One of the upsides of my thrifting adventures this year is the drastic reduction in my retail shopping. I rarely visit brick and mortar stores anymore, and browse online with similar (in)frequency. I also rarely feel tempted by items — the retail price usually sees to that — but every now and then, the struggle becomes real. A perfect example was J. Crew’s Fall 2016 blazer offerings. I lusted after them back in September, when I first glimpsed them on other bloggers’ IGs, and I continue to lust after them now. Last week’s Black Friday sales made the temptation even greater; prices were still substantially higher than thrift comparables, but the lure of “40% off” should not be underestimated.
I was resolved to stay strong, however. In reality, I have more than enough blazers already … and I am bound to find more whenever I go thrifting. So instead of hitting that “add to cart” button, I hit up my closet. I love the fit of this Liz Claiborne blazer, and it has a similar vibe to the current J. Crew line-up, although it isn’t made out of wool. I paired it with a navy “column” and neutral accessories, and called it an outfit. You can never go wrong keeping things simple.
Let’s be honest: after thrifting a like-new Burberry trench back in May, I knew it would be a hard score to top. Lightning doesn’t strike twice, and all that. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve been very lucky in the last six months, and have found some wonderful things … just not new-Burberry-trench level of lucky. Until last month.
Last month, I found these:
Louboutin Bianca 140 mm
Unlike other dedicated thrifters I follow on IG, I’ve never seen *any* Louboutins at the thrift store before … real or otherwise. I was fully prepared to conclude that these were of the knock-off variety — because, really, what are the chances? — but I decided to investigate nonetheless. Only one of the shoes was out on the racks, with a sticker directing me to ask for its mate — which sticker just so happened to cover the embossed logo on the inner sole. I waited to flag down a Value Village sales associate, and got busy with my Google-fu, trying to quickly find tips for identifying authentic CLs. After a few minutes, I was finally successful in my first endeavour, and was told to follow the person to the back of the store. This was the beginning of an amusing episode.
red soles
The employee went into a no-entry area. I waited (and Googled). After another couple of minutes, she eventually came out with the second shoe, which she proceeded to hand over with palpable distrust. Under her watchful eye, I tried on the shoes to make sure they fit, then had a close — and very quick — look at the (un-stickered, thankfully) logo on the second shoe, while under the continued eagle-eyed supervision of the VV sales associate. The logo, along with the other signs (like stitching, leather quality, and soles) looked good. The employee asked me if I was going to buy them, and I said yes. She took the shoes from me, and escorted me back to the front of the store to a cash register, holding on to those shoes very tightly. In fact, she only allowed me to touch them again once I actually paid for them. The whole thing was a bigger production than shopping at any luxe boutique I’ve ever visited. It was funny in retrospect, though I was a bit mortified at the time.
To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t 100% sure of the CLs’ authenticity when I bought them; I hadn’t had enough time to properly research them (and I wasn’t going to get more time if the VV employee had anything to do with it), and although they looked legit, there was a chance that they might have been a very, very good replica. I ended up taking the risk because I felt the odds were in my favour based on my preliminary research, and because I figured I could return them within 7 days for an exchange otherwise. I wouldn’t recommend taking that kind of risk unless you’ve got the benefit of a similar (or better) exchange/return policy, or unless the price is low enough that you wouldn’t feel guilty “throwing away” that amount of money.
These CLs were priced at $90, which is quite high for a thrift store, but very reasonable when considering the original retail price (over $1,000 CDN). They are in great condition except for a couple of minor knicks on the heels, and have the protective red rubber sole (Chic brand) already attached, which saves me an extra $30-40 in cobbler’s costs. I paid $60 after a 30% coupon, which makes them an even better score. My subsequent research confirmed that they are authentic, so I’m a happy camper.
thrifting hall of fame contender
I think it’s fair to say that Louboutins in a classic colour and in my size (40) are a rare find. This particular style would not have been my first choice because of the platform and 5.5 inch heel, but thrifters can’t be choosers. I was briefly tempted by the idea of reselling them for a profit, but I think I’ll be happier holding on to them; they complete my thrifted shoe trifecta — Manolo Blahnik (times two), Jimmy Choo, and Louboutin — and I may occasionally dare to wear them in public and feel like an Amazon. Unless someone is willing to trade me a pair of black Manolo Blahnik Campari pumps (size 39.5), in which case I’m all ears 😉
Blazer, Cartonnier; blouse, Equipment; pants, Citizen of Humanity; shoes, Jimmy Choo; bag, Arcadia
Hey, look: it’s the same blouse from yesterday, this time dressed up for the office. Well, sort of; this was a casual Friday ensemble, so we’re talking semi-dressed up. I paired it with my new Citizens of Humanity “Rocket” skinnies, which have the perfect high waist. Why did it take me so long to embrace the comfort that is the high waisted jean? I think visions of ’80s mom jeans made me skeptical, but I’m so glad I overcame my prejudices. For someone with a long torso and pearish shape (like, say, me), jeans like these are wonderful — not only for balancing proportions, but also eliminating muffin top.
Everything here is thrifted, down to the shoes. Speaking of which, these are the old Jimmy Choos I thrifted back in 2012 for $8 — one of my first big scores. I recently saw on IG that another local thrifter found the exact same pair at a VV in town. What are the odds, huh? I usually keep this pair at the office as my “emergency black pumps”, which is why you rarely see them in OOTDs anymore, but they are still going after all these years. There is a bit of peeling around the tip of one shoe, but nothing that a black Sharpie can’t fix. (Tell me I’m not the only person who does quick shoe repairs with a Sharpie!) These and my black Stuart Weitzman pumps will outlast me in the end, I’m sure.
