Over the past few years the weight and shape of my body has fluctuated more than a little with two pregnancies, two births, breastfeeding, and everything else going on in life. Sometimes trying to put together an outfit with everything fitting decently is a challenge. Twice already this year I have sorted through all of my clothes, pulled out what fits, set aside what I don't want to keep, and tucked away what will hopefully fit again someday.
I do try to follow, at least loosely, the ten item wardrobe philosophy from Jennifer L. Scott, but it has been slim pickings for the past couple seasons. I have desperately needed some new pieces of clothing to replace what has either worn out or become too small to wear comfortably.
Thankfully I finally got the chance to shop for clothes. All by myself! Of course I went to my favorite thrift store, Africa's Child. They support a great cause and have good quality clothing. With most adult separates priced at only $4 I can buy several pieces of clothing for the same amount it would cost to buy one brand new item from a retail store.
For years I've been a t-shirt person. They're comfortable and easy to wear. But lately I've been drawn towards slightly less casual tops. Something with buttons or a pattern or some kind of detail. And depending on what you find, these kind of shirts can still be as comfortable as a t-shirt!
Each shirt I bought is some kind of button down style and they all have either a pattern or texture to the fabric. They are all also soft and easy to wear. I have been on the look out for another button down plaid shirt for a while ever since I found and dark blue and green one at the thrift store sometime last year.
Shirts earn bonus points if I can easily (and modestly) wear it without wearing a bra. Ever since weaning Oliver, bras have felt so uncomfortable, hot, and none of them seem to fit well right now. I tried to order a bra online. I researched how to measure yourself for buying a bra and looked around online to find something that wouldn't be hot and uncomfortable. I ordered a bra from Target according to the size I came up with when I measured myself. It didn't fit. The band was way too tight and the cups were way too big. With so many stores not having fitting rooms open right now, I haven't bothered trying to shop for a bra in a store. So for now, I'm making do, and wearing a bra only when I absolutely have to.
Ok, back to the thrift store.
This soft flannel shirt came from the men's section, so it is a bit too big on me, but I'm looking forward to wearing it in the fall and winter as a layering piece. And again, plaid, so that makes me happy.
When it comes to jeans, I typically prefer dark wash skinny jeans. Other cuts of jean seem to not flatter my figure very well, and I like dark wash denim because they are easier to make formal-ish if needed. I didn't feel the need to take a picture of the dark wash denim skinny jeans I bought at the thrift store because they all pretty much look the same. They fit wonderfully, are a bit shorter than I'd like, but that's perfectly fine for summer and in the colder months I'll wear them with boots and no one will see that they're the tiniest bit too short.
I suppose this would be categorized as a khaki pencil skirt. I don't really wear khaki. (Is it still considered to be kind of "preppy"?) But the skirt fit, I liked the shape and style of it, and I thought I would push myself out of my comfort zone a bit and try a color I don't usually wear. I need to try it on with various tops to get an idea of how to wear it. This is a piece that I think will do well in both cold and warm weather.
One item I failed to find at the thrift store was a pair of shorts. I have worn just one pair of shorts for at least a year at this point. I did have two pairs of shorts, but I decided one of them was too short for me to wear decently, so I donated them. After striking out on shorts at Africa's Child I visited the Goodwill next door. Their fitting rooms were not open though, and shorts are something I definitely need to try on before buying, so I didn't even look at the rack of shorts. Summer tends to be over by the end of August around here anyways, so if my one pair of shorts can last until the end of the month, then I'll just wait until next year to find some, or maybe I'll find some in the fall when I go back to the thrift store to look for some boots.
I did quickly browse the dresses, because that is something I can more easily buy without trying them on, and I found this blue and white striped beauty. It is a bit big on me, so I think I'll be taking in the bodice in a way that I can easily let it out again for the next time I'm pregnant or breastfeeding. It looks great with a belt and cardigan. This is another clothing piece that is in a style I don't typically wear, but it was too cute to pass up! And I thought it would be pretty versatile, which is always a plus for me when I'm shopping for clothes.
And that's it! I spent about $26 at Africa's Child on six total items of clothing. The dress from Goodwill was about $6. So for $32-$33 I found seven pieces of clothing. They are all versatile and many of them can span multiple seasons. I know it is quite easy to spend $30 on one brand new piece of clothing, so I am quite happy to have found so many good quality pieces for that same amount of money.
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