by ThriftyStylist featuring Forever21

Next up on your list-- maybe only for the weekends, for those of us who can only get away with trouser jeans (or even only jeans on Fridays) at work-- will be a destroyed jean. You can of course DIY with your existing jeans and some sandpaper, or maybe if you're OK with your dryer getting a little dinged up, throw some rocks in there ;) -- but we found thrifty options for multiple body types.

Thrifty Destroyed Skinny Jeans by ThriftyStylist featuring Hollister Co. jeans

Thrifty Destroyed Flare Jeans by ThriftyStylist featuring Hollister Co. jeans

The next item up is a pair of big black boots. Although we did take out our Doc Martens yesterday to wear with the jeans/dress combo, you don't have to be so literal and go combat or Doc... Some intricate stud detailing and fabulous lines will update and sexify that 13-year-old-you (or was that just us?) look-- and don't stop at boots if you don't want to; go for Mary Janes or fabulous booties, t-straps, sandals, whatever works for you and your fall climate! We're willing to bypass the $30 price point for a really nice pair of shoes so here are some fairly thrifty finds:

Thrifty Studded Shoes by ThriftyStylist on Polyvore.com

As far as accessories go... if you want to be authentic, get your handbag at your local Army Surplus store and wear a thick beige rubber band or two as bracelets ;) Otherwise, we think whatever you choose will work, since this is about updating the look, and personal style is always in fashion.

Happy grunging out!