Back when I was in the music industry, black and jeans seemed to be the unofficial dress code for most events ranging from casual on up (outside of award shows, and well, sometimes even then). Black is slimming, everyone says and though looking skinny wasn't my main goal, there was something comforting about what I thought to be a classic color combination.
A couple kids and a dozen episodes of What Not to Wear later and I have learned to embrace color. When wearing it in a shirt, it's a great way to add a little life to jeans, still a wardrobe staple in my book. The brick red color of this Free People sweater and the way this vintage asymmetrical jacket matches added a bit of life to what was a gray, dreary day.
The Breakdown.Free People sweater ($6 thrift store/ARP $100), off-white tank top ($3 For Love 21/ARP $3), B. Laguna jeans ($15 Macy's/ARP $50), BCBG leather shoes ($8 thrift store/ARP $150), vintage Bromleigh New York coat ($15 thrift store/ARP $40) and Coach Pebbled Leather Chelsea handbag ($90 eBay/$360).
Grand Total: $137
Approximate Retail Cost: $703
Savvy Savings: $566
The Coach was definitely on the high end of what I will spend on a purse, but the leather is really incredible and the bag originally retails for $360 so I figured it was a good deal. I actually sold a couple of my other purses on eBay to pay for it, and to keep my collection confined to my closet (and not take over the guest bedroom closet). It works out pretty well and keeps me from breaking the budget.
Vintage is another great source of one-of-a-kind style. This coat in particular has an asymmetrical button line, which kind of threw me off at first. Now I enjoy the funky aspect it adds, without being too funky. I gave it an ARP (Approximate Retail Price) of $40 because that's a good average on eBay vintage coats, shipping being at least $10-12 of the total of $40.
So what if all I did was go to Library & Craft Time and the Mall today? Outside of one terrifying moment when Superstar #2 got bright blue foam paint on my jacket (which thankfully washed out even as I kept repeating to myself "it was only $15, it was only $15...") I felt fabulous and funky at forty. Don'tcha just love alliteration?
