To me, the thrill of thrifting comes from the excitement of discovery and affordability. Granted, now that thrifting has increased in popularity, it’s no longer the cheapest method of shopping, but it still remains as one of the most sustainable. During my my recent visit to Crossroads on Melrose, I dove into the racks of clothes hoping to find some perfect transition pieces to wear for Spring/Summer.

Overall, I feel like I totally scored with my thrift store finds. Since dressing rooms are still closed due to COVID, I try to make my best educated guess as to whether or not something will fit. I did buy a pair of white jeans that ended up not fitting me at all, so I went back to return them. I found some amazing pieces during my latest thrifting session and I’m so excited to share them with you.

Here’s my latest thrift haul:

Thrift Find #1: Reformation Wrap Dress

(thrift store price= $32.50, similar style= $248)

One of the things I do first when I thrift is look at the tags. The tag says a lot about the garment and to me, the tag represents the brand’s world. Reformation is a well known sustainable brand. Ref’s dresses are popular because they tend to be ultra flattering and evoke a since of uniqueness to every person who might be lucky enough to wear one. Across the board, my friends and I lust over Reformation. Like many people, I did take a step back from Reformation after so much controversy was uprooted during the BLM movement. Personally, I do believe that brands play a role in society and they must acknowledge the responsibility that comes along with their platform (this is something that I’d be happy to write about more in a separate blog post).

Anyways, as Reformation works to reckon with their past mistakes, I consider thrifting a Reformation piece to be truly exciting because it’s not only insanely more affordable but it’s also truly sustainable.

Styling note: I paired this dress with a vintage purse I found at Crossroads in Culver City. I call this bag my ‘grandma purse’ because it reminds me of something that my grandma would carry around. I love the bronze hardware on this bag. It’s so romantic and something that only seems to exist in vintage pieces.

Thrift Find #2: Reformation Puff Sleeve Linen Dress

(thrift store price=$32.50 similar style=$248)

I absolutely adore this dress. If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know that my favorite thing to wear are white, puff-sleeve, vintage-inspired dresses. This linen Reformation dress is 100% something that I would typically try to save up to buy because I love the style, cut, and fabric so much. The dress was labeled as a medium, so I was a bit worried that it would be too baggy on me, but it fits perfectly and I’m so happy about this find.

Styling note: To complete the look, I styled this dress with a vintage Gucci shoulder bag. I love the little bamboo details on the chain and hardware. I got some positive feedback about this bag already and it makes me think that Gucci should bring back its bamboo inspired accessories.

Thrift Find: #3 Reformation Bodysuit

(thrift store price=$24 similar style= $68)

I remember pondering this Reformation bodysuit during their big sale last year. I hesitated on purchasing it because though I loved the backless style, I didn’t really like how high the neckline looked on the model. After I tried the bodysuit on for myself, I really do like it. I don’t wear black often, but I can see why it’s such a flattering color to wear. It’s so slimming and this bodysuit makes me feel like a ballerina.

Thrift Find #4: Aritzia/Wilfred Linen Wrap Skirt

(thrift store price=$24 similar style=$98)

The skirt is from Aritzia which is a special brand that has its own in-house brands like Wilfred. This classic linen wrap skirt is something that I see myself wearing everywhere: the beach, at a farmer’s market, durning a picnic with friends, or a staycation. Linen is one of my favorite fabrics for Summer because it’s super breathable. Also, to me, linen can evoke the perfect picture of effortless sophistication.

Thrift Find #5: Billie the Label Pants

(thrift store price= $24 shop the style-now on sale= $50)

For the longest time, I hated wearing pants. I think because I grew up during the peak skinny jean era, I just suffered through shoving my legs through jeans that never fit right for the sake of trying to fit in. As a result, I’ve always preferred to wear skirts or dresses. Now that I started going back into an office for work, I like to look a bit more put together. I’ve been slowly adding to my pant collection which consists of two pairs of Levis (one new, one thrifted), one pair of L'Academie trousers (new from REVOLVE), and one pair of white Tibi pants (thrifted) that I need to get tailored. I don’t really count leggings or sweats.

Anyways, these pair of pants by Billie The Label are so exciting to me because they fit perfectly on the waist without needing a belt, the cut is clean, and the length is just right. Typically, I prefer my pants to run on the longer side because I can always tailor them to the length that I want them to be. Lastly, the color of these pants is gorgeous. I love the burnt orange shade and I think it’s more interesting than the standard white or black trousers that are typically found in professional settings.

Thrift Find #6: Elliatt Knit Dress with Puff Sleeves

(thrift store price= $24 no similar styles are available on the brand’s website, but you can shop the current collection, here)

Another thrill of thrifting to me is discovering new brands. Like I mentioned, when I thrift, I look at the tag to try to get a snap shot of the brand. High-fashion or luxury brands tend to have minimalist yet defined logos with very carefully made tags. Other notes like “Made in Paris” or “Sample” also get me excited because if the brand is proud of where a garment was made or the piece of clothing is a sample, then you know that you’re getting something special.

Prior to this past weekend, I had never heard of the brand Elliatt. After a quick google search, I discovered that the brand was founded by Katie Pratt, an Australian designer who created her own fashion label about ten years ago. The quality of this dress is truly to die for. Often times knitwear can be itchy or start to pill. Neither seems like it’s going to be an issue with this dress.

Styling note: For my birthday last month, I shopped the Staud online sample sale and bought a Moon Bag and a pair of sandals (featured in the photos below). I love mixing the old with the new, the modern with the romantic. The Moon bag has also become my new everyday bag. It’s an upgrade from my old Free People bucket bag that I still love so much, but the handle is starting to fall apart.

This concludes yet another successful thrift haul! I hope you enjoyed reading some of my thoughts about my latest thrift finds and styling notes. Over the past few years, thrifting has become a bit of an addiction for me. That thrill of discovering something new, whether it be a brand, style, or coveted vintage accessory, is simply priceless, Retail therapy manifests itself in many different ways, but for me, it’s thrifting.

xx

Ella Kol