Thrifty Thursday for January

 Happy New Year!  (I can still say that almost 3 weeks in, right?  It's my first post of the year so I'm going with it.) Since Covid is still a thing and making me a little anxious about thrifting (or really going anywhere), this might be my last post for a minute.  Here's hoping I can go out again soon!  I miss it.

I'm not usually one for short shorts, but these make for great swim bottoms!  Especially since I'm planning on using my paddle board more this year they'll be perfect.

Oiselle Mac Roga Shorts:  Originally $56, paid $6

I don't have a lot of makeup, but these bags are great for organizing a big purse.  And of course the flamingo pattern doesn't hurt either.

Dabney Lee Makeup Bag:  Originally $26, paid $3

Did you know HydroFlasks are actually counterfeited?  One of the ways you can tell by looking at the bottom.

So in order to authenticate this one, I pulled out my phone and did a search for the model number (in the upper right between the "made in China" and "Hydroflask.com") and immediately the mug popped up on REI's website.  Since they are an authorized seller, I took that as a good sign of it being real.  Then once I got home, I found this Facebook post from Hydro Flask basically confirming that it was real.

16oz Hydro Flask Coffee Mug:  Originally $32.95, paid $2

I  feel like every post I say I'm a sucker for jogger pants.  Still true.  The zippered pockets on these felt like an added bonus to secure whatever I need to keep in my pockets.

Athleta Aspire Ankle Pants:  Originally $79, paid $4

Joggers with a top that can fold over like yoga pants?  Yes, please!  The fabric on these is a little thin, but the fold over top is always so comfortable that I had to get them.  Might be a minute before I can wear them though since it's just too cold.

Under Armour Sleek Harem Pants:  Originally $90, paid $15

So any good thrifting finds?  Any leads on good races coming up?  My spring race calendar is surprisingly empty so I'm definitely on the lookout to set some new running goals.

Thrifty Thursday for December

Continuing with the themed thrifty posts, this month's theme is:  Cozy! 

Since cutting off a good portion of my hair, I've been getting more scarves and neck gaiters as the temperatures drop.  I saw this merino wool buff and had to get it!  It was brand new with the tags on it, nice and thick so surely it'll help keep me warm as the temperatures start to drop even more.  And as an added bonus, it has a drawstring and small toggle on one side to help make it fit a little more comfortably.

Buff Merino Wool Neck Warmer:  Originally $29, paid $6

I  don't usually like to go for fast fashions when I'm thrifting because there's so much of it and it's usually not made very well.  But the tie dye on these joggers caught my eye, and then when I felt how soft they were I had to make an exception.

Old Navy Tie Dye Joggers:  Originally $35, paid $7

I don't usually like to post Christmas presents before I've given them to the recipient, but this find was so awesome I had to post it!  This is the Lightweight Better Fleece Sweater by Patagonia and it looks like a sweater on the outside but it's nice and fleecy on the inside.  And of course, it looks basically new!  

Patagonia Lightweight Better Fleece Sweater:  Originally $128, paid $28

Cozy to me also means curling up with a good book on a cold (maybe even snowy) day.  These are books I  have been passively looking for, and was so excited to find them for $3 each!

Stranger than FanFiction: Originally $9.48 (as of publishing), MSRP: $18.99, paid $3

Moxie:  Originally $23.99 (as of publishing), MSRP: $17.99, paid $3

Have you found anything good while thrifting this month?  Start the conversation in the comments below!

Thrifty Thursday for November

 Sometimes I like to do a post with a theme.  This one is leggings!  I had SO many good leggings finds this month for brands that I've never tried before, and wanted a way to try them out without dropping $70+ on them.  I'll be honest, most of these brands I never thought I'd find in a thrift store since they're not super well known, but at a similar price point to Lululemon.  So here are some of the leggings I've found while out thrifting recently.

These first two are some of my favorites!  On the left we have a pair of older leggings by Oiselle called Go Joggings.  They're super simple with a small pocket on the back of the left hip that's perfect for a lip balm or small set of keys.  That's it.  On the right there is a pair of Fast and Free leggings by Lululemon.  These have a LOT of pockets--five around the back and coming up by the hips, and one on each leg.  And they're made with Nulux so they feel really lightweight.

Oiselle Go Joggings:  Originally $84, paid $4.70

Lululemon Fast and Free 7/8 Leggings:  Originally $128, paid $8

Free People has been making athletic wear for a few years now, but they've more recently started marketing their products to fitness instructors and social media influencers.  I've been curious about these, but with a price point similar to Lululemon, I wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to try them. (Especially having to deal with returns if they didn't work out.)  But at a thrift store price point?  Sure!  I'm curious to see how these work out.  The floral print is what caught my eye, and pockets on the sides of the legs made it even more tempting.

Free People Eden Movement Leggings:  Originally $98, paid $7

Outdoor Voices is fairly well known amongst Peloton members (they sold apparel with a Peloton logo when it was difficult for Peloton to keep up with demand for branded apparel) and this was the first time I  had seen a pair of leggings in person.  The price point is a little lower than Lululemon, but still somewhat difficult to justify the cost when I'm not sure how they'll work out.  But these leggings feel pretty solid (albeit a little snug.)

Outdoor Voices Springs 7/8 Leggings:  Originally $78, paid $8

I've found some CW-X leggings in the past, and they are usually a little iffy by the time I  get my hands on them.  Since generally the compression portions are pieces of fabric fused and stitched on and the logo is basically an iron-on there are little bits of thread sticking out all over, and the logo is peeling.  (Although to me, the peeling logo isn't a dealbreaker.) I got a good look at these and they're VERY different. These are seamless so all the pieces of fabric that contribute to the compression areas are literally sewn into the fabric so there's no way for it to fray, and since the logo is also sewn in it's not going to peel off.  I  figured they would be worth a shot and I was shocked when I saw the original price.

CW-X Stabilyx Revolution Tights:  Originally $200, paid $4

Have you found anything good while thrifting this month?  Start the conversation in the comments below!

Thrifty Thursday for October

 I  know this is a little late this month.  Truthfully, my backlog of finds to post has been quickly dwindling since I've been having a hard time finding anything worth purchasing (or even just to show off here.)  But here are some things I've found this month!

The old version of the Brooks Dash Half Zip is one of my favorite pieces.  It's lightweight but a kind of silky soft that the newer versions just doesn't have.  I had this exact half zip with a company logo embroidered on it, and once I no longer worked there it just felt strange to keep wearing it.  So when I  found this "blank" version in my size, I  had to jump on it!

Brooks Dash Half Zip:  Originally $70, paid $7

This one is a little different with the asymmetrical look, but super soft and kind of has an almost 80s off the shoulder look without actually being off the shoulder.

Athleta Threadlight Relaxed Tee:  Originally $54, paid $7

Shopping for jeans in a thrift shop is definitely a great way to try a bunch of different brands at one time, but unfortunately if you find the perfect pair it's SUPER hard to find them again.  I've somehow managed to find a couple solid pairs in the last month!

On the left is a pair of Lucky Brand Hayden Skinny Jeans: Originally $39.99 - 109.99, paid $4

On the right is a pair of Levi's 505 Straight Leg Jeans:  Originally $59.50, paid $5.60

Constantly Varied Gear is an interesting company to follow.  They have leggings that have lots of fun prints ranging from mermaid scales to all kinds of animal prints and skull variations.  Their leggings are fairly reasonably priced, squat proof and don't show sweat.  I have a race on Halloween morning this year, and I definitely plan on wearing these!

Constantly Varied Gear Leggings: Originally $50, Paid $2.50

If you grew up in the 90s, you probably know these books.  Each book is a collection of short (like one or two pages) stories that are definitely scary for kids, but some of them have funny endings to keep it from getting too dark.  I'm glad to have found these just in time for Halloween!

Scary Stories Books:  Currently $20.80 on Amazon, Paid $4.50 for the set

So those are my finds for the month!  Did you find anything good (or festive) this month?  Any good races coming up?  I have the Bay Bridge 10k on Halloween and I can't wait!  (Although fair warning: They aren't allowing costumes, hence the skull leggings!)

…But is it Real?

 Thrift stores are notorious for selling fake purses.  (I’ve come to terms with the fact that if I ever come across a real Louis Vuitton, I need to get a lottery ticket.) I‘ve gotten really good at authenticating vintage Coach (which I posted about several years ago) and Dooney and Bourke bags because they have such a following that there’s a lot of information from a simple Google search.  I have also come across a few Kate Spade and Marc Jacobs bags so I have some practice knowing what to look for in a real designer purse.  A few times, I’ve come across Longchamp purses and those are also pretty easy to authenticate (this website is VERY helpful!) But what about their other bags?  I came across this little backpack just sitting on top of a rack and paced the store trying to find any information that would help me figure out any information that would help in my search.

I managed to find a few listings for a similar bag, but with just one detail off from the one in my hands—some had different colored hardware, others had a plain canvas lining, but nothing that looked exactly like it.  The bag was $10, so I decided to take a chance and it would give me some extra practice authenticating.  It is a little beat up, but nothing that a little cleaning (and maybe a dab or leather dye here and there) can’t help.

Before I gave the store my money, there were a few little details that made me feel fairly confident.  For one, fake leather feels terrible.  It usually feels plasticky, doesn’t lay nicely, and sometimes it also smells pretty bad.  This had a nice feel to it, looked like a lot of pebbled leather bags and it also actually took some effort to get it to sit and stay up.  The stitching was also in good shape so each stitch has a fairly even length (in a line of stitching the stitches should all be the same—none should be longer or shorter than another one), and be in a nice flowing line so you can almost imagine someone took their time when sewing this bag.

The stitching on the strap is perfect!

Same by the zipper!

Now this is where the link for the tote authentication came in handy because most (if not all) Longchamp bags have that same iconic zipper pull of a circle with the jockey on a horse seeming to jump across.  

The G in Longchamp goes in ever so slightly on the circle pull, but what about at the bottom?  Usually a Longchamp bag has 1948, but this says “France” on one side, “Paris” on the other.  No worries—that checks out!  It’s just an older bag.  The zipper also has 45 on the metal piece that goes between the teeth on the zipper.  But what about the other hardware?  Not all the hardware is stamped with “Longchamp” which is actually a GOOD thing.  I’ve found with other designer purse knockoffs, the more a bag has the company’s name on the hardware, the more likely it’s a fake.  It’s almost like the people making the fake have something to prove.  Besides the zipper pulls, this bag only has Longchamp stamped on a rivet used to reinforce the strap attachment to the bag.

Another part that checks out!

The leather tag also checks out when compared to the other similar bags that I found.  The stamping on the leather piece is also consistent—the ring around the Longchamp logo has the same amount of pressure all the way around, same with the logo itself even though it’s lighter than the ring. (Same with the stamp on the very front of the bag, which you can see in the first picture.)  The lining also checks out because even though Longchamp mostly uses a plain canvas liner now, at one point they used a jacquard liner with the company name, the horse and either “Paris” or 1948.  (I suspect they may have stitched the word “Paris” because it was made in France.)

Many of the similar bags I found online also has this stamp underneath the leather piece.  The lack of a plastic tag inside is slightly concerning, but can also confirm that it’s an older bag. The stamp that appears on the top of the leather piece also shows underneath (it was hard to capture on camera.)

So at this point you know where I’m going with this—my fairly low stakes gamble paid off!  This bag is a Longchamp Veau Foulonne backpack.  (It took some serious searching to find the name, which also means it’s probably at least 10 years old.) What cinched it for me was also finding several bags that matched mine exactly on several resale websites, and one was on TheRealReal, which is a consignment website that specializes in designer pieces and authenticates everything that they sell.  

I also took some of my fashion knowledge into my confidence in saying this bag is real.  Longchamp is known for their Le Pliage nylon bags that come in multiple styles, sizes, strap lengths and colors.  There are plenty of fakes out there of that style because of their increasing popularity and price point for what is considered to be a higher end bag.  (And with a fantastic lifetime warranty.  As of this posting, if your Le Pliage tote has worn corners or if the stitching on the handle is coming apart, you can fill out a simple form, send it in and they’ll fix it and send it back free of charge!)  Anyways—counterfeiters are focusing their energy on the totes because that’s what people want right now.  Are they going to focus on a random backpack that didn’t seem to be in high demand when it’s in production?  Doubtful.  

Before writing this post, I took a poll on Instagram asking how many people think it’s real.  Here are the results:

Now to clean this cute backpack up and enjoy it!

Thrifty Thursday for September

 Yay September! Bring on the better weather and more thrifting finds!

These tanks are kind of awesome—super comfy, great for sleeping in but a little pricey. I would definitely pay $5 for a semi-fancy, comfy sleep tank.

Lululemon Power Y Tank in Heathered Slate:  Originally $52, paid $5

I don’t typically go for pastels, but the fun color combination definitely caught my eye.

Lululemon Wild Tank in Heathered Pretty Purple/Bleacher Stripe White Iris Flower/Grapefruit:  Originally $64, paid $7

I like how this tank is simple, but fun since you can read it when you look in the mirror.

Lululemon All Tied Up Tank:  Originally $48, paid $4

So a few years ago Athleta had a program where you got to try out new pieces of clothing and in exchange you give them feedback and then you got to keep the clothes afterwards. I only got into one trial group, but I got to try out the precursor to these capris!

The ones that went into mass production are on the left, the ones I tried out are on the right. The big differences are the side pocket (it’s not really big enough for much.)

The mass produced version has a pocket in the waistband instead.

The mass produced version also didn’t have reflective strips at the bottom hem, which may have been a way to keep the seam from fraying in addition to the extra reflectivity. It seems strange that they only had the reflective strips at the waist where it would likely to be covered up by a shirt, but whatever. Still cool to find the mass produced version after trying out one of the earlier versions!

Athleta Sonic Reflective Capri Pant:  Originally $79, paid $7

My sister introduced me to Liberty of London when we were in high school. We both loved the floral patterns and vintage pieces were somewhat easy to find in thrift stores. I was super jealous when she found a beautiful Liberty of London dress that she wore to one of the big dances. (I want to say it was a prom, but anyways.) Then when we went to London a few years ago, it was one of our favorite shops to check out and we both stocked up on fabric. It ended up being the most expensive shopping out of the whole trip, but so worth it! So yeah when I found this shirt AND it fit, I had to get it!

Such a beautiful pattern broken up by the occasional bird!

Liberty Catesby Floral Perfect Shirt:  Originally $88, paid $5

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So those are my finds for the month. Anyone have any good thrifting finds this month? Any good races coming up? I have the SeaWheeze Virtual 10k coming up and I’m kind of excited for it. Space is still available and you can sign up for just $5 on Strava! The proceeds go towards three different charities—Back on my Feet, Black Men Run and Girls on the Run! 

Thrifty Thursday for August

 And now we start on my more recent thrifting finds!  Despite the ongoing pandemic, I've found some pretty good pieces to add to my wardrobe. 

It feels like I’m forever looking for a good, lightweight rain jacket that will pack easily, but yet still keep me dry in the rain.  (Just while walking around, running errands, let’s not add the running factor to it since then it’s just wet outside, wet and HOT inside.)  I saw this in my size, grabbed it and didn’t let go.  One thing I learned while working in retail is that store branded anything is typically made by reputable companies, and then the store just slaps its branding on it.  REI rain jacket?  Sure, let’s give this one a try!

A quick in-store google search showed that this jacket can pack into itself, still available in this color (beach stone grey) from REI for full price, AND fairly highly rated at 4.1ish stars out of five. Sold!

REI Rainier Jacket:  Originally $89.95, paid $18

So Oiselle has a fabric called lux—it’s not quite fleece, but slightly thinner, super soft and doesn’t pill similarly to most fleece.  I’m forever trying to find loungewear in similar fabrics and found something that is super close!  I found a similar pair of joggers and once I found these, once again I had to have them especially at the smaller price point.  (They’re amazing pajama pants!)

Aerie Offline Hugger Jogger:  Originally $59.95 (usually on sale between $41.96 - $45.96), paid $5

Running in DC, Maryland and Virginia in the summer is always a slog because of the humidity.  As a woman you’re constantly questioning if THIS will be the run where you tear off your top and just run in your sports bra.  This tank is light and airy enough that you can keep it on just a little longer.

North Face Vision Muscle Tank:  Originally $50, paid $4

It’s also no secret that I'm forever looking for a new pair of joggers. And yes, I found these in the same trip as the one above.  These look a little more presentable, but have a super soft lining that make them feel like sweatpants. 

And also, the back pockets are big enough for my phone.

Athleta Lined City Joggers:  Originally $98, paid $7

Coach purses are getting to be harder to come by when thrifting.  I find a real one maybe once a visit, but even fewer are worth buying to refurbish.  (And vintage bags?  I think I’ve found two in as many years.  Granted, some of that includes the pandemic when I wasn’t thrifting, but even pre-pandemic they’ve been harder to come by.) This one theoretically should be a quick fix.  Give the outside a light soak, use a soft toothbrush with some dish soap to lift the makeup from the leather, let it dry, condition, boom done.  (Also, can someone please explain why there’s a makeup stain on the outside of a bag?  Obviously, someone put makeup on their body…but that’s a thing now?)

But why???

Coach Campbell Belle Purse:  Originally $418, paid $13

So there are my finds for the month!  Anyone have any good finds this month?  Any good races coming up?  (Since they're happening again!)  Leave a comment below to start the conversation!

Thrifty Thursday for July

So in case you missed it, I'm still playing catch up on some of my older (pre-covid) thrifting finds while I  work on getting back to thrifting regularly.  Since coming back to thrifting, I've been a lot more picky about what I bring home with me and thankfully I'm still finding a lot of great items I  can't wait to show you!  For now, here's the last post with my older finds...

I'm not a fan of buying fast fashion when I go out thrifting.  It's cheaply made and doesn't last very long, but occasionally I'll make an exception.  This was one of them.  It was brand new with tags, super soft, and lightweight so it got a lot of wear while we were in quarantine.

American Eagle Open front Cardigan:  Originally $40, paid $7

Finding tall rain boots that can accomodate my wide calves is really hard, so when I found these (in my size) I had to get them.  

Tretorn Langta Boots:  Originally $85, paid $4

This bag was in perfect condition so I had to bring it home!  It's perfect to just throw a couple things in when I don't need much.  (Which let's be honest: Right now it's most days.)

Kate Spade Keisha Crossbody:  Originally $178, paid $15

I got this back when I thought I would be traveling more.  It has so many pockets that it would be great as a carry on or as a bag to shove last minute necessities into before leaving for a road trip.

Sherpani Wisdom Tote Bag:  Originally $80, paid $12

Anyone find anything good while thrifting recently?  Any races coming up?  Leave a comment below to get the conversation started!