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I heart consignment

shiny

Veteran

I just scored three scarves at the consignment store, for a song. Each is long, rectangular, and silk. Since Angie blogged about such scarves for spring here http://youlookfab.com/2009/03/.....d-handbag/
... I have been on the hunt!!

My neck is quite short compared to Angie's so I was initially dubious about this look, but I did give it a try and I liked it, particularly for work. With my new job I start next week, I will be on video camera a lot, and such a scarf is the perfect accessory!

Also, I know I'm going to be a sagger as I age and I have been noticing older women wearing beautiful scarves to cover their necks. So this is a look I really want to embrace and master.

However, for some weird reason this is one item I am not willing to drop a lot of money on. Maybe it's because I'm unsure it's the right look for my short neck. Maybe it's because I have a penchant for Pucci and DVF scarves, and BOY are they outrageously expensive! So I was very thrilled to find nice scarves on consignment for as little as $5!!!

The three scarves are:

1) Cobalt, turquoise, black geometric print (who would give this one up??? These colors are popular right now!!).

2) Orange, fuchsia, black, white geometric print

3) Yellow and white ... abstract print. Same yellow as Angie's... Angie, I hope you don't mind me being a copy cat!!! I am dubious about whether I can pull off this yellow, but for $5 I figured it was worth a try!!!

I have a lot of black in my wardrobe, as you all know, so I was thinking these scarves would work great and add a pop of color.

There is a question here!

The question is, what items do you want to add into your wardrobe, but really don't want to spend a fortune? Fortune being relative - we are all on a budget. I am asking here, what do you really want to add, but at a pittance of your overall budget, whatever it may be. And why don't you want to spend for these items? Because they are trendy? Because they are an experiment? Because you don't think you will wear them enough? Or for other reasons? Inquiring minds want to know....

General

24 replies

Latest reply was from shana

Ana

(website)

Veteran

I also LOVE Pucci print and Pucci print scarves. They are so expensive though, and I'm not sure I could get enough use out them for the expense to be worth it. I just can't figure out how to wear them without looking matronly, or overdone.

I'm excited to see how you wear your new scarves, because I would also like to figure out how to work them into my wardrobe. Will you post photos?

I used to feel that I wanted to add shoes into my wardrobe without spending much money for them, because I just don't like shoe shopping, and it's hard to find shoes I like and that also feel good. But then I bought a pair that was pretty expensive (for me) and I just love them, I wear them all the time and they are comfortable (surprisingly). I'm not going to go crazy or anything, but I'm definitely willing to spend more money for shoes that I love and that feel good.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

It's interesting that you ask this. Just today I picked up a pair of flat gladiator style sandlas, and it was an item that I had decideed I would not spend a lot of money on. My feet have changed with weight loss, and might still be changing more. I also am just not sure that it's a look I will want to carry over. Those are my reasons for not wanting to spend a lot on them.

Anonymous

What an interesting question. I would like to spend for wonderful designer clothes for my event capsule but am kept from doing so especially because I rarely have the events that require this level of dressiness. Everything is so casual now that I may be lucky to wear my purchase once or twice. I should add that DH avoids formal events and won't even tell me about the ones we are invited to unless he absolutely has to attend. *sigh*

Vani

Veteran

I've been hitting the consignment stores lately to scour for accessories. I'm still trying scarves and belts of different sizes. And I love finding little trinkets for $3 or $5. I don't mind paying retail for something (accessory) I absolutely love but in the meanwhile this will do well for me

marianne

Shiny, is it for your marketing research project?
I have the hardest time spending on accessories, especially jewelry. I am not confident in my ability to pick the right things, and I don't like the cheap-looking or trendy ones, and it just stresses me out. Same things with bags - I don't know if I'll ever get to the point of getting an investment bag, I just don't think I'll ever like a bag enough to part with that much cash Still some day I would like to take care of these holes in my wardrobe.
I haven't done any serious consignment shopping in years, it's just such a big time investment!

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

This is strange, but I have the hardest time spending money on pants. I know, pants! But if the price is over $30 I always hesitate. I don't know why that is.

Lena

I hope I understand the question correctly. Like Joy, for me it's formal wear. Or something like an interesting and flattering cocktail dress. My reasoning is that I was always scrambling for one when I needed it, and we all know it's not a good idea to shop when desperate. On the other hand, I worry I won't have many opportunities to wear one.

And killer dressy shoes.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I have a hard time spending ANY amount of money on bad quality anything – even if it’s $5. Just can’t do it.

Kari

Veteran

Shiny, your scarves sound great! I am well set up with scarves for now, but that's a good idea to keep an eye out at consignment shops too.

I don't like to spend much money on accessories because I replace them more frequently. Same thing with "trendy" items that I'm probably not going to wear for more than a year (but I really don't buy many of those.) I'm also not willing to spend a fortune on knit tops because I have a lot of them (rotate them much more frequently than I do pants or skirts, so in theory I should be able to devote more $$ to bottoms since they get more wear.)

Vani

Veteran

I really should read every time before I post. I think what I meant to say shiny, is that I am willing to spend more on quality foundation and timeless items to add to my wardrobe going forward. It is the little things like trendy accessories that I prefer to spend less on and like to look for at consignment stores.

Maya

Veteran

I can't spend a lot of money on knit tops and accessories. Since most of my tops are knits, replacing them every six months is hardly practical. I have a few woven tops but not many. It's just too hard to find wovens that fit, and I really reject any alterations other than hemming. So, I end up wearing my knits long past their YLF-approved expiration date. I have had some for at least a couple of years.

I used to think if I spent more money, I might get some more life out of them before they began to look shabby, but I have now realized that it has nothing to do with the make and everything to do with the nature of knits. So I just get cheap ones and just continue to wear them despite their shabbiness. I know this is one of those things I can only do because I'm young, and is another reason I dread getting older (that, and dealing with shoes...ugh). But, for now it seems to work. No one has chewed me out over it yet. Besides that, it just seems horribly wasteful to me, to throw out what really are perfectly good clothes just because the color is a bit faded or the material is a tad fuzzy. If they really start to bother me, I just use them as layering pieces.

Accessories: I think cheap accessories can work wonders and really just see no good reason to spend more. Sure, I adore the accessories from Anthropologie but I do fine without it. Somehow it just rubs me the wrong way to spend as much on an accessory as I would on an item of clothing. I like to experiment with accessories too, and experiments = cheap. I recently bought a flower pin from H&M, which was an experiment, and a successful one. However, just because it was successful doesn't mean I plan to replicate it in a more expensive version. I just see no point when the cheap version serves me just fine. Sometimes I'll even do little alterations and adjustments on my accessories, which I wouldn't be comfortable doing on a more expensive investment.

I didn't spend a lot on leggings because I didn't know how to wear them initially (or rather I knew, but didn't have enough tops to wear). Now that I have more appropriate tops and a better idea of how to wear them, I would like to replace my $5 leggings. That doesn't mean I'm willing to buy those obscene $200 ones from Nordies. I'm going to raise my legging budget to all of $16 for a pair from the BP department. I'm only replacing them because...THEY'RE KNITS! And they really are shabby, even for my standards. They have a lace trim which has threads coming loose and they have started to pill a bit.

I guess whenever I try something for the first time, I don't want to spend as much in case it doesn't work out. I know I can always return it, but I just hate having to go through the process and waiting for my money to be put back. I know I'm a lazy shopper...

rute

Veteran

When I want to add a change without spending much I go for accessories, I don't mean bags and shoes, because on those two items I think one should spend more, I'm refering to scarfs, belts, necklaces, of course I have good belts and good jewelery for special moments, but this is also an unexpensive way to change an outfit.

I also look for blouses of different colors and shapes on sales because it's a good way to spice an outfit without break the bank.

The items I use to spend more are trousers, suits, skirts (the fit, the fabric, the quality are important in these pieces that are used for more than one season), bags and shoes (quality is a must).

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

For me it's jewelry. I think there have been a total of two occasions where I've spent more than $12 on earrings, which I love to wear. I own one pricier necklace, but I bought it to support a local designer and because I loved it. All others are inexpensive. It's a bit of a coup, since I get complemented on my jewelry more than anything else I wear.

I check outa consignment store near me for purses and scarves. Haven't had tons of luck, but I did acquire a scarf that I'll need input on later, as I have no clue how to wear them and am obviously totally at sea with the visual tutorials. Shiny, your new purchases sound so gorgeous!

shiny

Veteran

Maya - you wrote: "I know I can always return it" ... for me, there are certain items that I need to wear more than once, and out of the house, before I decide I like the idea. Leggings are one of them, scarves another! And once you wear them out, you can't return. So I do what you do: go cheap first, see if I like the item, then if I do, invest in an upgrade.

I don't know why I need to give it a real road-test, vs just wearing around the house. I just know there are a lot of items that I had to wear all day to get used to them.

Melody

It's accessories for me. Jewelry, scarves, and belts. When referring to jewelry, I mean like statement necklaces, fun earrings, bracelets, etc. I have nice classic gold/diamond/pearl pieces that I wear every day, they don't tarnish, wear out, or look out of style ... so it's hard to justify spending $20+ on a necklace that goes with just one outfit when I have perfectly fine jewelry to wear. I'm just not comfortable enough in my ability to wear scarves to invest much there.

The other thing that bothers me is kids clothes. I have a 3 yo boy & a 5 yo girl and usually have to buy a brand new wardrobe every season for each child. It bugs me that a dress for my daughter can be as expensive as a dress for me! I see other kids out dressed to the nines for pre-school(!) in all these little boutique clothes with their initials embroidered on and wonder how parents can afford it. Thank heavens for Target, Children's Place, & Old Navy.

Patience

Veteran

Shiny, I'm the same way about road testing things. I think it's because you want to see how you feel in the item on a regular day and the response you get from others. Wearing around the house just doesn't give you that. It's a big bummer when I think I really like a new style, wear it out and realize that I just didn't feel all the fab that day even if I thought it looked good in the mirror.

Like Angie, I find it harder and harder to buy low quality even if it's really cheap. Like Melody, I find it really hard to spend a lot of money on my kids clothes when they are so hard on them and outgrow them in a year. I also find it hard to spend a lot of money on work out clothes. This is mostly because I prefer spending on regular clothes and there's only so much money.

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

I not spending a lot on clothing right now because it feels like my wardrobe is practically disposable. Even if I don't drop a complete size every two months, my body changes enough almost week to week to make a difference.
I don't like wearing cheap clothing especially, but stuff I bought earlier this year are already in the consignment or charity piles because they don't fit right. $5 jeans or $9 trousers are a god-send right now!
I've finally started spending more for shoes. Like CS said above, my shoe size has also changed (over the past two and half years I've gone from an 8.5 to a 7!). I wore my too-big shoes long enough I think. Most of my shoes are still 8s and 7.5s, but I can't keep replacing.
I think in general though I'd spend more on things like jeans, dresses, and shoes, and get tops, trousers, and accessories for less. Tops are really hard for me for some reason, so it has to be beyond killer for me to spend more than $20 on it.
I have my wedding ring, one ring that was a gift from my parents, diamond studs (parents), and a topaz necklace. The rest of my jewelry is from clearance racks at BR and JCrew or from Target. This is an area I'd like to invest more in but I'm always so unsure of jewelry. I feel so costumy when I wear anything loud or big - which is anything other than my small hoop earrings, watch, and wedding ring.

HannahC

How interesting!

I also, like Angie, have hard time spending any money on bad quality. I'd rather buy less and wait for major sales at expensive (relatively) places, than buy something knowing for sure that it will only last a couple of washes. I also don't like to buy cheap jewelry. I have several extremely sentimental pieces (inherited from my late grandmother), and all my other good jewelry is gifts, so it is not cheap. For costume jewelry, I prefer to string my own beads, than to buy something.

I love scarves, but like Shiny, I cannot convince myself to spend more money on them, so I look everywhere for nice colorful scarves. Luckily, scarves tend to hold well and for extended periods of time, even the cheap ones.

And, like Maya, I don't like to spend money on knit tops, because of the fit issues. It is going to be stretched out by the end of the season anyway, so why bother?

Where I am willing to spend money: on shoes (because of my feet issues, and also because I really believe that quality is much more visible in shoes, than in clothes), and on handbags - I only have three, and these are really ones that I fell in love with.

Of course, "spending money" is a very relative term. I just recently came across a page in Kendall Farr's book where she, basically, says that "knits are the area where we can skimp, and buy knits at BR, because they sell good basic inexpensive stuff". I just laughed when I read it - for me, BR is splurging, not skimping.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Waving at HannaC!

I am 100% prepared to spend a bit of dosh on something, anything, that is beautiful and will give me pleasure, or someone else pleasure. If it’s within my budget, I’ll do it. Life is too short. My perception about money changed when my Mum died. Knitwear is harder though. It *will* pill no matter what. And I’m back to my quality issues.....

Anonymous

I would like to buy a scarf or two but the scarves I am seeing are not very pretty and they all look the same. I know some of you have gorgeous scarves so I must not be looking in the right place. I cannot bring myself to spend money on a so-so scarf. I do have one I've had for 25 years tha is beautiful.
That is funny HannahC mentions that BR is quoted as being a low budget store. which reminds me of the blog Wardrobe 911. Her casual outfits with shoes and bags are absolutely over the top in price to me. I get the feeling while reading that is normal for some people.
Amazingly I hit the watch jackpot at Goodwill recently. I bought a Swiss Army watch in the box for $7.99 and a Bulova for the same. Both work and have nice faces. I am going to change the band on the Swiss Army one to something new and prettier. The Bulova is to small on my wrist so I have looked into ordering an extra link to add to the band. This is free. I was told by the jewler yesterday they are both 2 or 3 hundred dollar watches new.
I have notoriously not been able to bring myself to buy statment jewelry. Yesterday while shopping with my grand daughter I was struck in the right mood to swing for a couple of things from the sale table at Nordstrom's that I know I will enjoy and they will bring my look together. One is a red Alexis Bittar bangle, the other a long strand of Ralph Lauren pearls that can be doubled around twice to shorten or wear long.

shiny

Veteran

San, I am also following Wardrobe 911, and I do like that blog (although I find it really annoying that she doesn't post daily and sometimes she will go a long time between posts). But, I had to laugh when they had the $1500 challenge this week. The challenge was to create a COMPLETE WARDROBE with a budget of $1500. I think today's post had just a single, $1500 outfit!!!

I would really love to see what Angie, Imogen, and Kasmira would do with this challenge.... hint hint.

HannahC

Yeah, Shiny, it made me laugh too - indeed quite a challenge! Judging from the other posts, they indeed think that it is very hard to create a wardrobe for $1500! Why, it is basically thrifting!

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

hehe, the irony of my earlier comment... I just spent considerably more than $12 on a set of what I believe will be YLF-approved pearls...finally!! But I figure it was worth the cost, as you've all opened my eyes to the versatility of a piece like this and I'm certain I'll get plenty of wear out of this. Pearls also it in beautifully with my classic (conservative)? style, so again, worth the splurge in my view.

shana

Veteran

I like to buy inexpensive fun jewelry pieces - especially fun, dangly earrings & beaded statement necklaces. Like Melody, I already have my investment pieces but I like to go cheap when it comes to costume jewelry. We don't really have any good consignment stores nearby so I usually buy these pieces from Target, F21 and the like. I have also scored at the J Crew outlets (I live closer to the outlet than the regular mall so I am there more often) which feature cheaper versions of alot of their popular jewelry items.