Not gonna lie, the summer wardrobe picks have been on point this year. I’m really coming into my own these days and rediscovering my personal style on a whole new level. Fashion trends be damned.
I’ve been playing around a lot with color, patterns and shapes all summer and I’m pleased with how a lot of the looks have come together. It also helps that I’m shopping my closet these days. I’ve really been digging repurposing pieces I already have readily available in my closet. Crazy part is, some of the things I’ve been finding still have tags on them. Ugh, I know, shame on me, but I’m here now, doing better and learning from the past.
Here’s a few summer looks I put together that prove all of this hodge podge I’m talking about is actually real.
Deidra is my name and thrifting is my game. In case you’re new to the blog, you should know I’m all about the thrift. I love finding old original pieces. The main reason I started this blog was to be apart of the mission to reduce waste and shop sustainably. One of the ways I do this is by shopping second hand. Believe it or not, the US is facing a major over supply of items in thrift shops. The best way to help alleviate this issue is to shop thrift and vintage. Every time you shop second hand pieces that’s one less item taking up space in a local thrift store. It’s a great way to reduce inventory in stores and the amount of items being dumped and forgotten about in landfills all over the country.
Want to get started on your thrifting journey? Check out a few of my 2020 favorite local thrift stores and online stores at the lists below:
Online Vintage/Thrift Shops
I’ve linked all the Instagram handles to my favorite online vintage and thrift shops. Every single shop has dope vintage pieces, most of which are 90’s pieces that are bright, colorful and bold.
Keep scrolling for a list of all my favorite local vintage/thrift shops…
Local Thrifts
Thrift 2 Gift
Definitely a spot you must know about. It’s tucked away a few minutes from NC State campus. I’ve found a lot gems in this spot. It’s the ultimate thrift spot and great if you’re looking for a quite shopping experience
Goodwill
Do I even need to explain this one? There are Goodwill’s all over the country and you can really never go wrong with a trip to this spot.
Raleigh Rescue Mission
I have found so many vintage pieces in this location that I’ll treasure forever. They also sell dishes, furniture and just a whole bunch of random stuff you may appreciate.
Plato’s Closet
For those looking for second hand name brand items at a low cost this is the spot for you. They have a lot of different name brands for men and women. I even found a cute pair of unworn Tory Burch flats from here at a great price!
Clothes Mentor
This is definitely a spot to find women’s second hand wear to work pieces. I’ve gotten a lot of work pieces from here that are tailored, clean and great for the office. Some of the brands I’ve snagged from this spot include Loft, Ann Taylor, Talbots, The Limited, Jones New York just to name a few.
Cause for Paws Thrift Shop
This spot is right up the street from my house and a few minutes away from Downtown. I can always find the most unique clothing pieces and I’ve gotten some vintage dishes that I restored out of this shop as well.
The Salvation Army Family Store and Donation Center
This is another spot that never fails me. I’ve found some cute blazers from the 80’s in this store and it’s conveniently right up the street from my house.
Uptown Cheapskate
I’ve scored big at this spot on several occasions. I can always find the cutest skirts and tops and I’ve donated a lot of pieces to this store as well. They carry brands like H&M, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, American Eagle and list goes on.
Dreaming of plaid. We all know it’s no secret that I’m plaid obsessed and specifically around this time I go way overboard with the print. This year, I had the bright idea of mixing all the plaids in my closet to remix my wardrobe and try something new. I’m no stranger to print mixing, but mixing the plaids is definitely a new one for me. There’s legit a science to this because you don’t want to look like your going to a tacky day event and mixing prints can get tacky real quick if you don’t do it the right way, so today on the blog, I’ll share a few tips on mixing plaids for an effortless, fashion forward look that makes you look like one of the cool kids, yeah I said it, LOL. 🙂 😝
BLENDING LIKE COLORS
Sometimes, all you need is to mix plaids that have at least one of the same color in it. I have the color navy in my blazer and plaid pants and that same color is reflected in my shoes too. This ties it all together and the outfit flows a whole lot better that way. There are exceptions to this. You don’t have to match all the time, but if you’re a plaid mixing newbie, finding the same color in all your separate pieces is a great beginners choice. I don’t typically play it safe, as I’m sure you already know, but for this I will.
BREAK IT UP
I like to break up my plaids with a solid color. I did a white top to break up my plaid pants and jacket. You can easily break it up with a black or neutral color. This is a great way to play it safe if you’re new to the plaid mixing game.
MATCHING ACCESSORIES
Usually, I’m a little crazier with my accessories, blending whatever feels good at the moment, but for this look, I kept it simple and added a mustard yellow hat to draw in the yellow in my pants and did all over gold accessories. Sometimes, if nothing else is matching and you want to match head to toe, using your accessories to bring the whole look together is key.
SIMPLE, BUT FUN MAKEUP
So you don’t want to look like a total train wreck, so if you’re gonna mix prints, and if you’re gonna to mix plaids, your make-up look is key too. It’s kind of like your hair; I can’t stand dressing up if my hair isn’t done, it just throws the whole look off if you know what I mean, maybe you don’t, but still, LOL. 😂 I’m a simple girl when it comes to make-up, with the exception of pageants, I try to keep it simple and just do a bold lip. Consider your make-up look when attempting to pull a mixed plaids look together. It’s easy for this to go south fast, so I always say keep it simple, but fun with the makeup and don’t take yourself too seriously. I opted for the Lava Lamp red lip gloss by Ouifresh. Shop this lippy here if you’re diggin it as much as I am.
By the way, my mustard yellow beret and plaid blazer are both thrifted finds. The beret was a whopping $1 and I can’t quite remember the price of the blazer, but is was dirt cheap. Say it with me guys #winning.
Anyway, I hope this helps kick start your plaid mixing adventures.
Coils Curls & Coffee 