MyThirtySpot

When Girl Meets 30

My Thrifting Adventure – New Conference Wardrobe

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I have been wanting to post this for some time, so I finally got to it today. I recently went to a conference and I knew that I wanted to look cute and get some new clothes, but I also knew that my budget was not in a very good mood. I had been chatting with my best friend Meghan who kept telling me all of the fantastic shopping she had done at Savers and found so many cute items for herself and her two adorable boys.

I had nothing to lose, so I checked it out. I decided that if I wanted new clothes, I would have to do it on a very strict budget of around $100. That was still stretching out the budget for the month, especially because it is not cheap to travel to conferences as most of you know. There are so many costs involved; the conference itself, flights, food, hotel. Luckily for me, I went to an amazing conference (Alt Summit) that was in Salt Lake City and my parents live there, so that saved me bucko bucks right there. So after conversing with the hubs, we agreed that I could spend $100.00 on new clothes. In many cases when it comes to shopping for new clothes, $100.00 won’t get you very far. Maybe an outfit and that doesn’t include shoes.

So, I was out for an adventure to see what I could get and a very tight purse string. I knew the only way I was getting anything would be to thrift my way to a couple new outfits for my conference wardrobe.

The stores I went to were:
Savers
Macy’s
Target
TJ Maxx
Last Chance (Nordstrom’s clearance store, even cheaper than Nordstrom Rack!)

Here are my outfits that I bought for my conference:

I was so super excited about this outfit! I have never been so conservative! But I couldn’t help it, I thought it was super cute. I could not turn down that cardigan that I found at Savers. This is a thrifted gem! It is a Banana Republic extra fine Italian Merino. It is so cute and felt so awesome, I had to get it!  I looked through all of the pants and after I saw those gray pants, I had to get them. Especially for the price. 
I really wanted a cute blouse to wear underneath. The one I found at Target worked so well and I loved the tiny print roses on it. Tiny prints are in this season, did ya hear? Lol. It was a little more than I wanted to pay, but I really loved this blouse, and I know I will wear it all through spring.
The shoes were perfect for the day of classes with a small 1/2 inch heel and it matched perfectly because of the rose on them. 
Black Banana Republic Cardigan –  Savers – $9.99 
Gray Pants – Savers – $5.99
Flower Blouse – Target – $19.99
Shoes – Already owned them. – $0.00
The first party of the conference was called ‘The White Party’ where you could wear any shade of white. This was not an easy feat to accomplish. I also noticed on twitter that a lot of ladies were struggling to find something all white, ivory, blush or cream. However, everyone pulled it off so well and it was a beautiful scene complete with glittery snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. 
Picture thanks to Alt Summit
Cardigan – Last Chance –  $12.99.
Skirt – Savers – $8.99
Steve Madden Shoes – I already owned them, so I didn’t have to reach into my budget. 
I wore this outfit for day two of classes. I wanted to look professional, but still cute. I love scarves, so I was happy when I found this one to pair with my outfit to give it a little pop of color. Just try to imagine opaque tights wore with this. 
Jacket – TJ Maxx – $19.99
Scarf – In my closet – $0.00
Skirt – In my closet – $0.00
Cole Hann shoes –  Last Chance – $19.99
This outfit was for the “Sparkle party.” It was the last night and such a fun time. I was really excited when I was just walking through Macy’s and found this sparkle top on clearance. I knew it would work perfect for the party, and I could wear it again in case I ever went dancing again with my girlfriends. Here’s hoping!
Half cardigan – TJ Maxx – $7.99
Sparkle tank top – Macy’s – $10.00 on clearance
Black pants – Target – $12.00 on clearance

So you may have noticed that I went over my budget a little bit, and in total for everything it was $127.92 (before tax) but again, it is hard to get four full outfits for under $25.00 each. Especially when one outfit needs to be all white and the other for a sparkle party. But I think I did pretty well. 
If you ever visit, or live in Phoenix, you need to check out Last Chance. It is not for the faint of heart. It is always super busy and lots of things thrown about. But, if you have the patience, you may find that gem that you never knew you couldn’t live without. 
My husband understood about the extra few bucks, and I made a promise that it would be a while before I went on another shopping extravaganza. But when comes time for me to get the urge to shop, I will be checking out more thrift stores and going back to Savers. My next trip will involve antique shops to find some fabulous vintage jewelry! 
So what do you think? Good score? Or did I still spend too much? Still figuring out the new thrifting trend.

Comments

  1. Mimi says

    I am an avid thrifter. I was reluctant at first but once I got the hang of it thats the only place I shop. You did great for mixing and matchin! Macys, Target, and Marshalls have the best stuff on clearance

    Reply

  2. Meghan says

    Oooh I am major jeal of the sparkle top. Next time you find one like that get it for me and I will pay you back! Savers is THE BEST and all of your outfits are freaking so cute! Love them bee eff and can’t wait til I get to PHX soon and we can go to Last Chance every single day! xxoo

    Reply

  3. My Thirty Spot says

    Thanks ladies. It is hard to get a lot of clothes for a little money. I am all about stores like Tj Maxx and Ross, but I think I am missing out a lot when it comes to getting a good deal and some great clothes.

    Reply

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