A couple weeks ago I was all keyed up about the Secondhand Challenge, so I did what I always do when I get like this: I drove to Goodwill.
I thought I'd be there for 20 minutes.
In and out.
I found a few really cute things, but sometimes they weren't in my size, or other times, I would remember I don't need another gray sweater.
I thought, hmmmm...maybe I should just buy this outfit and use it as a giveaway for my blog homies. They might love it.
But then I felt like that would be discriminatory against all the other sizes.
Let me back up.
I've always had this weird thing about feeling bad for the underdog, even when said "underdog" isn't a living person. Even when it's less than an actual dog. When I was a kid I would sometimes wear a shirt I hated just because I didn't want its feelings to be hurt. By me. To me, they were like people-shirts. Shirt-people.
(This is getting weird.)
You might think I grew out of it, but a couple weeks ago I was at an ice cream social and every single person was getting vanilla with chocolate sauce, not even caring about the lime and raspberry sherbet sitting all woeful and drippy to the left.
Yada yada, I had the vanilla. But I'm still ashamed.
I like things to be even.
It brings me deep peace.
SO. I bought 4 outfits, Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large.
But then I bought more.
(This was my holding rack. I whittled it down and hauled a bunch of it off to the janky fitting rooms...)
(This is what made the cut.)
So, the really bad news is, this isn't a giveaway.
But the good news is, I rounded up a bunch of rad secondhand outfits AND YOU CAN BUY THEM.
For ten bucks. (Plus $6 shipping.)
Disclosure: I can't foresee a situation where I would spend $16 on a secondhand outfit. I get it. I wish there was a way around the shipping fee. I mostly just wanted you to see there's really fun stuff to be found for SO little.
Each outfit cost $10 off the racks. And I found 90% of it in one trip to Goodwill. Just imagine the damage you could do on 1/2 off day! Or with a coupon! I'm getting all wound up and using "excited marks", as Silas calls them.
Anyway, if you're interested in one of these outfits, leave a comment telling me which one you want and if there's more than one person who wants it, I'll draw a "winner".
It's like Ebay, which means you can have this all-too-familiar convo with your husband:
You: I won that outfit!
Him: You won it? So it's free?
You: Well, no. But it's cheap!
Him: So you didn't win it. You bought it.
You: I won it. For a small fee.
This is also the right time to say that I'm specifically not telling you the brands.
Because that's the whole point: IT DOESN'T MATTER.
In some cases, you'll be crazy surprised.
And in other cases, you'll be crazy surprised. In the opposite way.
This will open your mind FOREVAH!
Also, you'll notice the sizes seem wonky. This is another Secondhand Life Lesson. When you buy secondhand, always be sure to look one size up, and one size down. Because you're mixing brands and even fashion eras (fit standards change over the years) you can't rely on just your "size".
I'll shut up now and let the people-shirts do the talking.
(Each outfit description is above the photo it describes.)
Outfit 1
Size: Medium (both pieces)
Includes: Gray cardi, ink-blue v-neck T
I have to interject and say how much I love this sweater and how perfect it would layer with almost everything you already own. Also, wear it with a scarf.
(I hope you clued in to my very high-end photo studio. Two pieces of wrinkly sheeting left-over from when we backed La Fiesta Mexicana curtains.)
Moving on.
Outfit 2
Size: 14 (blazer) Large (cami)
Includes: White lacy camisole thingy with a mustard yellow under-layer, Red blazer that I WISH fit me because when I tried it on (I tried every piece, just to make sure the outfits "worked",) I fell deeply in love with it, making every other people-jacket in the joint burn with feelings of inadequacy.
Outfit 3
Size: XL (blazer) M (t-shirt - def more of a L than M)
Includes: Brown corduroy blazer that you will wear every day of your life, super-soft pumpkin/oatmeal striped T.
Outfit 4
Size: XXL
Includes: Loden green long cardi, gray polka-dot T, 2 wood bangles (not pictured because I forgot they were on my dresser.)
Outfit 5
Size:12 (jacket), M (t-shirt) (Again, this is sized more for a Large.)
Includes: Black/White/Multicolored tweed jacket, Gray V-neck T.
(I want to lick this outfit. I love it so much. I love all of them because that was my litmus test: Only buy it if you would wear it. But this is 100% me. I would wear it OUT.) (Don't tell the others.)
Outfit 6
Size: S (button down), M (sweatshirt) (Sweatshirt is actually a true small.)
Includes: Royal blue GINGHAM!, mint green/lace sweatshirt. BOOM.
Outfit 7
Size: S (jacket) M (t-shirt)
Includes: Rusty brown jacket, fuchsia T
Outfit 8
Size: Medium (button down), S (t-shirt) (This would be an overall Small)
Includes: Plaid button-down, gray 3/4 sleeved T
Outfit 9
Size: Small (but could totally work for a medium, too)
Includes: Big, loungy, comfy sweatshirt cape thing that I want to live in forever, tangerine striped T
Outfit10
Size: Medium
Includes: Oatmeal button down (worn as a jacket), Ron burgandy T, gold tassel necklace
Outfit 11
Size: Small
Includes: Gray jersey cardigan, orange T-shirt with oddly familiar man face (Who is this? FDR? The Wendy's guy???)
Disclosure: I have waffled back and forth 20 times on whether or not I'm keeping this for myself. Alas, you won.
Ta-Da!
By the way, this was the surprise I've been yammering around about.
Do you like it?
Do you want me to mail one of these bad boys to your house?
Tell me everything in the comments.
Love in the secondhand degree,
Shannan
ps - A reader mentioned after I gathered all this up that it's hard to find plus-sized clothing secondhand, so that's my newest challenge. Stay tuned!
