Savin' Maven Monday: Budget Style Tips

Happy Monday my loves!

I hope each of you had a very wonderful and productive weekend.

I was finally able to relax for a change-needless to say, I didn't post anything in the shop, I didn't do any fun DIY projects, and I didn't hang out with friends-just plain ole relaxation mode.

I really look forward to creating weekly DIY projects but this week I just didn't have the energy.

Since most of my readers look forward to my regular Monday posts, I figured I would fill this spot with 'Budget Style Tips' when I don't have a DIY project to post.

So here goes nothing....

Introducing....

This series will cover my shopping habits and tips, as well as answer shopping/style questions from you, my readers.

So get your questions ready and ask on! Go ahead, ask me anything.

Within this series, I'm also looking to feature some of my favorite budget fashionistas.

That means YOU!!!

If you have questions and/or you would just like to share your latest budget savvy OOTD, please feel free to email me at thriftyandshameless@gmail.com.

I look forward to getting your questions and submissions.

Thanks for reading.

XOXOXOXO



Weekend Whimsies: What I'm Reading

Happy Sunday my loves! 

We only have 2 more days until the big holiday is here!

Are you all ready!? I'm as ready as I will ever be!

Just wanted to let you all know what I've been reading over the weekend. Each week the ladies over at IFB do a round up of cool posts and I made it into this week's edition. There are always some really good reads on the site and I wanted to make sure you all had first dibs on reading some of these wonderful and informative posts. If you're interested in submitting something of your own, the instructions are down below (all the way at the bottom)!

Happy reading!

Holidays are Coming

Edited by: Emily of Sugar & Spice Less than a week until Christmas, we’re all dreaming of what might be inside the beautifully wrapped presents under the tree come Christmas morning. This week’s collection of posts have a festive feel but will also inspire your crafty side this holiday season, how to recycle your summer wardrobe for colder weather, last minute gift guides for loved ones, or yourself and top tips on how to shop better particularly as the post-Christmas sales begin. So, whilst you enjoy all of the wonderful contributions this week, all that remains is to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: DECEMBER 20TH

• A Simple Statement: Favourite looks for Pre-Fall 2013
• All Things Kate: Summer in December
• Fashion Delights: 6 Classic Items that a woman should have in her closet
• Fashion, Trends & More: 3 Ways To Wear a Patterned Dress
• Girl In The Yellow Dress: In a Softer Light
• IFB: How To Build Your Blog’s Marketing Calendar
• Incognito: On shopping occasionally and loyally
• Leilah’s Lipstick: Holiday Dress Guide
• Le Style Connoisseur: The Real Iconic Things to Fashion Blogging
• Lifestyles of the Thrifty and Shameless: Savin’ Maven Monday: Holiday Shopping Tips
• Lover of Clothes: How do you transition your summer pieces into winter weather?
• My Fashion Insider: 10 fashion tips for short girls
• Random chic musings: DIY: Punk Chic Bib Necklace
• Secret Style File: Christmas in a Window
• South x Style: How To: Glitter Manicure
• Style Curated: Recycling, Reconstructing and Remnants
• Sugar & Spice: How to Shop the Sales in Style this Season
• The Mirror on the Wall: How to create an unconventional fashion mix
• The Skye Charlie Show: Fashion Victim 101
• Undercover Dress-Up Lover: Chocker tutorial
• Youth Savage: Has the Future of Fashion Blogging Arrived?

  SPONSOR: Shopbop Dresses: NuBra, Retrosun, Annabel Ingall, Renzo Kai, Salvatore Ferragamo, Giambattista Valli, Ferretti, PilyQ, Wang Satchels, Jean Paul Gaultier If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE where you see “Links a la mode next week’s date (official)”. The HTML code for this week will be found in the Links a la Mode widget on the right side of the blog, and will be published later today. ~ Jennine

Friday Favorites: Vol #22

Hello and Happy Friday my dears. 

Another week down...YESS! 

I hope everyone has had a very productive and prosperous week. 

I'm definitely ready for the weekend. 

But here are just a few of the awesome things that helped me get through the week.

Couponing at Harris Teeter...

Total before coupons and savings $136.80

Total out of pocket --->$33.67

75% savings

allowed me to make these super yummy nachos...

SIDENOTE-if you've never tried your nachos with Doritos, you are truly missing out on some deliciousness!

My bracelets-before they were organized. View full organization post here

Pretty packaging for my customers...

Just a few things that Target has me swooning over...

Polka Dot Skinnies

Floral Chambray-THIS came home with me!

Floral Peplum

I love that my babe and his brother love each other like this...

Please get this movie-NOW!!! It was AWESOME-definitely in my Top 10 of 2012!

This week's mag swag...

And last but certainly not least-my feature on Lucky Magazine's website...

Can we say STOKED!!!

What were some of your favorite things from this week?

I can't wait to hear from you.

Oh, and thanks a ton for reading!

XOXOXOXOXO

Links A La Mode...With A Cherry On Top!

Oh Sweet Saturday!!! 

How I love thee. For a blogger like myself you are so good to me. I rest on you, I thrift on you, and I do a majority of my other shopping on you. One thing I don't do on you though is blog posts. I have gotten into a pretty regular routine of posting 3-4 times a week, never on the weekend though. That's my time off to regroup and visit other lovely blogs.

However, since I made it into this weeks Links A La Mode 'it' list over on the Independent Fashion Bloggers site, I figured I would do a quick post  to share with my lovely readers a few awesome links that were posted in the blogosphere this past week. 

It's here for you to partake.

Enjoy!!

Summer starts here!

Edited by: Emily of Sugar & Spice

My first week editing Links a la Mode and so many amazing posts to choose only 20 from! Today marks the first day of summer for the northern hemisphere and judging by my choice below, I am willing summer to start in earnest in the UK! In the meantime, there’s tips on keeping stylish in the rain. One of the things I love about the fashion blogging community is the creativeness that it breeds and this week is no exception with a few brilliant and on-trend DIYs for your to try at home. If DIY-ing isn’t your thing but you still like to save your pennies there are posts for splurging or saving too.

LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: JUNE 21ST

• Capital Fashion: The fashionista’s bucket list


• Citizen Rosebud: 5 Quick Questions for Ari Seth Cohen


• Fashion Pastiche: how to wear hot pink this summer


• Fashion, Trends and More: how to dress stylishly on a dime


• Fashionopolis: dressing stylishly in the rain


• Kaaty McDonald: DIY your own skull and spike statement necklace


• Law Moda: Ikat: a history of this summer’s print


• Lazy cat style: collages for this summer’s trends


• Life.style.flash: working forgotten pieces into your outfits


• Lifestyles of the Thrifty and Shameless: on why the only way to make a statement this season is via a statement necklace


• Lovelee: Summer’s nail palette


• Mia Moore: Asymmetric skirt DIY


• My Vintage Curves: summer of love


• Oranges and Apples: on whether or not we’re out-growing blogging


• Pink Chai Style: Top tips for picking your prefect red lipstick


• She like ruffles, he like ruffles: splurge or save on this season’s most wanted maxi dress


• The Chic Street: some accessory inspiration for brightening your day


• The Closet Coach: When to save and when to splurge on your wardrobe


• The Simply Luxurious Life: Style Commandments to live by


• WWelcome to my Closet: on saying goodbye to an old favourite

SPONSOR:
New Bags Shopbop: Ferragamo, Gucci, YSL, Totes, Addition, Chloe, M. Williamson, Valenentino Bags, Rachel Comey, Tucker, Hindmarch & Margiela Bags
Thank You all a shit ton for reading and remember if you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE. 
XOXOXOXOXO

WOTS: And What We Wear Is Vintage Clothes (feature)...

I know....I know...I've been MIA. And it's totally uncalled for. Okay, well not totally...my new job is very demanding of my time so posting has been out of the question. I did have a few minutes tonight though...while watching the Season Finale of my favorite show of this year, Born To Dance, I figured that I would take this time to highlight one of my fave blogger chics. I know she thinks that I've forgotten about her but rest assured Meagan, fabulosity can never be forgotten about.  She's the one I look forward to visiting on Thursday's because she's vintage, she rocks killer accessories, and above all else, she's thrifty.

Everyone say hello to Meagan.

Meagan from SpunkyChateau

Tell us a little about yourself and your mission as a blogger.

I started my blog, SpunkyChateau, about a year ago. I had just started reading fashion blogs and as a recent college grad who hadn't found a job yet, I thought starting my own blog would be something interesting to focus on in the absence of a job. Soon, my blog became a way for me advertise pieces I had for sale in my vintage store and eventually it evolved into what it is now. Today, I document my outfits and talk about where each piece came from but I try to focus on thrifting and introducing people to the benefits of buying secondhand. It's not only a way to incorporate unique pieces into your closet, but it recycles and lots of times the proceeds go to local charities. Each Thursday I host a photo link up, Thursdays are for Thrifters, where bloggers can show off their recently thrifted finds and outfits, in hopes that it will give like-minded bloggers a chance to network and will inspire others to give thrifting a try.

Your style is very bohemian vintage. What inspires you to style your outfits this way? Who are your style icons? My style is definitely vintage-inspired and I love to incorporate vintage into my outfits as often as I can. I think that for most people their personal style is their attempt at communicating who they feel they are to the world. I think the fact that I love vintage clothing and vintage-inspired fashion, partly, stems from the fact that I love history. I've always been interested in learning and the past has always fascinated me. A lot of the clothes I wear are inspired by the time periods I find really interesting, specifically the 1960s and 1970s. Further, I'm a bit of a music nerd and fashion has a unique role in culture in that is has been an accessible way for young people to identify themselves with subcultures and movements, especially in regards to music. So, like many people, to a degree, what I wear reflects what I identify with and value. I would not say that I have any real style icons, but I love the styles of Stevie Nicks, Elton John, Prince, and Vivian Westwood among many, many others.



Meagan from SpunkyChateau

You're also a big thrift shopper. How long have you been thrifting and what inspired you to start?

I've been shopping in thrift stores since I was very young. It was just something that my family did on some weekends. I always loved it and enjoyed finding bargains. When I got into high school, I became more serious about thrifting because I wanted to have unique pieces that no one else in school had. Since then, I've become even more interested in thrifting as a way to expand my closet without overspending. As I've thrifted more and more, I've found that it really has a lot of benefits and that you can find pieces that fit your style almost anywhere and in any price range if you put your mind to it.

What goal did you have in mind when you began the 'Thursday is for Thrifters' meme on your blog? I began my 'Thursdays are for Thrifters' link up for two reasons. First, I wanted bloggers who already love to thrift to get to interact and share their finds with each other, because everyone loves to brag about finding a deal and to see what their friends have found. But more importantly, I wanted to show people who don't thrift just what sorts of things you can find thrifting. I've known lots of people who look down on thrifting and I know that thrifting has a negative stigma in some communities. I wanted these people to see that you can find great pieces for such low prices and teach people how to thrift, because lots of people who have never thrifted before don't know where to start.

Vintage Wedges

What are some of your favorite thrifting tips to follow?

I have dedicated a few posts to thrifting tips and I could go on all day about this, but my number one rule is to follow your instincts. I try to walk up and down each aisle and scan the racks. If something jumps out at me, I pick it up and look at it. If you have a good feeling about something, try it on. It may take you a few minutes to figure out how to style an item, but if you're drawn to something, there's usually a reason.

Who are some other 'thrifty' bloggers that you can't get enough of?

There are sooo many girls and guys out there who are putting together amazing outfits based around thrifted pieces that it's really hard to pick, but some of my absolute favorites right now are: MyModernVintage, DressesOnAClothesline, and ThePaperBagMiss.

Where are some other places that we can find you on the web (FB, twitter, online shop)?

I have a vintage boutique on Etsy.

I'm also on Facebook---and on Twitter.

Thanks Meagan for taking over today. Muah!!!

Now everybody...run quickly and follow her! Go on...scoot!

Post Title from: Vintage Clothes by Paul McCartney

WOTS: I Like Those Stylish Clothes You Wear (feature)...

“"Style" is an expression of individualism mixed with charisma. Fashion is something that comes after style.”

-John Fairchild

When I think of style, I think of someone who's obviously fashionable. One who isn't afraid to take risks, experiment with color, and ultimately one who can put one helluva spin on the latest (or maybe even the 'not so latest') trends in order to make them their own. I think of one who does the unexpected yet remains classic and timeless in their effort to do so. I think of someone who's FLY. Someone who always owns the room, no matter what they wear.

Today, I'm thinking of KayCee.

Everyone say hello to her.

Tell us a little more about yourself and your mission as a blogger?

Hello I am Kaycee of TwoStylishKays. My career is corporate training, but my passion is fashion.  So when I take off my trainer hat, I delve into the world of fashion as a personal stylist. I love helping women feel confident about their image and personal style. My personal style blog celebrates my love of fashion, thrift shopping and inspiring women to look stylish all the time. I believe that personal style is a look that is all your own. It’s not about how much money you spend, but how you wear your clothes.

What inspired you to begin thrifting?

It was my mother who nurtured my "thrifty shopping habit". Being a single parent, she worked two jobs just to make ends meet and thrifting was one way she could stretch a dollar. So she introduced me to secondhand stores at an early age. Since there was a social stigma attached to thrifting, I would only run in to buy black pants to wear to my job as a cashier at Popeye's.  But those quick trips turned in weekly visits as I realized the joy of thrifting and learned how to create fashionable wardrobes on a modest budget. Today, thrift shopping has a new meaning in my life:  It’s therapeutic! It’s the thrill of the hunt! It’s doing a good deed!! Oh and I save a lot of money too!!

How often do you thrift and do you set a budget for yourself?

I go thrifting at least once a week. My budget is not the driving force behind my purchases. I go shopping with a list, so I only but things that I truly want. When I make a purchase it’s an item that I need, can wear immediately and will love for years to come.

Your style is very classic and clean. Do you shop for particular labels/brands when thrifting? 

I heart brands like Michael Kors, Zara, Club Monaco, Banana Republic because of their quality and timeless styles. I avoid fast label brands like H&M, F21, Old Navy and any Target brands because the quality usually isn't worth the thrift store price tag.  Plus, I can pay the same price for the item at an end of year or clearance sale. If I don’t recognize a label/brand, I look at the quality based on the material, how the item is sewn and of course the fit. The best racks to shop first are the dress, skirt, blazer and blouse sections.

What are a few of your favorite and most valuable thrifted items?

I have too many to name. But one of my favorite thrifted pieces is a Bill Blass navy silk chiffon dress. I found at Goodwill. There was little hanger appeal, but I loved the color and fabric. So I tried it on and fell in love. When I began inspecting the dress, looking for flaws and such, I noticed the Bill Blass label!  

What are some good pointers that you've learned while thrifting?

These are tips to follow to have a great thrifting experience:  

1. Shop alone or with someone who enjoys thrifting. Thrifting is not for the faint of heart and requires a great deal of patience. 

2. Know that a thrift store is not the mall.  Go in without expectations and don't give up if you do not find specifically what you are looking for.

3. Many stores do not have dressing rooms; therefore, wear leggings and a fitted top to try on clothes in the aisle.

4. Become a frequent shopper.  Associates may become familiar with your style and point you in the direction of great finds. 

5. Remember the accessories.  Thrift stores are a great place to find silk scarves, vintage jewelry, and belts.

Who are some other 'thrifty' bloggers that you enjoy visiting?  

Shana of ColorBlind

Stacey Kay of GoodWill Huntingg 
Inez of Style Chic 360

How do you define style?

Post Title from Ride With Me by Nelly

WOTS: Sugar and Spice...Righter than Right...(feature)

You all know I looooovvvveeesss a bargain, so while I'm escaping and trying to deal with life's issues, I've asked one of my bloggirlfriends to fill in for me to talk about some of her most treasured bargain shopping secrets.

Everyone say Hi to ShopGirl!

ShopGirl

Hi Thrifty and Shameless readers. And thank you Miss Rockwell for having me. For those who don’t know me, I’m Shopgirl, aka Emily, and I write my blog over at Sugar and Spice. My greatest joy in life is scoring a great bargain and my blog is filled with my pursuit of this and a guide to shopping with limited funds. When Miss Rockwell asked me to write this post, I couldn’t wait to share my tips with you, so without further ado, here is my guide on

"How to… be a bargain shopper":

Sign up for any newsletter going for all of your favourite stores and more. If you don’t fancy having your inbox filled with "junk", why not open a new email account specifically for the pursuit of a bargain? I have an old account that I had to stop using for everyday as it is literally filled with vouchers and sales emails – so now I browse it when I need to shop!

Stalk the shops. I mean it, the more you shop, the more you will know what you are after in the stores and therefore are more likely to be the first, or one of the first, to catch a sale.

Know what is in your closet. That might sound like a stupid point to make but how often have you been having your quarterly/half-yearly clear-out and found a dress you’d forgotten about that fell off its hanger, or a top still with its tags on stuffed at the back of a drawer? Never? Only me? I think not! This will also help stop multiple purchases of the same thing and you’ll know what pieces are missing from your closet, so that when you do shop, you are shopping for your closet!

Buy bulk, or with friends and share the cost. Many stores do 2 tops for a tenner or something similar – either get two for yourself or go in with a friend who wants one too.

Clothes swap. These parties are all the rage at the moment. I have yet to go to one but I have a few friends whose cast-offs I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on!! If you’re having a clear-out and there are some reasonable pieces in your pile that you think friends might like, why not organise one? Or look out for larger ones organised in your area?

Set yourself a budget. And stick to it. This is the hardest thing for me to do but I do try to adhere to a budget for clothes shopping each month. If I have a special occasion, I will shop my closet first and then set a budget for buying anything I might need to update what I already have to use.

Shop your closet. As above. If you have something specific you need an outfit for, you might already have exactly what you need in your closet. Or at the very least, some of the components, which will save you buying a whole new outfit.

Check the sales shelves right at the end. The discounts are often silly for accessories which might just come in handy in the future. A belt for £1? A clutch for £2? They might be just the pieces to complete a look next month?

Now, I know that charity shop shopping, thrifting and vintage shopping are all cited as ways in which to score a bargain but I must confess to not being the greatest at any of these. I’m not even great at rummaging through the sales racks on the high street, so rummaging through second hand clothes is not something I do very often. But my mum has found me a few wonderful bargains through this and there are plenty of bloggers out there, to tell you how to thrift and find a bargain – Miss Rockwell, herself, included!

How do you shop for a bargain?

Do you limit yourself to a budget each month or spend whatever you want?

Any tips you’d like to add?

Post Title from: Sugar and Spice by Luther Vandross

****Don't forget to get your pretty manicures ready! I'm hosting a DIY Manicure Party on August 12 for FBFF. I would love to see you link up!****

WOTS: Still Respected When It's Vintage (feature)

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of the thrift store's vintage section-completely amazed by the timeless pieces, the quality of the fabrics, and the intricate details of the perfectly tailored dresses. I've noticed that the items I find in the vintage section exhibit a certain level of chic and they have 'first lady' written all over them. Great silky fabrics, bow tie necklines, and below the knee midi skirts. Did you then double back and stop to wonder what the hell does 'vintage' really mean? Have you ever wondered if thrifting and vintage shopping means the same thing to people from other countries? Do they value it there as much as we do here?

Well I've teamed up with one of my favorite UK bloggers, Franca from OrangesAndApples, to discuss the aspect of 'charity shopping' and exactly what the terms 'vintage' and thrifting mean to her.

Everyone say hello to Franca. 

Miss Rockwell (MR): Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Franca (F): I'm Franca. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland, though I'm originally from Luxembourg. I'm a social scientist by day and I'm really into all things crafty and artsy. My blog reflects that: it's basically one part outfit pictures (which are usually very colourful), one part crafty artiness (at the moment I'm into photography, but I'm also a knitter, and a beginner sewist) and one part think pieces on fashion, society and feminism.

MR: Everyone has a different perception of 'vintage shopping'. What is your definition of 'vintage'?

F: I would define vintage as anything older than 20 years. I've seen clothes from 2000 described as vintage and I definitely wouldn't class that as vintage yet. But to be honest, I'm not that bothered at how old something is. I have a few reproduction 1950s dresses from the 1980s, and I love them no less than my 1950s originals. The main thing that matters is whether I like something.

MR: How long have you been a vintage shopper?

F: I've been wearing second hand (as it was called then, the term vintage didn't exist yet) since I was born. I always loved getting hand me downs from my cousins and rediscovering my mum's clothes. Second hand isn't a very widespread thing in Luxembourg, so I didn't do much shopping myself when I was young. But when I moved to Edinburgh for university in 1999, I was like a kid in a candy store with all the charity shops everywhere. For a few years, I went thrifting probably 2-3 times a week, and would get LOTS of stuff. This is how I started learning about vintage, and recognizing different eras and styles. And around this time I discovered the blogosphere too, and made 'friends' with fellow thrifters via the wardrobe remix group on flickr.

MR:  What motivated you to begin shopping for vintage items?

I just always loved them. I love the dressing up aspect, the sense of history, that you can get something completely unique. And when I first started thrifting, I was a student, so I didn't have any money. The charity shops allowed me to build an amazing wardrobe at very low cost.

MR: You mention charity shopping alot. What is that?

F: Charity shops are what we call thrift stores in the UK.

MR: What are your top 5 tips for vintage/charity shopping?

* Keep an open mind. You never know what you might come across, and what weird and wonderful thing you'll end up loving. This goes especially when you're starting out. I bought some ludicrous stuff early on in my thrifting career, and lots of it went back to the charity shop after a few wears, but some of it I still have.

* Ignore sizing labels. I'm a UK size 12, but will try on anything from an 8 to a 16. Vintage sizes are sometimes very different, and with the rise of vanity sizing, labels are becoming increasingly meaningless. I've become pretty good at judging whether something will fit me from holding it up. But that skill has taken time to develop, so I'd say just try things on to start off with,

* Educate yourself about fabrics and sewing techniques so you can spot well-made clothes that will last. Getting to know which brands do good quality can be helpful too, but nothing beats actually looking at the clothes.

* Only buy what you love. Related to the last point, don't get sidetracked by designer labels, they don't guarantee quality, or style. YOU need to love the thing and no one else.

* If that last thing is a challenge, I find it helpful to think of how the thing would fit in with the rest of my wardrobe. If I can't think of three outfits it can be incorporated in, I'll leave it for someone else to enjoy.

MR: Tell us about some other vintage bloggers that you like to visit.

I'll recommend some British/Irish ones:

* PennyDreadfulVintage is an amazing vintage etsy seller and blogger

* TheComptesseDeFerveur always shows off great charity shop finds

* VintageVixen has the most luck at car boot sales and is a general thrifty goddess

* RetroChick always shows off great vintage style, often with new (reproduction) clothes, which can be more accessible. I love her hair tutorials.  

Now tell me, what's your idea of vintage?

SIDENOTE: I would love to feature your cute little blog on an upcoming 'Word on the Street Wednesday' segment. All you need to do is express your interest in a personal email---> thriftyandshameless@gmail.com

Post Title from: Superstar by Lauryn Hill

WOTS: This is the REMIX! (feature)

I shops....til I drop, honey!

Well not literally but I do shop a helluva lot! I can justify my outlandish amounts of shopping by the fact that I make a majority of my purchases at thrift stores. Also, I only shop sale racks. Very rarely, if ever, do I pay regular price for anything. And I mean that literally. I feel outside of myself if I don't go into the mall at least once a week-partly because I pay some of my bills in store but mainly because I can't stand to miss a deal. Does that make me an addict? Am I a junkie? Oh geez....I'm a junkie. My huge shopping obsession has led me to rename my closet a 'mini boutique'. I mean seriously! I could easily attach a sign to the front of my closet door and begin a fairly lucrative business.

Does anyone else have a shopping habit thats bigger than their pockets?

SOUND OFF: How do you make sure that your favorite items aren't getting lost in the midst of all your new items?

I personally like to remix alot of my favorite items to make sure that I'm getting my money's worth out of them. I may wear the same jeans twice in one week but if I pair them with a different blouse and shoes, I've created a totally different look. This method, known as remixing, doesn't necessarily decrease my urge to shop but it does help me save a little more money.

Kendi, who is in the process of  wrapping up this season's 30 for 30 challenge, is the mastermind 'blogger' behind this whole 'remixing' concept. (Check out some cool remixer ladies here) She does this challenge at least twice yearly in an effort to not only save money but also to allow fashionistas a chance to make  the most out of the items that are already in our closets.

Speaking of remixing...I was browsing through the blogosphere a number of months ago and I came across Iris over at 260DaysNoRepeats. What attracted me to her blog was her outward disclosure that she had only spent a mere $150 on clothing from April 2010-April 2011 because of her fierce remixing tactics. Immediately my face contorted like this ----> :-o because holy shiznit how did she do it!!?? In effort to look for more thrifty bloggers, I found Iris and she very willingly shared with me how she managed to shave thousands of dollars off of her receipts by remixing. Talk about Thrifty and Shameless.

Everyone meet Iris.

Miss Rockwell (MR): Tell us about yourself and your mission as a blogger.

Iris (I): Hi, I'm Iris and have used this experience as a way of fending off a quarter life crisis as I navigate my way through these transitional twenties! I know it's really not as dramatic as I make it out to seem...

My mission was to challenge myself to use the existing clothes in my wardrobe to their fullest potential remixing them for one year every day I went to work for one year. That was a (huge) success so I am keeping it going for another year!

MR: What motivated you to start remixing your clothing?

 

I: In a word, "money." I graduated from college without a job lined up or any idea of what I really wanted to do. I spent most of that summer working a part time job while applying for opening after opening to no avail finding myself in the thick of one of the worst recessions in years. Thankfully my luck took a turn for the better in September when I found a full time job! Unfortunately, it was paying much less than I was expecting and only on a temporary basis. On top of everything else, my student loans were looming on the horizon; I had to make it work and that meant some sacrifices. So, I was able to come up with this challenge to keep things interesting...

MR: What type of routine or pattern do you follow when remixing your items?

I: I don't really have a "routine" per say. I go through my closet loosely following the notion of color rotation. That is partly because my name means rainbow and partly because it keeps me from relying on the same few things that I am most comfortable in. I like the idea of moving out of my comfort zone and continuing to challenge myself in new ways!

Just kidding about the first part...

MR: How do you fight the urge to shop?

I: I think after a while the urge died down. I realized that whatever "sale" was going on at New York & Company or LOFT was one in a dozen or so they would have throughout the season.Whenever it is that I choose to go shopping I will be able to find coupons without an issue. I can honestly say that I have learned (from this experience) that there will always be another deal and if the thing that I am attracted to isn't right in anyway then it wasn't meant to be and there is something better waiting!

MR: You said you spent $150 last year..what exactly did you purchase? Did you plan these trips or did you buy things on an as needed basis?

I: Most of the things that I bought last year were on impulse and now I see that some might not have been worth the splurge; I'm talking  LOFT shorts that I never wear! That being said, there were some things that were totally worth it and I don't regret at all.

Overall, none of them were true needs which is probably why there were so many months that I didn't buy anything at all!

MR: What are some of the bargaining tips that you live by?

• I don't pay full price for anything, it's just not worth it. 
• I have learned the wonders of second hand shopping; you can find some really great things for a small fraction of the cost. 
• Swapping clothes with friends is an even better way to get new things because it's free!
• Off price retailers and discount stores are great places to find awesome deals.
• Even if it is an amazing deal, if you don't love it it's not worth it!

MR: Who are some of your favorite 'bargain bloggers'?

I: I really like reading Clothed Much. Elaine is funny and that's awesome but, I also feel like she is going through a similar challenge trying to make the most out of her wardrobe. I will admit that I probably have a ton more clothes (seriously she lists it all) but, it's nice to think that there is someone else out there going through what I go through!

Thanks so much for reading about this challenge that I have posed to myself. Please feel free to stop by

260 Days, No Repeats as I continue! If you have any questions please feel free to email me at shespysthebuys@gmail.com!

 I want to see how you remix your favorite items.

Send your remixed looks to thriftyandshameless@gmail.com by 5pm each Monday to be featured in my all new 'Take Two Tuesday' remix segment.

Looks like I have alot of work to do. Thanks for reading.