Thriftanista in the City

I'm not a super fan of plaid but I just adored the cut of this 80s dress with poof sleeves, nipped waist, and a faux wrap front. Since plaid is on trend for fall, I feel very fortunate to have found such a great piece! I wore it to my first trip to Rooftop at the Wit. It's an amazing hotel bar with magnificent views of the city. The food and drinks were spectacular just like the views!

Today I'm introducing a new series for the blog that will feature the thrift stories of fashionable thrifters aka Thriftanistas and also some of the best thrift stores around town. My first Thriftanista is the good homie and Violet's favorite auntie, Cessily. She is a vintage queen! I've seen many pieces from her wonderfully curated personal closet and can attest that she is a true Thriftanista. Today is also launch day for Cessily's blog, Vintage Nut. Check her out for great vintage style inspiration!

Stay at home mom style ain't all sequins and high heels. The lugging, pulling, and shuffling about of a regular day requires a nice sturdy outfit with flair, of course. My everyday look is a lot more casual . I do like to look like I tried so having a formula outfit in my head helps when I'm up earlier than I want and when I haven't had coffee but I need to be on my way.

Uhm...yeah I'm in the denim shirt from Gimme Five Friday. It's not called the perfect shirt for nothing. I wear it with everything even a sequin skirt. Yes, again. I'm here for sequins all day everyday. I found this sequin skirt at the recently renovated Salvation Army Clybourn location. It was a bit pricey at $7 but better than the retail price of $85 and it was brand new. I wore it Thursday night on what may have been the last bare legged scene of the year. The city was gorgeous and warm and I went out for food, drinks, and a little bit of dancing with the homie,  Girl Get A Life .

Somebody had a late night and an early morning. I went for a  mom's night out including some sweaty dance floor action! About 30 minutes worth before my feet started to burn and I got anxious about getting enough sleep. Naturally, V wakes up earlier than usual because I went to bed later than usual. My knees hurt. Here, have some fragments and a great weekend!

Are sweater dresses on trend? Who cares? I don't. As you know, I buy what pleases my eye and the peach and blue 80s dress did that for me. It has that midi  length I adore. It's a simple dress with a bit of wow in the navy blue stripes around the bateau neckline and sleeve bands. Plus the bottom hem has side slits! Love. 

Trench coat weather has arrived in the city. Luckily I have 9 thrifted versions in my closet right now. I am a vintage trench coat fiend. The purple trench is my favorite but I'm still keeping my eye out for the traditional tan color. If I find a Burberry, you will hear me holler from your computer screen. I also have big dreams of a trench coat refashion. But alas, most of my diy projects don't happen as quickly as the sequin skirt .

I found a fabulous blue green sequin bodycon dress before my trip to Las Vegas . When I tried it on at the thrift store mirror, my fellow thrift sisters said "it looks great. Noooo, it's not too short at all".

I'm wearing a sheer back crop top on what I believe to be the last hotter than hot day in Chicago for a while. It really sasses up the typical stay at home mom style du jour. Leopard print just wasn't enough. I held the siren back with a thrift store classic -- elastic waist midi skirt and ladylike peep toe wedges.

This is a dress that made me squeal with delight! It's half 70s with the kimono sleeves and front tie neckline and part 40s era with the floral motif. I found it during last week's obscene Labor Day thrift haul. Seriously, so many goodies. Anyway snagged this dress for $1.50.  It had very old water stains on it. I sprayed it with spot cleaner and washed it. Perfection except for  wrinkles which I ironed  so you know I was really feeling this dress!

There are 5 trends that are near and dear to my thrifting heart. While not totally mainstream, they are my favorites in the the world of thrift store fashion.

I bought these colorful paisley print pants or as I like to call them "my crazy pants" back when I was an infrequent thrift store shopper. I bought them because I simply liked the pattern. They are a tad too big so I don't wear them much. Plus they wrinkle in the wash. This summer, I have a couple more inches on my waist so they are less big on me. Yay....and boo. I "altered" them by folding over the elastic waist so they aren't as baggy in the crotch and rolling up the pant leg to make them more everyday casual with a side of what-the-eff-is-she-wearing.