Thrifty Thursday: Business Attire

This week, I wanted to show you how you can dress for work on a tight budget, while still staying trend-savvy. One of my favourite sections of the thrift store is the blazers section, and I regularly find all kinds of expensive fitted blazers. There's always hundreds of dress pants too, many of them never worn or almost-new.

Being in public relations, I can have a little more fun with my wardrobe than some office workers, so whenever I find some fun coloured work pants like these ones, I get super excited! I promise you there are less 'loud' options too though, like the grey pants at the bottom of the post:

Store: Value Village
Brand: Cynthia Steffe
Store Section: Women's Pants
What I Paid: $7.99
What it Costs New: ?

I swear I find at least one awesome blazer every single time I go thrifting. There's always something different! Black, charcoal, bright colours, interesting embellishments, leather panelling, silk lapels...the choices are endless!

Store: Salvation Army
Brand: Zara Basic
Store Section: Blazers
What I Paid: $7.99
What it Costs New: ~ $99


Now here's a pair of work pants that are a little more conservative than the ones above, but just as chic. I've always loved the fit of Banana Republic pants, and these are straight cut, which is key - no flares here!

Store: Value Village
Brand: Banana Republic
Store Section: Dresses
What I Paid: $7.99
What it Costs New: ~ $124


Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

One of the easiest ways to look chic and comfortable at the same time is with long, flowing pieces that drape on you just right. Here's a few of my favourites from Value Village & Salvation Army:

Maxi skirts are an easy way to upgrade from sweatpants around the house. You can throw on a cozy sweater or half tuck in a t-shirt and it'll look a million times more chic than sweats. Whenever I find these in the thrift store, I always get excited; why not have one in every colour??

Store: Salvation Army
Brand: Seduction
Store Section: Skirts
What I Paid: $2.99
What it Costs New: ?

Long, flowing blouses (tunics) are an easy chic look when paired with leggings and some tall boots. It can also go from casual to work-appropriate when tucked in with a pair of dress pants. Love finding these.

Store: Salvation Army
Brand: H&M
Store Section: Short Sleeve Blouse
What I Paid: $6.99
What it Costs New: ?


I don't know if this qualifies as a 'LBD' as it's not that little, but this black maxi dress adds some serious va-voom in a flash. It seems so simple, but the deep scooping back and high slit definitely make it eye-catching!

Store: Value Village
Brand: Venus
Store Section: Dresses
What I Paid: $12.99
What it Costs New: ~ $40


Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday: Bright New Colours

We've been wearing dark fall colours for quite a while now, so I can't help but start looking for brighter colours in the thrift store. Time to lighten things up!

I always run my fingers over the clothes as I go through the aisles, looking for interesting textures. The bright orange was awesome enough, but I really like how the dress also has an interesting texture to it. It's not quite sweater material, but definitely thicker than you'd expect.

Store: Value Village
Brand: unknown (no tags)
Store Section: Dresses
What I Paid: $6.99
What it Costs New: ?


Just because the blazer is a little big, doesn't mean it's a a reject! If it's about 2 sizes bigger, it should fit nicely as a boyfriend blazer! Just roll up the sleeves and it pairs well with pretty much anything.

Store: Value Village
Brand: H&M
Store Section: Blazers
What I Paid: $8.99
What it Costs New: $29.95


Oh yeah, that's right: purple jeans! Coloured pants seem to be a big fashion risk for a lot of people, but they're an easy (and comfortable) way to inject some colour into your outfit. Just throw on a white tee and you're all set!

Store: Value Village
Brand: Tobi
Store Section: Dresses
What I Paid: $8.99
What it Costs New: $29.99


Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday: More Pretty Dresses

My favourite section of the thrift store is always the dress section! I find my luck is better there than anywhere else on a regular basis. If you only have a few minutes to see what's in store, the dress section is your best bet. That or the blazers section.

This dress is a good combination of comfortable and fashionable! The faux leather, open back, and laser cut detailing are all nice touchs, and I could wear this all night long.

Store: Salvation Army
Brand: Tobi
Store Section: Dresses
What I Paid: $9.99
What it Costs New: ?


Here's a quick tip when it comes to sizing: don't always trust the tags! I find that with 'younger' brands like H&M and Zara, the sizes run very small, but when I try on dresses for a slightly older demographic, like Max Studio, I find I can fit into much smaller sizes. This XS (which was in the Size 1-2 section) is actually surprisingly roomy, which I only discovered after trying it on. When in doubt, give it a try before passing it over!

Store: Value Village
Brand: Max Studio
Store Section: Dresses
What I Paid: $17.99
What it Costs New: ~ $250


Even though it's been a while since the Gatsby style phenomenon took over, I still get  pretty excited when I find beaded dresses like this. I love that opulence they have! No styling necessary, just throw this on and you're good to go.

Store: Salvation Army
Brand: H&M
Store Section: Dresses
What I Paid: $9.99
What it Costs New: ?


Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

More fun new stuff to add to the closet this week!

Who doesn't love bows? Don't they make everything better? This super cute top is completely work appropriate, but looks chic and fashionable when styled with fitted dress pants and some fun flats.

Store: Salvation Army
Brand: Jacob
Store Section: Short Sleeve Blouse
What I Paid: $6.99
What it Costs New: ?


I wasn't able to find anything out about this brand, nor why the belt says Gucci, but I really love the cut of this dress! This will totally make a fashionable work dress, especially with a bright pullover sweater over top.

Store: Value Village
Brand: Alberto Gabbana Italy
Store Section: Dresses
What I Paid: $17.99
What it Costs New: ?


You know how your mother always told you to wait for it to go on sale? Well, how about waiting for it to show up in Value Village?? I wanted this purse when I first saw it in Aldo, but ultimately never purchased it. Then, lo and behold, I find the exact purse in Value Village for a real steal! What a win.

Store: Value Village
Brand: Aldo
Store Section: Purses
What I Paid: $14.99
What it Costs New: ~ 30


Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

Black never goes out of style! This week, I wanted to show you a few of my favourite thrifted outfit pieces I've found in the ever-classic colour black:

My eyes are drawn to pretty much anything with polka dots, so no wonder I picked out this skirt. What I really loved about this skirt though, is the shorter skirt lining: it makes the polka dots stand out even more! And it's right on trend. I recently wore this to the JCI Institute's Grad Fashion Show.

Store: Salvation Army
Brand: H&M Divided
Store Section: Skirts
What I Paid: $5.99
What it Costs New: ?

Leather (and faux leather) has made a real comeback in the last year, and I'm a huge fan of the styles with leather panelling and detailing (like this skirt)! I pretty much makes any style just a little more badass.

Store: Value Village
Brand: Valia
Store Section: Skirts
What I Paid: $5.49
What it Costs New: ?


And here is a perfect example of another thing that always catches my eye in the thrift store: bows! I can totally see this dress worn with some classic pearls for a 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' sort of feel.

Store: Value Village
Brand: Love...ady
Store Section: Dresses
What I Paid: $17.99
What it Costs New: ~ $130


Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

Found some very pretty, girly styles at Salvation Army and Value Village this week! Lots of soft details, pleats. and volume: everything I love in a statement piece.

I was drawn to the detailing on this dress. The knotted bustier makes it quite unique, and the hemline is a little different too, almost like a tulip! A perfect LDB to add to the collection.

Store: Salvation Army
Brand: Kismet
Store Section: Dresses
What I Paid: $9.99
What it Costs New: ~ $65


How adorable are these ruffled sleeves? I couldn't help but see them sticking out among the blouses hanging on the racks...and in a perfect pastel colour for spring! The brand Meiling Inc. is based out of Trinidad & Tobago, and has several resort collections and the designs have graced the runways of Colombia!

Store: Salvation Army
Brand: Meiling Couture
Store Section: Short Sleeve Blouses
What I Paid: $4.99
What it Costs New: ?


I will never have enough flouncy skirts! The skirt section of the thrift store is always one of my favourites. The ones with a little extra bounce to them, like this one, always grab my attention. This particular one is from a brand out of Korea, and the really special part is the sparkly little zipper on the back: such a cute way to add to glamour to this skirt!

Store: Value Village
Brand: unknown
Store Section: Skirts
What I Paid: $5.49
What it Costs New: ?


Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

Time to hop on the sweater train this week! I love looking through the racks of sweaters at Value Village: you could almost spend an entire trip just there. On this trip, I found sweaters with all kinds of cool embellishments, from elblow pads to spikes to metallic threads.

There won't be any cuddling happening with the sweetie in this sweater! Other than the fact that the metal spikes are a little cold on my shoulder through the knit, this sweater is awesome. Ones like this are easy to spot on the clothing racks without even moving the hangers around: you can spot those spikes from a ways away!

Store: Value Village

Brand: QED London

Store Section: Sweaters

What I Paid: $9.99

What it Costs New: ?

I've always wanted a sweater with elbow patches, and this week I found two! 

Store: Value Village

Brand: H&M

Store Section: Sweaters

What I Paid: $3.99

What it Costs New: ?

You've already seen this sweater on my Christmas Look of the Week, It's always nice to find such good quality sweaters in Value Village, and I was drawn to the metallic look: a good choice for the holidays!

Store: Value Village

Brand: Banana Republic

Store Section: Sweater

What I Paid: $14.99

What it Costs New: ~ $95

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

I think it's safe to assume you'll see quite a bit of  plaid on Thrifty Thursday for a while...I can't keep my eye off it!

This is actually quite an interesting piece. Upon researching the rather oddly named label 'Super Lucky Cat', I've discovered that this skirt is one-of-a-kind, made from cast-off clothing from thrift stores. And having found this skirt in a thrift store? Well, that just completes it's circle of life!

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: Super Lucky Cat

Store Section: Skirts

What I Paid: $5.99

What it Costs New: ?

I must say, after all the Calvin Klein pieces I've thrifted over the years, I've really come to love their quality. The heaviness of the fabric is always perfect, and hugs the figure just right. The lovely gold zipper and leather trim detailing doesn't hurt either!

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: Calvin Klein

Store Section: Shirts

What I Paid: $6.99

What it Costs New: ?

 I know this is probably a nightgown, but I can't help picturing this with a light brown leather belt & leather riding boots. What do you think?

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: Tommy Hilfiger

Store Section: Dresses

What I Paid: $9.99

What it Costs New: ~ $52

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

There have been some really cool finds in both Value Village and Salvation Army lately!

This is the perfect equestrian jacket. It's been beautifully designed, with gorgeous double breasted buttons, back detailing, and a beautiful colour of plaid. Can't wait to style this with some riding boots and beige pants. 

Store: Value Village

Brand: Bianca Nygard

Store Section: Jackets

What I Paid: $19.99

What it Costs New: ~ 100

Ugly Christmas sweaters have become not-so-ugly in the last couple years! Check out this cute festive one from Old Navy..it even has sequins!

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: Old Navy

Store Section: Sweaters

What I Paid: $5.99

What it Costs New: ~ $30

You've already seen this faux fur cape here on my Look of the Week post! I wish it would snow here so I could wear it with a long maxi dress with white snowflakes all around!

Store: Value Village

Brand: Sears

Store Section: Leathers & Furs (this section apparently contains faux furs too!)

What I Paid: $39.99

What it Costs New: ?

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Thrifty Thursday

The thrift store was kind to me this time around, even more so than it usually is! As you'll see below, I don't ever search for anything remotely plain: they must have patterns, textures, and unique designs.

This is one of my most prized thrift store finds to date! I've been pretty obsessed with plaid lately (in case you didn't already notice the insane amount of plaid I've been wearing lately), so while I was in the thrift store, I was picking out pretty much every piece of plaid out of the racks. Lo and behold, I came across this gem, looked at the tags, and my eyes bugged out! How did no one find it before me? And the price!! 

Store: Value Village

Brand: Vivienne Westwood (Red Label)

Store Section: Blazers

What I Paid: $2.99 (was 50% off $5.99)

What it Costs New: $875

When you're feeling like wearing an extra girly dress, a Betsey Johnson dress fits the bill just right! I love the volume the skirts have, and at this price...how could I pass it up?? There were actually a few of these dresses in the thrift store; it was a tough choice, but the flower overlays on this once were especially pretty!

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: Betsey Johnson

Store Section: Dresses

What I Paid: $19.99

What it Costs New: ~ $200

You may have already seen this skirt on my Christmas Eve post here. This is one of those thrift store finds that I considered to be a 'fashion risk'; I felt it had a lot of potential, but wasn't really sure if my vision would translate properly...I ended up loving it after all! Moral of the story: when in doubt, buy!

Store: Salvation Army

Brand: Studio J (A division of Jax)

Store Section: Skirts

What I Paid: $7.99

What it Costs New: ?

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta