the pretty year

We saved the best for last! (Catch Part I and Part II to get yourself up to speed.)

Onward and upward to Village Thrift in Laurel. If the Bladensburg VT was the majestic Rockies, this was the straight up Mount Everest of thrift.

Denim skirts as faaaaaar as the eye could see!

I wondered if I could wear this one “ironically,” but…  no.

Then– among the 8 denim skirts (!!!) I took to the fitting room, I found not one, but TWO that were both cute and fit well.  This one from Old Navy…

And this short-short mini from Guess?

At $3.45 and $4.60, I went ahead and bought them both!   So glad I didn’t go for that stripey number from the last VT, I exhausted the ladies’ section and started wandering around the rest of the store.

That’s when I followed my hunch– and had it proven right-on.  See, when I was younger and much, much stupider, I used to wear my dad’s old “vintage” slacks.  A cute look– on some folks.

Now imagine my hips in men’s pants.

No.

So I wasn’t about to peruse the men’s racks, but my eye was caught by none other than– the girls’ section.

My hips in girls’ clothes?  It’s more fitting than you think.  (It doesn’t hurt that I’m only 5′2″.)

This dress (a girls’ size 14) was clearly too tight in the bust, but otherwise might have made a cute tunic/minidress.  That means you could have a 29-30″ waist and 44-45″ hips (or smaller) and wear a girls’ dress– as long as your boobs were less than a 32FF.  I’m guessing a few of you would fit that profile.

And this dress (a girls’ size 10?!?*) was just a little too… big?

Thrifted Sister Tip #9: Step outside the ladies’ department!  If I can find items that fit in men’s and girls’, almost anyone can (at least in one or the other).   Not to mention that kids’ clothes are usually sold for less than ladies’– you may get a serious bargain.  And in addition to the usual suspects, you might find some misfiled ladies’ items, so be sure to give every section a quick once-over.

Off I went to scope out accessories, my only disappointment of the trip.  Not that I didn’t go home with a few, but there was a lot less selection than I expected (especially in jewelry– I guess ’cause folks don’t outgrow it).

And by the by?  I usually take a size Small in belts, but many, many of the available belts (in every store) were waaaay too small for me– and I mean they’d only fit 23-28″ waists.  My best guess as to why?  Since belts are usually worn with pants, and the pants of the last 5-7 years have been low-rise, many of the belts currently in retail stores are made to fit “high hip” measurements, rather than waists, per se.  Older belts in thrift stores are more likely to have been made for actual waists, and thus smaller.  Definitely something to be aware of when you’re thrifting.

I did check out some white shoes (no shortage of those!) aided by…

Thrifted Sister #10: The next time you’re in a shoe store, keep your little pantyhose footies, and stash them in your purse for trips like this.  ‘Cause the shoes (some of them cute) are well-worn, and you’re not likely to be provided footies by the thrift store itself.

No luck in shoes, but I did find this just-retro-enough red purse and awesome stripey scarf for $3.45 and $1.97, respectively.

Total spent at the Laurel VT, including tax: $14.28

Grand Total for…

• 1 blue hat
• 1 red purse
• 2 scarves
• 2 Old Navy tank tops
• 2 denim skirts (Old Navy/Guess?)

=$23.14

My Very First Day of Thrifting?  Priceless!

—

*Yes, I’m sure– the tag said “Jonathan Martin Girls.”  I don’t know, either.

Related posts:

1. Michelle's Pretty Year: A Thrifting Virgin's Guide to Thrifting, Part I
2. Michelle’s Pretty Year: A Thrifting Virgin’s Guide to Thrifting, Part II
3. Michelle's Pretty Year: Just For The Record, Again
4. 139 of 250
5. Michelle's Pretty Year: Money for Nothin'