When I first moved to Naples, Florida I wouldn’t even allow myself to go to stores because my future husband and I were just starting out and paying the bills was paramount. I shopped more at thrift stores for a while. But as we became more comfortable with spending (ugh) I ended up being a huge fan of stores like TJMaxx and Marshalls. I still can’t bear to pay the full retail of say, Saks or Dillards, even though I love quality clothing. To this day I still take hours to go through any of those discount stores or a thrift shop to find a true value, a rare find. You have no idea, I get so excited. Giddy even.
To help my father understand, I have likened my shopping to hunting (his main hobby). You have to wear the proper gear (comfy clothes & shoes, hands free bag). You have to stake out your "bait piles" (mine are TJMaxx & thrift). You get a huge rush when you find your prey (Prada for $5!). You get another rush when you go in for the kill (at the register). You go over it in your head while gutting it (in my case, unpacking shopping bags, trying on, maybe photographing for ebay, etc...). Sorry about being graphic there, I did grow up with a father that was a major hunter. So anyway...
But now with the economy so shaky, I am trying to tone it down a bit so I’ve opened my store on ebay in order to support my shopping habit. I am still trying my hardest to find the best & most unique deals to pass on to the client. I hope my client is similar to me in that she wants something special & will appreciate paying less for it.
I do some shopping for the store at discount stores or anywhere else I find a good deal – some people only like brand new. But I’m trying to shift my focus more toward the gently used arena since there has been so much more attention lately to being “green”. I see my re-purposing of the clothes as a very positive “green” act of recycling older treasures & giving them a new home where someone new will appreciate & take care of them. Plus, I’m being frugal at the same time which does my make-do-er feel at it’s best.
On the upper right is a photo of me in a recent find. I was in my hometown & went to the outlet mall I used to work at. Most of the stores are different now. My faves now are the Old Navy & Gap that are there. However, I found this great vest at the Eddie Bauer outlet for about 4% of the original price. Pretty good stuff...
Labels: Shopping and Fashion
