Hello Fall! This time of year is one of my favorites. I just love the season of beautiful changing colored leaves, sunshine, crisp air, apple picking, cider donuts and pumpkin spice! It also means it's time for fall fashion and boots, coats and sweater weather. Bring on the layers!
Over the weekend, I visited my favorite local thrift store, Value Village™, to update my fall wardrobe with some budget friendly finds. Value Village has a few different brands, so depending on where you live, you might also know them as Savers® or Unique® Thrift. All are fabulous for scoring some thrift treasures!
Since high school, I have been thrifting at Value Village for their
great value and selection. From Abercrombie pants in high school to
Patagonia fleeces in college to vintage in my 20's, Value Village has
always been my go-to place to shop for unique, fashionable, high quality, customizable and budget friendly clothing at a price point my bank account doesn't cry over. This season, Value Village is my go-to for fall fashion trends!
With over 100,000 items on the sales floor and thousands of quality items arriving daily, I can pretty much guarantee I'll score some great deals from their amazing selection. Seriously, there are incredible deals, unique finds and treasures at every turn!
Want to score some of your own fall fashion finds from Value Village?! I am so excited to offer you the chance to win a $50 gift card to
Savers Value Village to go shopping for some your own fall fashion treasures (all the details and
enter to win at the end of this post!)
Disclosure:Affiliate
links are occasionally used throughout this site, which means I might
make a small commission if you click on a link and make a purchase.
Items gifted and sent for editorial consideration are marked c/o. Thank
you for supporting
Story of My Dress!
If you follow me over on Instagram, you might have noticed a slight obsession I've had lately. Specifically, I'm absolutely loving the dreamy dresses of Ulla Johnson and consider them a closet must have. Including the dress featured in this post, I've also featured another favorite Ulla Johnson dress over on the 'gram that I wore pretty much everywhere during our recent honeymoon in Greece (honeymoon photos coming soon!)
I've even got a third Ulla Johnson dress I picked up at the recent
Net-a-Porter sale I plan to wear next week to Fashion Week at The Bellevue Collection (photos of that dress also coming soon I promise, because
it is just too beautiful. Hint: it's silk and gold!)
New York
based Designer Ulla Johnson (born and raised in Manhattan) is one of
those designers where everything she designs turns to a
piece of clothing out of your dreams. Raised by
archeologists, her style is inspired by the global travels of her
childhood and the streets of New York she knows so well.
Beautiful prints, detailed embroideries, natural fibers and fine
tailoring are what you can count on when adding a piece of Ulla Johnson
to your closet. Think luxe bohemian, breezy yet refined, silk and cotton
dresses that become instant closet classics.
Thank you Value Village
for graciously coordinating a shopping
excursion to my local Value Village for some Summer thrifting! Items gifted and sent for editorial consideration are marked c/o. Affiliate links are occasionally used throughout this site, which means I might
make a small commission if you click on a link & make a purchase. Thank you for supporting
Story of My Dress!
It's the season of sunshine! And it is seriously hot hot hot here in Seattle. We will be at, above or close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit for at least the next week. Definitely not complaining though, as I personally love the heat and sunshine.
However, to keep things cool as the thermometer turns up and to make sure I don't get too roasty toasty (as our home does not have A/C) , I plan to enjoy lots of iced coffee, seek out spots with A/C, and, of course, head to the beach in my summer wardrobe favorites!
For my summer and beach wardrobe, I am all about thrifting. It's a great way to save money for summer adventures and also an easy way to curate a more sustainable closet and lower my clothing footprint. Secondhand clothing is the most sustainable clothing because it already exists! Win-Win for the planet. Win-Win for my bank account. Win-Win for my summer wardrobe!
Thank you Value Village
for graciously coordinating a shopping
excursion to my local Value Village for an Earth Month Style Challenge! Affiliate links are occasionally used throughout this site, which means I might
make a small commission if you click on a link & make a purchase. Thank you for supporting
Story of My Dress!
Thrifted Vintage Liz Claiborne California Dreaming Blouse c/o Value Village (similar) | Thrifted Vintage Plastic Retro Basket c/o Value Village (similar) | Thrifted Callisto of California Shoes c/o Value Village (similar) | Jag Jeans c/o MyFitCode (sold out, similar) | Moorea Seal Straw Cross-body Bag (similar) | Marc Jacobs Sunglasses (sold out, similar)| BKR Glass Water Bottle
Happy Earth Month! April 2018 is the 48th Anniversary of Earth Month and this Sunday, April 22, is Earth Day! The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970 and is now celebrated in more than 193 countries annually. In 2018, it's more important than ever to demonstrate support for environment protection, responsibility and stewardship of our planet, and work together towards a sustainable future.
For Earth Month this year, I've partnered with Value Village on a style challenge to style an outfit with thrifted pieces of clothing alongside re-styled pieces from my closet to bring attention to the life-cycle of clothing. Shopping secondhand and consciously curating your wardrobe has a
positive impact on the environment and planet and is a super easy way to go
green year-round.
Thank you Value Village
for partnering on this post and graciously coordinating a shopping
excursion to my local Value Village! All opinions are my own!
Is there anything more romantic than spending Valentine's Day and the month of love in Paris?!
If you're dreaming of spending the month of love in the city of love and romance, why not create that amorous atmosphere at home for your sweetheart with a Parisian month of love themed DIY dessert bar?
This year for Valentine's Day and the month of love I partnered with Value Village to create a DIY city of love themed dessert bar I surprised my husband with on Valentine's Day, after our dinner out for wood-fired pizza and vino. First we had dinner in Italy, than dessert in Paris! Value Village is the perfect place to pick up holiday and party ready decor that's both good for the environment and great for your wallet!
Thank you Value Village for partnering on this post and graciously coordinating a shopping excursion to my local Value Village to score some finds in honor of National Thrift Store Day! Affiliate links are used
throughout this blog. Thank you for supporting Story of My Dress! All opinions are my own!
Happy National Thrift Shop Day! I've long loved the thrill of visiting a thrift store and finding that "unicorn" item. Most of my outfits typically include at least one thrifted item and on many days my entire outfit is thrifted (recent outfits featuring thrifted items: here, herehere and here)!
Since my early childhood days of thrifting at the local island thrift shop with my Mom to the discovery of Value Village as a teenager and all the Abercrombie and J.Crew I could fill my cart with (at a fraction of the cost compared to the Abercrombie at the mall on my measly summer camp counselor salary), I have always loved to thrift for not only the economical reasons, but also the environmental, fashionable and stylish ones!
With nearly 96% of retail items at Value Village priced under $10, shopping secondhand can seriously benefit your closet and bank account. However shopping secondhand also has a huge impact on the planet. It can take 700 gallons of water to make one new cotton t-shirt and the average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing each year. Thrifting can help your lower your clothing footprint. (Here are 5 steps to Give a Sh!rt and lower the ecological footprint of your closet.)
In fact, almost the entire outfit I am wearing in this post is thrifted! That Aritzia Wilfred top? Found at Value Village for $3.99! Those DIY APC denim shorts I'm wearing? Yup, thrifted at Value Village! Jimmy Choo kitten heels? Thrifted! Faux Fur Jacket? Thrifted! I only added a few accessories of sunglasses (both received as gifts) and my Moorea Seal Anniversary Tote c/o. This whole outfit cost less than $100! Seriously, I love thrifting!
In honor of National Thrift Shop Day, I'm heading out to my local Value Village in search of 5 items I'm pretty much always searching for when I visit a thrift store. While I might look in other departments (and I promise to share some of my favorite thrifting tips shortly!), these are the 5 items I always focus on, especially if I'm short on time or feeling overwhelmed with a cluttered secondhand store.
Thank you Value Village for partnering on this post! Sustainable fashion is "in" and when it comes down to it, the most sustainable clothing on our planet is clothing that already exists! Give a sh!rt about your clothing footprint! Affiliate links are used throughout this blog. All opinions are my own!
Did you know the world now consumes more than 80 billion pieces of new clothing each year (4x as much as in 1980), with more and more ending up in landfills?! On top of that, the average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing each year! That is crazy talk. Fashion is one of the most wasteful industries on our planet and one of the largest sources of pollution; it takes over 700 gallons of water to make just one t-shirt and over 1800 gallons of water to make just one pair of jeans. That's over 2500 gallons of water for just one outfit. And water is just one of many natural resources required to make new clothing, Yikes! Knowing that I am living on a planet with a finite amount of resources and with billions of other people, I am always looking for ways to reduce my ecological footprint ~ "the impact of a person or community on the environment, expressed
as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural
resources." - Oxford Dictionary
My Fiance and I have chosen to live in a small house (900 sq feet) in the City where we have access to public transportation (2 buses within a few blocks that can get us downtown in 15 minutes!) and restaurants, shops and parks within walking distance. We share one vehicle, an electric hybrid, and always consider where our food comes from and try to buy local (growing within 100 miles from where we live) when shopping for meals (hello farmer's markets, bread from our neighborhood bakery and local produce and dairy at grocery stores).
This year my goal is to lower the ecological footprint of my closet, because Earth Day is everyday! Value Village just released the 2017 State of Reuse Report, examining perceptions around clothing consumption and reuse; I am taking note and giving a sh!rt about my clothing footprint!
Disclosure: Affiliate links are used throughout this post. All thoughts are my own!
I am a firm believer in the Brunch. Whether a Sunday brunch with friends, a Saturday brunch with the fam' or a mid-week "let's play hookie" little Saturday (aka Wednesday) brunch with a bestie; brunch is always a good idea. Not breakfast, nor lunch, nor dinner; the brunch is an original with an eclectic personality.
For most brunches, my go-to outfit is a dress, sandals or mules and a favorite bag. I might accessorize with a sunhat and/or sunglasses if the weather is warm and the sun is shining, or add a sweater with a breeze.
However, my go-to outfit for brunch has not been working lately in Seattle. With a constant rain since last fall and temperatures barely crawling above 50, I needed a new go-to brunch outfit stat. With a bit of a surprise, I turned to pieces that tended towards neutral. And when I think neutrals, I typically think fall, not spring.
Well it turns out I love to wear neutrals in spring too! Neutrals are great pieces to have in your wardrobe for year-round and in no way need to be limited by season. Pairing well with other neutrals or colors, they provide flexibility no matter the situation.
For cooler temps, wind that is not just a breeze and overcast days,
layers are key. For a recent brunch with friends at Luna Park Cafe in
West Seattle, I turned to a few of my closet staples and wardrobe
favorites: a fisherman sweater from Madewell, faux leather leggings from
Zara, a MaxMara Safari Jacket I've had forever and a vintage leather
bag I found at a thrift shop on the California coast when we lived in
Half Moon Bay.
I paired these closet favorites with
a few recent additions to my wardrobe: Earrings and Necklace c/o
Rebekah J Designs, dv Kenli perforated mule booties from Target and Gap
Aviator Sunglasses. Both the Paths Between Necklace and Fortunate
Earrings are from Rebekah J Designs' fragment Collection. Rebekah J Designs is based in West Seattle and all her pieces are stunning!
One of my favorites, the Paths Between Necklace
by Rebekah J Designs, is perfect for layering with other jewelry or as a
stand alone piece. Cast in brass and hung from a 14k gold fill chain,
the necklace is a great reminder that "there's more than one route to
take you there", no matter where 'there' may be.
Another favorite, the Fortunate Earrings
by Rebekah J Design are hand carved with texture on one side and
polished on the other. An elevated take on your everyday basic hoop,
they're the perfect way to remember that "sometimes it's the simplest
things that remind us how fortunate we really are."
And as a special offer for Story of My Dress readers, you can take 20% off all Rebekah J Designs products on www.rebekahjdesigns.com! Just use code STORY20!
Have you heard the exciting news?! The Seattle Goodwill - Bellevue store has moved to Redmond! As you might know, I am a huge fan of thrifting, particularly for those Designer items from past collections no long available and vintage from the 60s and 70s; Seattle Goodwill stores are some of my favorite thrifting spots to find items for my closet. I am so excited to shop the new Redmond store and I've got the scoop on all the grand opening details and a very special giveaway!
It's fashion month! Are you like me and glued to all the NYFW and London Fashion Week (and of course upcoming Paris and Milan) shows via the web and social media?! Seriously, nothing getting done here! And of course there's all the local Seattle events. Last week I hosted the #onthecusp Fall Trend Event at Neiman Marcus and attended the preview party for the new Styled Seattle space in Pacific Place. AND this week is Fashion Week at the Bellevue Collection, as well as the newest addition to the fashion month calendar here in Seattle: The Seattle Goodwill Design Challenge! And guess what? I've got 2 tickets to giveaway to one of you lovelies to the Seattle Goodwill Design Challenge!
Welcome to summer in Seattle, where one day it's overcast and barely hitting 60 and one day later it's 90+ degrees! These past few days we've been hitting close to 90 and I have to admit I'm melting a bit. It was a quick jump with little time to acclimate and although I am one that adores the heat, I am struggling a bit to keep up. To help stay cool I am living in my favorite summer classics: vintage Levis denim cutoffs, Birkenstocks, and my favorite Isabel Marant top from a few seasons ago.
As you may know, I am a huge coffee lover. And because it's 5am somewhere, I pretty much deem coffee as beverage of choice 24/7. So when I saw this oh so adorable "it's 5am somewhere" tee, I knew it was a must for my closet, as well as perfect for a recent 80+ degree day in Seattle. Yes, 80 degrees on a Seattle Spring day! That is definitely a secret Seattle residents keep from the rest of the world. Oops I mean 50 degrees and raining . . .
Did you know the average person throws out over 70 pounds of clothing each year?! Earth Day is the perfect time to clean out your closet for Spring and #Give1Pound to Goodwill (instead of the Landfill!). Save the planet and support job training, because doing good never goes out of style!
Phillip Lim of 3.1 Phillip Lim is one of my favorite designers! When the 3.1 Phillip Lim x Target collaboration launched I may have gone just a bit crazy (as in convincing myself the purchase of 4 handbags from the collection was at the top of my to do list). So you can imagine my gasp when I spied this gorgeous 3.1 Phillip Lim silk dress hanging ever so gracefully at Seattle Goodwill. The perfect silk dress for Spring days!
I recently attended Stylish in Seattle, the first ever Seattle fashion blogger summit! It was a gorgeous day in Seattle and the perfect opportunity to wear this thrifted Zara dress I found at Seattle Goodwill's Capitol Hill store. (yes, I wore thrifted to a fashion blogger conference!) When I saw this dress on the rack at Goodwill I had a little Zaragasm, so I knew it would be perfect.
This past weekend we decided to head out of the City for a road trip, destination unknown. The weather was hitting high 60s and Spring was in the air, the perfect ingredients for a little adventure. We headed north on I-5 out of Seattle and exited to take Chuckanut Drive to Bellingham. Taking advantage of the lovely weather, I wore a few of my Spring favorites I recently discovered on ThredUP.
I love to thrift! There are so many great reasons to buy secondhand. You can find items from past Designer collections, vintage (hello 70s!), and one of a kind pieces (because who wants to be like the rest of them darling!). You're also helping the environment by keeping fabulous items in your closet and out of the landfill. And of course saving money!
Spring is in the air in Seattle and I know the one item of clothing I will miss when the weather grows warmer is this faux fur jacket I thrifted. Seriously, I am so over boots, down jackets, raincoats, and layers upon layers. Faux fur however, you can stay please.
As New York Fashion Week wraps up, I am once again dreaming of attending NYFW someday. (London, Milan and Paris, will of course also do.) As a Seattle-based Style Blogger, although I may yet to have my NYFW dreams come true, I am often lucky enough to be invited to local fashion shows. Seriously, is this real life? One of my favorites in 2015 was the Runway Reimagined fashion show put on by Savers / Value Village and Eco Fashion Week. It has been on my to do list for quite some time to share about this amazing show celebrating sustainable fashion. Since I can't be at NYFW this year, I thought now the perfect time to revisit and share some of my favorite looks from Runway Reimagined with you.
The annual Seattle Goodwill Glitter Sale is this weekend and we have a special behind-the-scenes preview for you! We had the opportunity to visit the Seattle Goodwill store for a little sneak peak of what will be available at the Glitter Sale and we are so excited to share a few of the oh-so-many treasures that stock the racks and shelves of the sale.
