Memorial Day weekend is finally here and it’s the unofficial start to the summer season! With parades, picnics and plenty of holiday events you need a look that is as cool as an ice cream sundae, yet more stylish than a t-shirt with stars on it and shorts. And the best part is that with pieces from Goodwill Keystone Area stores, this outfit is around $10!

Off the shoulder looks have been all over the runway for several seasons now. Cutouts of all kinds in clothing are popular on celebrities and red carpets, but just baring your shoulders in this patriotic-colored rayon blouse from New York & Company is perfect for any event. It has a fun, flirty vibe with the banded waist and tied neckline.

And while the old fashioned rules say you can only wear white from Memorial Day to Labor Day, I wear white all year round. These capris from Lucky brand are perfect for warm days when you want something different than plain old blue denim. White is fresh, clean and cool and these can be rolled up or down depending on the look you are going for. Pair them with flip flops and your favorite tank top for a more casual look.

Finishing our retro look (which was conveniently shot on location in an old fashioned ice cream parlor!) are these outstanding pin-up style navy and white polka dotted platform heels. While this is not an everyday look, it certainly is a fun accessory for this summer outfit.

Summer style doesn’t always have to mean tank tops, shorts and flip flops. Up your fashion game with an outfit that will stand out from the crowd, whether it is at the ballpark, backyard picnic or shopping for your summer wardrobe at Goodwill!

Kirsten

Goodwill in Shillington, PA:
Blouse: $3.95
Jeans: $4.25
Goodwill Outlet in Reading, PA:
Shoes: $2.25
Total: $10.45

About The Blogger
Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill stores to decorate her home and wardrobe. She is a stylist and volunteer for the fundraiser the Goodwill Runway Show, which is held every spring in Reading, PA.

Most readers probably aren’t old enough to remember a character on a certain kid’s TV show that ended in the 1980s. But I remember Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Green Jeans, so when I saw these minty skinny jeans, I bought them and added my own twist!

Colored jeans comes and goes every few years, but it’s always been in my closet. In a sea of dark wash denim, the fresh green color is a nice change of pace. These jeans are from Chico’s (only $6.50 at Goodwill) and could be worn rolled up, like I have done here, or tucked into boots for fall or winter.

A sheer, flowing white blouse by French Connection is perfect on it’s own or layered under a jacket, sweater or blazer. For these still-cool spring days and nights, throwing on the gold, white and pink striped cardigan by Black House White Market (ironic something from Black House White Market is gold and pink!) adds warmth and style.

I tied the look together by adding accessories in the same color palette. A gold and mint chunky necklace, delicate gold flats from Tahari (which were new with the tags for $99.00!) and a pink hobo bag by Etienne Aigner complete this casual, clean look.

Keep your eyes open when shopping at Goodwill. You never know when style inspiration can strike! And tying an outfit together with your accessories gives you that polished look – even when your outfit is based on an 80s kid’s show!

Kirsten

Goodwill in Royersford, PA:
Flats: $6.97
Jeans: $6.50
Necklace: $4.97
Goodwill in Harrisburg, PA:
Blouse: $3.95
Goodwill in Phoenixville, PA:
Sweater: $6.00
Goodwill in Morgantown, PA:
Bag: $6.97

Total: $35.36

About The Blogger
Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill stores to decorate her home and wardrobe. She is a stylist and volunteer for the fundraiser the Goodwill Runway Show, which is held every spring in Reading, PA.

We’re still “enjoying” a cool and cloudy spring, so injecting some bright colors and playful floral patterns into my wardrobe is just what I need right now. April and May’s showers are still providing us with beautiful greenery, so I wanted a pop of contrasting color for this outfit.

The fuchsia cotton and nylon iridescent jacket by Chico’s kicks off this vibrant look. The ruched sleeves and metallic details on the pockets elevate this from just being outerwear. I’d throw it on over jeans and a tank top for a more casual look. The bold floral pattern on the simple black knit shift dress by London Times definitely makes a statement. I enjoy color and pattern so I was attracted to this unique print.

Finishing the look is a multi-faceted beaded necklace from New York & Company in cool tones and kelly green sandals from Rampage. Chunky heels – a style from the 90s – are having a resurgence. So, if you still have a pair, dig them out of the back of the closet. If not, you can find plenty of styles at your local Goodwill store.

Kirsten

Goodwill in Phoenixville, PA:
Necklace: $4.97

Goodwill in Morgantown, PA:
Dress: $5.50
Jacket: $6.50
Heels: $6.97

Total: $23.94 

About The Blogger
Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill stores to decorate her home and wardrobe. She is a stylist and volunteer for the fundraiser the Goodwill Runway Show, which is held every spring in Reading, PA.

When traveling for business or pleasure, it’s convenient to have pieces that are versatile and packable. No one wants to dig out the iron in their hotel room to look presentable after their clothing has been smashed and wrinkled into a suitcase for hours.

My friend Kim is fortunate to travel internationally, so I chose this dress for her to wear after her professional day is done. She can comfortably and stylishly enjoy a dinner or sight-seeing tour.

This soft knit dress was new with tags from Stitch Fix. It came with a small card demonstrating several ways to style it and I approved of their suggestions: sandals in the summer and boots and tights in the winter. You could easily add a casual navy blazer, a jean jacket or cardigan for chilly nights about town. Again, never be afraid of stripes! Here, the bold pattern is bright and dynamic and the colors would also be perfect for a Memorial Day picnic.

I paired it with chic navy Michael Kors sandals (only $6.97!!!) that feature the classic gold “MK” logo, a gold tassel necklace (also new with tags from Rampage) and a white Tignanello bag that is large enough to hold her essentials.

When planning a trip, consider your activities, the weather and how much time you are willing to invest in “sprucing up” your wardrobe when you arrive. Versatile pieces you can wear multiple ways will save space in your suitcase and you’ll have more room for souvenirs! And by getting your clothes out of your suitcase and hanging them in the closet right away will save you time when you are running out the door to a meeting or to catch a tour bus!

Kirsten

Goodwill in Muhlenberg, PA:
Sandals: $6.97

Runway Launch Party:
Dress: $10.00

Goodwill in East Earl, PA:
Necklace: $8.97

Goodwill Outlet in Reading, PA:
Bag: $1.75
Total: $27.69

About The Blogger
Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill stores to decorate her home and wardrobe. She is a stylist and volunteer for the fundraiser the Goodwill Runway Show, which is held every spring in Reading, PA.

This spring seems to be slow to bloom here in the northeast, but my little niece, Mac, is always a bright ray of sunshine. We captured pictures of her in her natural habitat – the great outdoors!

All of April’s showers have brought about these beautiful flowers including the ones on Mac’s black dress. The combination of polka dots, floral patterns, applique ribbon flowers and a scalloped trim are adorable on a toddler. On me, that might be just a bit much. The sleeveless dress is perfect for summer, but with spring’s cooler days, a bright fuchsia cardigan with ruched satin trim, black tights and sparkle boots will keep her warm. Mac finished this look with complimentary pink and blue nail polish. When summer comes, swap out the boots for sandals and you are ready to go!

And, the best part is that this look is only $5.00! Kids go through clothing so quickly and Goodwill Keystone Area stores offer a great selection of children’s and teen’s brand name clothing. You can outfit them for a whole season for not a lot of cash and save your money for fun family experiences and making vacation memories.

Goodwill in Morgantown, PA:
Dress: $3.50
Cardigan: $1.50

Total: $5.00


About The Blogger
Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill stores to decorate her home and wardrobe. She is a stylist and volunteer for the fundraiser the Goodwill Runway Show, which is held every spring in Reading, PA.

As Goodwill Keystone Area’s fashion blogger, I enjoy searching for designer and vintage finds at many of the local Goodwill stores. I have found everything from Michael Kors, Tory Burch and Marc Jacobs to plenty of classic Ann Taylor Loft, J Crew and Banana Republic.

Many of my friends ask how I get so “lucky” to discover these fashion treasures, but there are no tricks. And here are a few of my tips on how to score some fabulous finds at Goodwill:

• Visit often! You may only have a few minutes during your lunch break or a quick stop while your kids are at an event, but giving yourself a time limit can work in your favor. Focus in on one area: maybe you need a new pair of black trousers, a red sweater or a new spring coat. Concentrate on those racks and it will not feel as over whelming
• Touch the fabrics! Premium denim, 100% wool, cotton or silk will feel different then blended fabrics. And these are going to be higher quality items. I can quickly sort through a rack by feeling the fabrics and looking at the labels.
• Try different sizes. You may be a certain size, but after an item has been worn and washed it may shrink or stretch, so you may fit in other sizes.
• Shop during peak hours. It may be crowded, but the staff will be changing over the stock as racks get picked over and new items will be added.
• Check the return racks. Someone else’s discard may be your treasure!
• Shop with a friend! They may find something that you didn’t consider even trying on. When I style for the blog, some of my friends are shocked when they like something I have pulled for them that they would have never thought of wearing.
• Walk away empty handed if necessary. Sad, but true. You may not always find something and that’s ok.
• Don’t forget to return the favor. For every piece you take home, go through your closet and donate a piece you don’t wear. Editing your wardrobe to your favorite pieces will help streamline your morning routine.

Shopping at Goodwill is always a treasure hunt, but many of my most favorite pieces have come from Goodwill. You’re not only saving money and living a more green lifestyle, but you are helping Goodwill support its mission to “support persons with disabilities and other barriers to independence in achieving their fullest potential as workers and as members of the broader community”.

Finding a designer piece of clothing at Goodwill is great, but helping someone achieve their full potential as a community member is priceless!

Happy shopping!
Kirsten

About The Blogger
Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill stores to decorate her home and wardrobe. She is a stylist and volunteer for the fundraiser the Goodwill Runway Show, which is held every spring in Reading, PA.

Spring is in full bloom and I’m taking inspiration from the flowers that I selected for my summer gardens. Bright colors bring joy and happiness so why not express yourself with your clothing? While the gold snakeskin metallic loafers are outstanding, the complete look is a beauty.

The sheer, patterned, sleeveless blouse from CAbi sets the tone for this spring outfit. The CAbi brand is sold exclusively through direct sales by stylists and not in stores. According to their website, CAbi is a company founded by women and for women.

A blouse like this retailed for about $80. If you were headed to a music festival, it could be styled unbuttoned (like a vest) over a yellow tank top and medium-wash skinny jeans, but today I paired it with coral-colored, cuffed capris from New York and Company. The capris are linen, but they are mixed with rayon to make them more resistant to wrinkling.

Bright gold metallic loafers, a gold chain belt and a gold pendant necklace all add a bit of glamour to this casual outfit. The Audrey Brooke loafers are extremely comfortable and perfect for travel or strolling around town. This look is perfect for brunch or lunch with the girls or throw on a blazer and heels and it becomes appropriately professional for work.

I enjoy finding out the backstory about the clothes I buy at Goodwill. While I have heard of CAbi, I was pleased to find out more about their company and will certainly look for more of that label at Goodwill!

Kirsten

Goodwill in Morgantown, PA:
Blouse: $2.75 (half-off day)
Capris: $5.50

Goodwill in Shillington, PA:
Loafers: $3.49 (half-off day)

Total: $11.74


About The Blogger
Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill stores to decorate her home and wardrobe. She is a stylist and volunteer for the fundraiser the Goodwill Runway Show, which is held every spring in Reading, PA.

I am not one to purposely destroy my clothing, but distressed denim is one exception I decided to make. Having never tried this before, I searched Pinterest and found a few easy-sounding tutorials. If you do the same, there are plenty of instructions out there on this topic, so I won’t go into specific details.

What I used: a pair of perfectly good Ann Taylor Loft dark skinny jeans (purchased for $6.50), a pair of small, sharp sewing scissors and a cheese grater. Yes, a cheese grater. More on that in a minute.

While I don’t advocate cutting clothing while you are wearing it, this option gave me the best sense of where the distressing would end up. I used a picture of a premium brand of distressed denim to give me an idea of where I wanted the cuts. I made small slits with the scissors and then enlarged the tears with my fingers. Next, I roughed up the edges with the cheese grater. You could also use a file or sandpaper. The last step is to wash and dry the jeans to compete the fraying process. The tears and fraying will continue as you wear and wash them and only make them more interesting.

I styled my “new” jeans with a long-sleeved Michael Kors t-shirt and black patent platform sandals from Taryn Rose. New, the tee would have been more than $100 and the shoes about $250. So this is quite a luxe look for only a few dollars and a little DIY.

The prices at Goodwill make it easy to experiment with being your own fashion designer. Get out your scissors and start creating!

Kirsten

Goodwill in Morgantown, PA:
Jeans: $6.50
T-shirt: $3.95
Goodwill in Royersford:
Sandals: 6.97
Total: $17.42

About The Blogger
Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill stores to decorate her home and wardrobe. She is a stylist and volunteer for the fundraiser the Goodwill Runway Show, which is held every spring in Reading, PA.

For the past few years, I have been seeing delicately layered chains in many fashion magazine and on celebrities. Sometimes they include personalized charms, birthstones or motivational words.

I’m recreating this look by layering three necklaces that I found at a Goodwill store in Lancaster County, PA (Ephrata). I love the look of the gold triangle, crystal and tassel charm mixed with the long gold station necklace. It adds a unique touch without making too much of a statement for a casual look. Look in your own jewelry box and see what you have to mix and match to create a uniquely feminine look. Or the next time you are at Goodwill see what you can discover in the jewelry case!

To top it off, I added a fabulous floral-print motorcycle-style cotton jacket. I picked up this beauty by Hot Kiss at the Goodwill Runway Show Launch Party (in late March). Hot Kiss is a Juniors brand that can be found at stores such as Nordstrom and Macy’s. My almost teenage daughter already has her eye on it.

Tweak the style and make it your own, but recreating looks you see in magazines and on celebrities is easy when you have a nearby Goodwill!

– Kirsten

Runway Party:
Jacket: $13.00
Necklaces:
Goodwill in Ephrata, PA:
Necklaces (total): $8.94

Total: $21.94


About The Blogger
Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill stores to decorate her home and wardrobe. She is a stylist and volunteer for the fundraiser the Goodwill Runway Show, which is held every spring in Reading, PA.

A site-seeing trip to the impressive Steelstacks in Bethlehem called for an equally memorable outfit.

I decided that the cold steel of the background needed the juxtaposition of something soft, feminine and accented with gold. Ruffles have been popular this spring and this flirty, pink and brown Ann Taylor Loft dress is accented with them without being overly girly. Wearing the right shoes for site-seeing doesn’t automatically mean wearing flats or sneakers. Just as comfortable as the dress were the braided leather espadrilles from ShoeMint. They will be a summer staple for me as the neutral color will coordinate with everything from shorts to jeans to dresses.

The final gilded touches included the ah-mazing gold leather BCBG MaxAzria jacket that I picked up at the Goodwill Runway Show Launch Party at Bell Tower on March 28. It was a fabulous find that will be a classic in my closet for years to come. But, my favorite piece of the day was the incredible statement necklace. The heavy gold tassels and peach stone coordinate perfectly with the ensemble. I can’t wait to wear this with everything from jeans and a t-shirt to something more formal. For only $6.50, it is one of my most favorite Goodwill finds!

Mixing metals is not a fashion faux pas, it can result in a great look especially when everything comes from Goodwill.

Goodwill Runway Launch Party:
Jacket: $13.00

Goodwill – Exton, PA:
Statement necklace: $6.50

Goodwill – Morgantown, PA:
Sandals: $6.97
Dress: $5.50


About The Blogger
Kirsten is a 40-something mom, wife and marketing professional. She loves all things crafty, tasty and fashionable, especially while being frugal. She enjoys hunting for treasures at her local Goodwill stores to decorate her home and wardrobe. She is a stylist and volunteer for the fundraiser the Goodwill Runway Show, which is held every spring in Reading, PA.