Frugal February: Thrifting a minimal wardrobe.
It's officially the last month of summer, and pretty soon it will be autumn; which typically starts out with the same high humidity and temperatures as our hottest month, and then tapers off with earthy scents and distinctly colder notes.
I am planning on separating my wardrobe into seasonal collections, just as a fun experiment, and as I plan for autumn I realise I will finally get to wear a blazer I finished on Christmas Eve, which is too warm to have been worn, yet. That blazer happens to be this one:
I thought it would be worthwhile to describe how I bring beautiful things into my home, and life, on a seemingly shoestring budget. Below are a few things I thrifted, and refashioned, that are beautiful fabrics and quality designs; but barely cost me anything.
The blazer - Frugality: $4.
If you're a sewer, and particularly if you're a budgeting sewer, don't forget to scour the men's rails at your thrift store.
Menswear typically out performs womenswear in terms of longevity, which is part of the reason why, I believe, thrift stores in general have a noticeably smaller amount of mens items to choose from.
They simply don't wear out as quickly, because men don't tend to change their minds, or their styles and wardrobes as much as we [women] do. So their garments are made for longer lives.
Women are marketed to very heavily in regards to trending, changing fashion, and evolving their looks and styles. We are encouraged to get bored and feel dissatisfied with what we have. On that note, I often like to take a look at what the thrift store is hosting in the men's section, because that's where the quality fabrics are.
The blazers and coats in the women's section are almost always polyester, and usually pilled and faded and not really upholding to the lives they've already lived. In the men's section, however, you find the jackets made from wool suiting, and tweed. And that's where I found this gem.
It was $4, and on sight I was pretty certain it was wool. Though no fabric label could confirm, for $4 I thought it would be a worthwhile experiment, even if I didn't decide to keep it.
It was a custom blazer, made for a man with exceptionally wide shoulders, hosting preposterously large shoulder pads, but with an unlikely torso and sleeve length. (They are a bracelet sleeve, on me).
My guess is that the former wearer was short, and stout.
(Perhaps that's why the blazer was a custom make? Definitely not a standard size.)
The silk lining was heavily stained, and torn in several areas. Below were layers of horsehair canvas for structure, which I also removed, and as I did the wool started to reveal it's beautiful drape.
I took a single strand and did a match test to confirm it was 100% wool, and not an acrylic blend.
I then spent several months working on cutting it down to fit me, and elevated every single seam with bias binding.
I'll be honest, it's not perfect. And it was a very frustrating project. What I'd thought was going to be a few seams taken in, turned out to be an entire refashion. But, the results?
A bespoke blazer, made to measure, tailored to fit my body, made from what is ordinarily extremely expensive fabric. And almost free.
The next part of my thrifted, frugal autumn outfit? The skirt.
The skirt - Frugality: $0
This skirt was originally a pair of men's trousers. (I know, you can probably see a pattern here.)
A friend purchased them from the thrift store, (brand new - they still have the spare button suspended from the waistband inside a little plastic bag), for her husband. They did not fit him, so she passed them along to my partner, but they didn't fit him either. I pulled them on for a joke, and suddenly saw a frugal opportunity.
I could cut these down to size, and I would have a pair of cotton pants in a lovely khaki green, with really beautiful detailing on the inside.
Again, the fabric is what spoke to me. This cotton is crisp, and almost cool on the surface. It has an ever so slight crunch to it, as it moves. And so, I took them apart, but discovered I could not turn them into smaller pants. The crotch seam was just not long enough. So I thought, I will make a skirt, which fits my plan perfectly of building out seasonal collections involving a pair of smart pants, a pair of jeans, and a skirt for each season.
This would be my autumn skirt. And it didn't cost a cent.
Next frugal item for my autumn collection? The blouse.
The blouse- Frugality: $4
Same thrift store, different day. I spied something hanging on the rack outdoors, and from my vantage point I was immediately drawn to it, but had expected to lose interest the closer I got. I thought it might be some polyester beach cover up, but when I reached the rack I discovered it was a 100% silk blouse made by a designer I have liked ever since I was about 16.
Velvet by Spencer & Graham.
I knew this was going to be my Christmas Day top, the moment I took it home. It drapes beautifully, and I like to have items that can transition into slightly formal, elevated outfits. This felt like the perfect addition for warm weather. The tones, however, are very aligned with my colour palette for autumn, so I can see this item being a year-round piece. It does require something underneath, because it has a very low neckline, and is transparent, but I have two silk camisoles that work perfectly with it.
The boots - Frugality: $5
One of the very first things, if not the first thing, I ever got from this thrift store, happens to be these boots.
I had wanted a pair of square-toe, ankle boots for a long time, and despite these being pretty worn, and scuffed, they were only $5; and something about how broken in they already are, is charming to me.
These are the only high-ish heels I have left, in my possession, now. I got rid of all the others. I am enjoying the brown after years of exclusively black footwear. I feel these boots finish off the transitional season outfit perfectly.
A sensible, but still polished boot, that looks great with a knee length skirt and silk blouse, topped off with my genteel blazer. A mix of high-low, girl-boy style; all of quality, natural fabrics, and for a total cost of only $13.
$13 for 100% leather, silk, wool and cotton.
For bespoke, made-to-measure fit, and quality design.
For immaculate comfort and transitional pieces.
It is possible to thrift for items and still keep your wardrobe streamlined, and luxurious.
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