thrift store | Frivolous Universe

Xasual Xmas: Fur-Lined, Acid-Washed, and Draped in Velour

By: Kelly Lynae Robinson

26-12-2011

Nicole: It’s officially getting cold here in the city. No snow yet, but cold. Which only means one thing. I finally get to wear the best thing I purchased before leaving Boise…the acid-washed, fur-lined denim jacket I bought for 35 dollars at The Lux. I can wear a tank top under this baby and still be warm. So. Wonderful.

Kelly: Viva la acid wash! A subtle, sophisticated color palette does wonders in modernizing this much-despised fabric of the 80s (even by some of our fellow bloggers. Gasp!) I love the muted blush, blue, and caramel with a jewel-toned pant.

N: I picked this outfit to go with the jacket: high-necked blush polyester blouse and teal jeans, both purchased second hand. The jeans are originally from American Apparel. I got them for eight dollars. They usually run around $65. Woo-hoo! I love a good, frilly high collar. So demure…that’s why I wear a black bra underneath. You don’t wanna be too demure…

N: I love that this thrifted taupe belt has a taupe buckle, as well. Belts that are one solid color are great because you don’t have to worry about matching gold or silver fastenings to your jewelry.

K: Word, and taupe is a much more interesting neutral than black or brown.

N: My good friend Jaime gave me this antique pendant as a going away gift. On the back, she had engraved “fall down running.” I paired it with this crappy old H&M tassle-chain necklace to add a little more texture. I love all the detailing on this blouse. Pleats and ruffles and poofs, oh-my!

K: This blouse is one of my favorites of yours. We bought it on one of our first thrifting trips when the wide world of blouses first opened up to us. The racks in Savers were full of vintage blouses both ugly and lovely. For some reason, instead of giggling at them and passing on to the next thing (because blouses are for grannies) we tried a bunch on and found a handful that worked. Not just for grannies.

N: I always aim to tell a good color story when I dress. These multi-color knit socks have both the blush from the blouse and the teal from the jeans and they make the bottom half of my outfit 10 times more interesting than if I just wore my jeans straight with the black booties.

K: We’ll say it again – details, details, details!

K: Nothing says, “Why the eff won’t it snow?” like my 90s silver velour turtleneck and Christmas-present-from-Nicole jeans. This turtleneck is absurdly out-of-fashion, so I took pity on it at the thrift store and took it home. I bet I can work it into some divinely textural layered looks. Remember the floral shirt Nicole found at the yoga studio?

N: These jeans were in the same backpack. My ass was too big for them, so I shipped them off to Kelly. Maybe they were sad to part with the blouse, but it’s all for the better. Really.

K: These pants fit my ass like they were spray-painted on. I could have tried on 85,000-ish pairs of jeans at the mall and not found a pair that fit me this well. I feel that they were meant for me… and most importantly freeeeee.

K: I crocheted two more pairs of these alpaca mitts for gifts this year after making this pair for myself. This belt buckle is too big to fit between the belt loops, so I improvised. Jeans not recommended for cowboys or wrestlers.

N: I love the mixing of so many textures. Velour, wool, knits, plaids, denim…so cozy!

K: For some reason this masculine-inspired outfit cried out for a luxe, feminine shoe. When I wore these vintage purple suede pumps in a previous blog, it was with a sweeping skirt worthy of their old-fashioned charm, but I enjoy the contrast of wearing them with jeans and a flat cap.

N: A jeans and heels combo is usually so expected and boring. Rolling up the cuffs instantly makes the line more interesting.

K: Plus a wool, vintage, thrifted jacket with a contrast color under the collar. Many thanks to Bethany for my pictures.

For us, frivolity and frugality go hand in hand.

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Candy Apple Red for Christmas

By: Kelly Lynae Robinson

19-12-2011

Kelly, Kelly and Nicole, Nicole

K: Dressing for a Christmas party is always a conundrum. Chances are the event will be photographically remembered, which creates the need to look festive but most-of-all fabulous (and only a tad foolish). The outfit I conjured up for Charmagne’s white elephant gift exchange was as follows: sweater I found on a bench and candy apple red palazzo pants.

N: You look cold.

K: I am. These vintage palazzo pants are made of the thinnest, cheapest polyester around. They came in a set with a matching turtleneck/tunic and tie belt for four bucks. I bought them in a rush of glee over the dramatic volume and color, but they will not stay in my wardrobe long. Too cheap and poorly constructed. Turns out even in the 70s JCPenney was shit. Someday, I’ll hunt down a quality vintage pair , preferably in a print.

K: This loosely knit sweater doesn’t do much to keep out the breeze either.

K: I first put a red coral necklace with this outfit, but it was too heavy. These earrings my sister made keep the neckline clean.

K: My winter topper of choice: 60s men’s Pendleton wool coat plus wool wrap.

K: I love how these pants move.

N: At the beginning of the month, my better-paying, second job offered me some prime weekend shifts, so I quit my slightly-more-fun first job, allowing me to have more free time and more money! My now former-manager still invited me to his Christmas Party, though. I said “fuck it” to the ugly sweater theme and hauled my butt to Harlem in style in this 70’s Mr. Topper of California turtleneck and olive pleated skirt. My outfit was a big hit with the other party guests, who were pleasantly surprised to find out it was entirely thrifted and cost me about the same amount as their Cosby sweaters.

N: Nothing says Christmas like vintage polyester. Also, you may remember this skirt from our Autumn themed post last month. It’s ridiculous number of pleats and heavy material make it a great skirt for the colder months…so. much. fabric!

K: Oh, my! I love your little Christmas tree.

N: When in doubt, match your earrings to your belt. These gold squares have the tiniest little diamond* on the bottom corner, but it was too hard to get it to show up in a photo.

(*may-or-may-not be a real diamond)

N: Ok, I lied before. My zig-zag tights are the only non-thrifted part of my outfit, I got them from American Apparel last winter. The t-strap shoes are though! They may potentially be vintage dance/character shoes, which is one of the reasons I love them. That and the the fact that they are the exact same color as my belt.

K: Repeating motif! The rectangles on your shoes, belt and earrings all work together. A pro always styles down to the details.

K: I got an early xmas/late birthday present in the mail this week. This print:

K: Eeek! Isn’t it spectacular? I love the color choices, the stippling, the suit. I love that her skeletal hand looks like it’s grabbing her crotch. And I LOVE that the artist titled it “Lovely Couple”. *Sigh* Seriously, I would wear that suit. Check out more of Matthew Wade’s work here, here, and here.

Alas, this is our last Monday before Christmas, so we leave you with our blessing:

May your Christmas be rich in love and cheap in cost.

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Turbans and Kaftans

By: Kelly Lynae Robinson

05-12-2011

Kelly, Kelly and Nicole, Nicole

Kelly: I’m not sure whether it was Jessica Holmes or Lisa Sanchez who first typed the words “turban and kaftan party” in a facebook comment, but it was Jessica who offered to have that party at her house and on my birthday. Last Friday night, garments of improbable square-yardage were paired with the world’s most forgiving hairstyle and we ate, drank and made merry. The turban/kaftan combo is comfy as pajamas and chic as shit. Black satin turban and cross-stitched embroidered kaftan.

K: I watched this video to learn how to tie a turban, then did it half-assed.

K: This antique pendant is from Armor Bijoux. I jangle when I wear it. People take notice. You might even say it’s disruptive. How marvelous. The diamond infinity band belonged to my great-grandmother.

K: I constantly marvel at the embroidery on this while I wear it – all the way down to the cuffs.

K: With a garment this epic, the accessories have to be correspondingly larger-than-life. This woven leather belt has a medieval feel to me, like I could hang a broadsword off it.

K: Platform sandals with socks.

N: The nice thing about the weight of the kaftan is that you don’t necessarily have to wear tights with it in the winter, socks will keep your tootises warm and the bed sheet…ahem…kaftan…will keep your legs warm.

K: I have four kaftans, two for warm weather and two for cold weather.

N: The sad thing is that a lot of people have no kaftans. We used to be some of them. And there are sad, giant kaftans in thrift stores everywhere looking for you to take them home!

K: Again, the intricacy slays me. Especially because I got this kaftan for only $8.00 at the Good Samaritan thrift store at 19th and Washington. The tag doesn’t tell me much, other than that it’s from Jordan. Does anyone have cheap calls to Jordan? Call that number and report to me what you learn!

Nicole: Just because I was in New York for my boo’s birthday doesn’t mean I was gonna let the opportunity to dress on a theme pass me by! I threw on my thrifted electric orange kaftan and butterfly turban (because yes, you literally can just throw on a kaftan) and my lovely roommate Sarah shot some pics of me in our hood.

K: The best kaftans at thrift stores are always in the large, extra-large, XXL, etc. If you ask me, the bigger the better. Drama, drama, drama.

N: And if you’re wearing highlighter orange, you really can’t afford to back off the drama. So, might as well add a parrot necklace. When I got this necklace at a thrift store it had a big-ugly-gold-metal-bead-thing on it. So Kelly and I pried it off and, voila! Now it’s not over the top at all!

N: These sandals were left behind by the former resident of my room. I rescued them and gave them a loving home paired with purple tights. They’re very happy not to be stuffed in that bag of give-away clothes anymore.

N: I didn’t think parrots and flowers are enough for one outfit. So I added a butterfly scarf turban, too. Gift from Kelly many moons ago!

N: I think this kaftan was actually hand made. You can see the seam down the middle here, and if you look inside the seams are unfinished and look home pressed. Plus, there is no tag. I seriously love whoever made this ridiculously colored garment!