Frugal finds for winter

We've been lacking a bit on the fashion and thrift shopping side of things, so here's a post to satisfy the shopper in everyone.

As winter approaches, I'm settling into the forester-chic side of my personality that is more of a survival technique than a sartorial choice.  Luckily, you can find items to fit any style but still keep you warm throughout the winter at any thrift store. 

Blankets are a great thrift find.  The plaid one above is a small throw in a wonderfully gaudy tartan.  I have 5 blankets on my bed and countless thrown over chairs and couches in my house, so I'm always after another one.  Such is the plight of the consistently cold.  I bought this one for 50 cents.


Watch for blankets or sheets made of interesting or vintage material.  You can cut them up to make pillows, rugs, hair ribbons, garlands like these over at A Beautiful Mess (http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/10/10-ways-to-make-a-garland.html).

Blankets are a good thing to buy thrift because people are iffy about them, and they won't be as picked over as other things.  If you get squeamish when it comes to thrift shopping I have two tips:

1) Don't stuff unwashed sheets in your mouth. It's unseemly. 
2) Wash things when you get them home, preferably before you wear them.

No, I'm not overly sympathetic to the germaphobe who thinks thrift shopping is gross.  Solving that problem would just introduce more competition.  However, in all seriousness, if you live in an area plagued by bedbugs, you're going to want to avoid certain items and know the signs of bedbug infestation so you avoid contaminating your own house. 

I found the leather purse with it's tags attached, which is always lovely.  It's lined in brown velvet and I'm pretty excited about it because it's the perfect size for a notebook.  Not to mention it was also 50 cents.  I highly recommend shopping for purses at thrift or vintage stores.  Most stores now carry purses made of faux-leather, and those that carry real leather charge a huge amount.  Thrift stores are full of great leather bags that cost significantly less than a new bag.  It's a great way to build a collection of bags so you have something for every outfit and occasion. It's also a more sustainable way to buy leather.

Gloves are another common item you can find at your local thrift store.  A word of caution:  smell them.  That sounds gross but I'm serious.  If the previous owner smoked and the gloves (especially leather gloves) smell like cigarette smoke don't bother buying them.  It's practically impossible to get the smell of smoke out of leather.   Boxes and bins are stuffed with hats, mittens, gloves and scarves at this time of year, and it's a perfect time to stock up.

Just as my mother has an unexplainable attraction to water pitchers, I have a thing for tea pots.  They're just so damn cute.  This is one of my favorites, it was a gift given to me when I left for university and I use it all the time.  Little old ladies with too many tea pots give them away all the time, keep your eyes open when you're thrift shopping.




Posted by:  Jean