Fashion

Shopping for a Cause: Goodwill Pop-up Shop

I was fortunate enough to attend the launch of the Edited by Goodwill Pop-Up shop at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery on Tuesday night. Pop-up shops are all the rage lately and I think it is quite the novel concept for Goodwill to take advantage and host one of their own right smack, dab in the middle of the city. And boy, did it pay off! Tuesday night was a limited attendance event and the space was filled to the brim with shoppers sipping on cocktails, viewing portrait art, taking advantage of complimentary hair and makeup consultations and scouring rack after rack of bargain buys.

The window display complete with summer’s bright color trend and hanger-art designed by Gensler.
One of the many racks of clothing for shoppers to peruse.
Some of the art and product displays, also by Gensler.

When I say bargain, I mean it. I picked up a pair of gently used Nine West nude pumps for $9.98. YES – less than $10. The best part – the fact that they are used means they are already broken in for me! Say goodbye to blisters! I also found a J Crew olive green corduroy blazer for my brother-in-law. Some other great finds (that I didn’t purchase) included a few J Crew sleeveless blouses, a Monique Lhuillier cocktail dress, Calypso for Target sundress and tons of other brand names.

One of the shoe racks which featured Steve Madden, Nine West, Cocunuts and other top brands.

Here are a few tips for shopping consignment and gently used merchandise:

  • Shoes, accessories and homegoods are some of the best finds
  • Jackets and blazers are good items to search for as they are typically less worn than other types of clothing
  • Make sure to check for stains, loose threads, small tears or any other signs of abuse that will you might not see at first glance
  • Check for brand names – thrift shopping is the quickest way for a girl on a budget to snag a DVF/Monique/Milly/insert=any-other-top-designer-here
  • Trends always come full circle – you could score big on someone’s secondhand 70’s disco dress or 90s denim vest

To take advantage of these tips, shop the Edited Goodwill Pop-Up shop, open through Friday, so hurry up and get over to Chinatown to check it out! If you are going to shop, it might as well be for a good cause! You can even stop off at Rosa Mexicano for a margarita and a quick review of your new purchases.

 

Gap Chambray Shirt Dress

I don’t recommend doing this often, but sometimes you wake up, roll out of bed, throw something on only to realize once you get to work that you HATE your outfit. Normally, you’d deal. It’s just clothing, after all. I mean, what is a girl gonna do – rush home and change? Of course not! Head over to the closest Gap store to peruse the merchandise in the off-chance that you will strike fashion gold? Maybe. Ok, definitely. In my shopaholic defense,  I have an uber-exciting event I’m attending that just so happens to center around fashion. Surely, I couldn’t show up in anything less than fabulous!

While, thanks to my admitted #shopaholicsanonymous addiction, I picked up this pretty little number:

Gap Chambray roll-sleeve shirt dress | $59.95

Perfection! It runs a little big, so I sized down which is nice to say every once in awhile. I love the versatility of this dress. August hits us tomorrow – summer is coming to a close, which means that any piece of clothing you buy between now and September should work for summer and fall. If not, you’ll end up with a closet full of super-cute summer clothes that you can’t possibly wear in the short month you’ve got left of the season!

This dress can work in any season. I’ll pair it with sandals or wedges to close out the summer months; boots in the fall; tights and booties in the winter and pretty pumps in the spring.

Tonight, I think I’ll rock it with some sparkly flats because, well that is what I wore to work today. I didn’t have time to go shoe shopping, too…or do I? 🙂

 

Pants of All Colors…

Colored denim and pants are on everyone’s must-have list this season. And, with only a few months left of summer, nobody wants to spend an arm and a leg on this trend. Options from J Brand and other designer denim labels will run you around $200.

But aren’t you lucky? Gap is offering 30% off on all purchases through July 26th. Which means you can score a pair of their bright khakis for $35 and colored denim, with our without an ankle zipper detail for $49. Now that is a price you can feel good about and pants you will look good in!

The khakis have a slightly loose fit, so some purchasers report going down a size. They tend to fit curvier girls perfectly. The legging jeans fit tight, as one might expect given the name. You shouldn’t need to size up, as Gap jeans typically stretch out after 1-2 wears. Mint and coral are my favorites!

Colored Pants from Gap

 

As part of the Gap family, Old Navy is also offering 30% off all purchases. Conveniently, they just released a whole new selection of their Rockstar Super Skinny jeans which come in 14 colors! Taking into account the 30% off, you’ll pay only $25 a pair, so you can afford to get two!

The sale is happening in-stores and online (use the code JULY2012) through tomorrow. So what are you waiting for? Get to shopping!