Risky Business

Before you go and get any ideas, the risk I’m talking about here has to do with thrifting clothes that require substantial alterations. I’ll come back to that in a minute. First, let’s talk about the outfit in general terms. I wore this for a client conference, where I had to make a presentation, take part in a networking lunch, and then host a client reception. It was a long, exhausting day, and I had to look good for all of it — professional and polished but not boring.

I think this outfit hit all the marks. It has a classic, elegant silhouette, an appropriate neckline and hem length, and a lovely print for some visual interest. The shoes are the most comfortable pair of heels I own, perfect for hours of standing around. The bag is big — the better to carry my huge conference binder and other materials — and not too fancy; I need to be able to toss it around without worrying about it. All together, my standard professional conference package.

Ok, let’s go back to the risky bit. As I mentioned earlier in the week, I thrifted this Yoana Baraschi dress for $11 because I loved how it looked. Only one small problem: it was a size 14. I am not a size 14. I knew it would take a significant amount of alterations to make it fit. Normally, I don’t advocate buying clothes that need a ton of tailoring (or, ideally, any at all). But I figured it was … wait for it … worth the risk in this case because the price was so low; even with a substantial amount set aside for alterations, it was still cheaper than buying it on eBay, for example. So I took the plunge.

Luckily, I had just gotten a recommendation for a new tailor, who turned out to be fantastic. For $50, she slimmed down the sides of the dress, as well as the back, and took up the sleeves at the shoulder. The dress fits like a glove, you guys! It is basically a new, made-to-measure dress now, and I couldn’t be happier. I know $50 is quite a bit, but for the amount of work involved and the result, I think it was money well spent.