Goodwill Shopping Tips

Ok, I know you're probably wondering how I find 75% of my wardrobe at Goodwill. Or maybe wondering "How in the world do I even begin shopping at Goodwill?" Or maybe even, "Is it worth it to try thrifting?"

So yes, it is worth it! Especially if you donate your clothes. I used to feel a little guilty shopping at Goodwill, because I can afford to shop other places. But I like the idea of recycling and helping provide jobs to those who work at Goodwill, plus, I donate there at least a few times a year.

• One of the best tips I can give you is to find a Goodwill (or other thrift store) in a richer area of town. I don't know how they decide what stock goes to what store (I've never seen my own clothes at the Goodwill where I donate), but it seems there are more designer labels at the stores in the nicer areas of town that others (I've been to a few in different parts of town).
• If it looks remotely interesting, grab it. You never know what will look good on you until you try it on! And sizes that you think won't fit you just might :)

Everything from the first round!

• Start trying on! The easiest thing for  me is to try on all tops, then all dresses, then all bottoms. Weird? Maybe.
• Let's talk about good and silly reasons to decide not to get something.
• Silly reason: Shoulder pads

It's hanging on by like two threads. Cut those suckers out!

• Good reason: Stains.

 Sometimes you can't see them until you have the dress on. Sigh :(

• Silly reason: Loose threads.
  

Cut those off too!

• Good reason: Dry clean only.
  

Unless you're stupid brave like me and machine wash it anyways, don't fuss with all that. Unless, again, you're already in that habit. I'm not.

• Leave with your picks! Go wash those suckers and be fab for way less!

Making sundresses work in winter

Today I was feeling a little fierce and wanted to wear a little leopard print. I don't have much, but I'm working on it!

Happy leopard!

This is a halter top dress from H&M. I used safety pins to hold the ties down but keep the top up :) The sweater is another of those hand-me-downs :)

I'm wearing the two colorful strands from the Belize necklace, the Pistachio bracelet, and the Jasmine ring.

And thank you Pinterest for teaching me this little trick! Now my wardrobe goes even further!

Glam for the grocery store

Admit it, we've all gone to the grocery store in sweat pants, tee shirts, and flip flops. Maybe event bra-less.

I usually go like that, but have been making an effort to dress up more often and at least wear a little jewelry. You never know who you may meet!

Ladies and gentlemen, my groceries.

I'm wearing thrifted jeans, a PJ top from Kohns, two strands from the Stunning necklace, and the Proverbs necklace. Both of these necklaces are so amazing! I can't wait to show you more ways to wear them!

From max to infinity

Maxi skirts, infinity scarves, oh my! I'm wearing a fun maxi skirt and my Walmart scarf (that I'm wearing to look like an infinity scarf). Fashion names amuse me sometimes, like infinity scarf. There are others, but I'm not thinking of them now.

I'm wearing the super sweet Rooted necklace, Hope ring, and one bracelet from the Can't Get Enough set.

Not taking credit for this picture, but just so you can see the amazing detail in this necklace:

Wouldn't this make a perfect graduation, birthday, or mother's day present?

Jubliee!

If you're shopping for Christmas and want something that will go with everything for the fashionista on your list, this is the necklace! It goes with everything and can be worn in a lot of ways.

This is just one way to wear this necklace. I paired it with the Color Wheel bracelet and Naomi ring.

Belted Cardigan

Ok, time for another Pinterest-inspired outfit! I see the belted cardigans all the time but have never tried the look for myself! So here's my take on it ...

I like this cardigan, but this really isn't the most flattering look for me. I think it's because this is meant to be one of those flowy cardigans with lots of extra fabric in the front for that fun look. So maybe I'll try a different cardigan next time!

I'm wearing the City Lights necklace, Noteworthy earrings, Jazz ring, and Grand Entrance bracelet.

Do you have any tips I might be able to use for belting a cardigan?

Chilly Saturday

It's fall, y'all! Feels more like winter though :(

Brr!!

I'm wearing a $5 Walmart scarf, Old Navy top, and thrifted American Eagle jeans. Jewelry: two strands from the Layered On necklace (super scarf-friendly!), one strand from the Layered On necklace as a wrap bracelet, the Hope ring, and Shine Bright earrings.

How do you deal with the cold? We are having lots of fires and hot drinks!

Business red and black

At my day job, we get to wear jeans any time there aren't clients in the office. Most Fridays there aren't clients in the office ... but there were today.

I'm wearing my red dress from Dress Up and a jacket from my skirt suit.

This is the Spectrum necklace. It goes with everything (except brown)! I love how it helps keep this look from being too red-and-black/tacky Georgia fan.

Poised

I originally got this necklace thinking I would never wear it but it might sell well because it's so basic. But I've found myself wearing it a lot more than I expected. It's definitely a staple piece, but it's not so basic. The hammered look gives this classic piece a unique twist.

I've paired this necklace with the Saturn earrings and the Can't Get Enough bangles.

Do you like this necklace? Would it meet your basic silver-link necklace needs?

2 Shades of Grey

No, I haven't read Fifty Shades of Grey, nor do I plan to see the movie. It is a brilliant title though.

I bought this dress at my husband's urging. It's much shorter than I ever would have bought on my own, but people complimented it, so I guess it's ok!

I'm wearing the Gemma necklace and earrings and the cobalt ring from the Rock Steady ring set.

How do you brighten up a monochromatic look?

Celebrity earrings

We Premier Designs Jewelry ladies get insanely excited when we see celebrities wearing our jewelry. I don't have any celebrity clients yet, but I'm working on it ;)

This picture is super old, but it shows these earrings in action helping a celebrity work it.

And here's my much less glamorous style.

I'm wearing the Emma necklace, which is reversible.

What do you think of these earrings? If you were a celebrity, would you wear them?

Ketchup and Mustard

This is an outfit I've always avoided, but went for it today (because nothing else was clean).

Condiment lady! Mustard on top, ketchup on bottom!

I know maroon and mustard are both big colors this fall, but I still feel like ketchup and mustard in this outfit. Hopefully the Paradise Found necklace helps pull the colors together. What do you think?

Just Lavish

This necklace was featured earlier this year on my blog (back in the caitsellspremier.blogspot.com days), and it's about time to bring it back.

Being all cozy again, I wore a cowl neck sweater with this incredibly blingy necklace:

This cowl kind of does its own thing, but I love how this necklace really dresses it up. I'm also wearing the Shine Bright earrings.

Now for the age-old question: do you wear black or brown with navy blue?

Pretend Soccer Mom

Ahh! Sorry this one is late! I usually have all my posts scheduled a week or two ahead of time and forgot to work on this last week ... anyway, I'm working now (at least during commercials in the football games).

Today we are running errands, cleaning and home-repairing, volunteering at a dinner, and going to a housewarming party. But we made time for the Georgia game :) It's chilly and I'm not getting super dressed up for anything, so I put on my goodday pants and favorite hoodie:

You may be excited about PSL days, I get excited about peppermint mocha days :)

This is how I imagine I'd look if I was ever a soccer mom (or hockey mom!) I'm wearing the Laura earrings and ring. They are so pretty! I think it helps make this look a little more intentional and put-together. Now I just need to wash my hair...

Casual Friday

For the few weeks we have left of football season, I'm going to keep rocking red and black as much as possible! Today it's with jeans :)

Can you guess where the sweater and jeans came from?? Goodwill! The tank is from Old Navy.

I'm wearing the Easy Living necklace with the Flipside enhancer (yes, it's a different color on the other side - click the "Flipside" label to see other ways to wear it!). It was a casual day that involved my hands a lot, so I didn't do an arm party today.

What do you think of all the sparkle? It's a lot for me! Would you wear this much?

Blue and peach

Menswear has been a persistent trend these last few years, and I like it! I haven't gone as far as wearing ties yet, but I do enjoy these shirt dresses.

This dress is from Express, but (of course) I bought it at Goodwill.

This is the Dreamsicle necklace. I'm also wearing the Jasmine ring and the coral studs from the Gumdrops collection. 

What's your favorite way to rock the menswear trend?

Maxi Skirt

Remember my friend who handed-me-down the black shirt from yesterday? She also handed-me-down this adorable cardigan from Old Navy :)

The Maxi skirt is from Ebay (my husband got a couple for me for Christmas one year), and the dark blue top is from Walmart.

I kept it rather simple today with just the Silver Ice necklace. This is a great necklace to wear alone, like I have it here, or to use as a frame for sentimental necklaces. I'm sure you'll see this one again soon worn that way :)

Hand-me-downs

I have a few generous friends who really like me (and who I really like in return), and when they clean out their closets, they let me pick out what I want before donating the rest. This shirt came from one such friend :)

I had to take it in a little bit, but it's totally worth it when it's free! The pants are Express from Goodwill.

I'm wearing the Golden Rules necklace, Flip It ring (blue side), Arabesque bracelet, and two pieces from the Christmas line: Zoey earrings and Marigold bracelet. If you haven't gone to see the new Christmas line yet, you've got to check it out! Jewelrycait.mypremierdesigns.com catalog code jcait (all lowercase). Comment below with your favorites!

Army Green/My Thoughts on Leggings

Wearing those same boots again, are we? Yes. They are cute, go with everything, and my orthotic inserts fit :)

I got this dress from Goodwill quite a few years ago when I was in high school and dresses this short were more acceptable. The cardigan is from Papaya and has shrunk a bit, so I get to roll up the sleeves a little.

Jewelry: Olivia necklace (removable strand worn as a bracelet), Companions earrings, and Organic bracelet.

Okay, now for my thoughts on leggings. I buy them in the underwear department. Therefore they are underwear. I don't let my underwear hang out (most of the time ;) ), so I don't let the more intimate parts of my leggings hang out either. While my husband enjoys the sight of me in leggings, I don't think he'd want the rest of the world getting to see the exact shape of my legs and bum. The only time I wear anything resembling leggings as pants is when I'm working out (usually running), and those kinds are designed to be worn as pants. Thus, when I bend over, they don't stretch so much that everyone can see just how un-tan my butt is!

What are your thoughts on leggings as pants?

Peach and Purple

Aren't you glad coral has stayed around as an "in" color? I love it. And I'm loving all Premier's coral and peach colored jewelry, like this necklace:

I'm wearing a purple sweater from Plato's Closet, a khaki skirt from Goodwill (Banana Republic), and my favorite boots of all time, which I got when Bakers was closing for half price.

The necklace is Peachy Keen. That charm is a removable pin! So fun! I'm also wearing the Shine Bright studs, Golden Rules wrapped as a bracelet, Starlet, and Jasmine.

Is coral and purple a color combo you would wear?

Red and Gold

Georgia plays Florida today! It's one of the best days in college football all season!

I have a jewelry party at my house in the morning then get to watch the game (and other games) all afternoon :)

I found this cardigan on clearance at Steinmart back in March and am just now getting to wear it! Gotta love those end-of-season sales :)

I'm wearing the golden rules necklace, Shine Bright studs, Jasmine ring, and a few of the gold Crush bracelets.

I know gold and red and black isn't a traditional Georgia combination, but I'm enjoying it! Would you wear this color combination?

Also, what's your score prediction? I'm predicting 153 UGA 0 UF :)