High Fashion Designer Wear at Goodwill

Two words. Good Will. Okay, I lied. It’s really one word.

First thing I have to say: I am a proud saver. I manage my money and yes, I shopped at GOODWILL today. There is no shame shopping a Goodwill, thrift stores, Target, etc. As long as you know what to look for.

I hear stories all the time of great designer finds at Goodwill. I was never so lucky until today. My mom and I spent a good portion of the day today (3 hours) “shopping ’til we drop,” almost in a literal sense. I am extremely excited to share my find with all of you. There are pictures below.

Here is what you need to know. I got two outfits, including one pair of boots (I’ve been searching for the perfect pair of warm heel-boots for months now to sport in New York), and a nice, versatile top. My total at for these items at Goodwill was $72. The estimated value is around $565! That’s a savings of just over 87% off. Talk about a killer designer wear deal!

I have been slowly but surely building my wardrobe up and I’m going about in a very strategic way. Its all about nice fabrics, cuts, and fits. It helps to have a lot of simple but versatile tops and pants, but also some stuff with a flair. So, mind you, I was picky with my choice in clothing today.

I’ve been wanting warm boots and a trendy but warm coat. While I didn’t find a coat, I got these perfect black, fuzzy, Calvin Klein boots at Goodwill. To go with them, I tried on at least 40 pants and found White House Black Market loose-fitting pants with slits on the bottoms and a comfy White House Black Market black and white sweater.

While I was trying every crazy pair of pants I could find, I brought these potentially hideous gold Cache pants with a matching gold-and-green-hued top into the fitting room with me. The fit of the pants was such perfect match, I simply couldn’t say no. It was exactly what I needed to add the right amount of flair to my wardrobe. In addition to these two outfits, I got a cute Mossimo bat-wing tee that can be matched with practically anything.

If I hadn’t tried on as many clothes as I did, I probably wouldn’t have run into the items that I did. I’m still learning, but I think the trick to finding the right clothes (in a Goodwill setting) is quantity. You can never tell how something will look on you until you try it on, so (even if it looks ugly on the hanger) try on everything that piques the slightest bit of interest! The fit of the clothing makes a huge difference on how it looks.

I definitely think Goodwill is worth the time for how much money it will save you, especially if you are an avid wearer of designer clothes on a budget.

Plus, if you bring a buddy shopping (I was with my mom), it makes it that much more fun! It really does help to have someone there for opinions, as long as you yourself are willing to give critique as well.

Be Fierce!

Briauna Mariah (: