$12 Fall Outfit

Are you looking for the perfect fall outfit for an affordable price? How about a dress and jacket for just $12? Well, my friends, look no further than your local thrift store!

I got this dress for $6. It didn't need any real adjustments, but I did sew between the buttons so there wouldn't be any gapping. The jacket was $8, and it's just perfect for days that are a little chilly, but not too cold. It also didn't need any alterations.

I'm so happy with these two pieces! I'm excited to get a lot of wear out of them during the coming months.

$6 Blue Dress

This little dress came from the thrift store a few days ago. It was $6. And look at the cute zipper detail!

As you can see, it was a bit large for me.

But it's nothing that some simple sewing (and I mean SIMPLE) can't fix. 

Voila! It fits fine now.

"Petunia" Top

Another beloved piece from my vintage collection:

 This beautiful top has a delicate mix of pinks and purples and an asian-inspired flower print.

 I'm not usually a fan of collars, but the collar on this top lies pretty flat and is pretty understated, so I don't have a problem with it.

This top comes from a company called Pykettes. I've seen a lot of this brand in thrift stores around here, and I'm guessing it may be because Pykettes, which was made by Pyke Manufacturing Company, was based in my local area. A lot of their shirts scream "little old lady" to me, but some are just too pretty to pass up. They do have some lovely patterns!

Here's how I'd wear it:

Petunia by princesszandra featuring black pants

DIY Denim Jacket to Vest Transformation

Hi, and welcome to another super-easy DIY transformation!

I inherited a nice denim jacket recently. I didn't want to turn it down even though I already have a denim jacket I like (and in my opinion, there is such a thing as owning too many denim jackets. Personally, my limit is, like, 1). Fortunately, I realized that I could quickly turn this jacket into a denim vest, which is something I'd been interested in getting anyway.

All this DIY needs is a good pair of scissors.

 I cut nice and close to the seam to remove the sleeves at the shoulder. If you want a frayed look, leave a little extra fabric and kind of...mess it up, or whatever.

So long, sleeves! You've served your purpose.

 Here's my new (old) vest! It's in the perfect wash, too :) A denim vest is a pretty versatile piece--you can use it to layer over a long-sleeved shirt, a tank top, a dress, or whatever.

 I like it!

It doesn't get much easier than that. Now go forth to the thrift store, find a denim jacket, and give it a new life as a vest!

Pink and White Polka Dots

Thrift find! I got this at the local thrift store for $6. I love it! I didn't take a before picture, but it had these really worn out looking pleats in the skirt. I took the thirty or so minutes to iron them out, and it was a great choice! It looks so much fresher and newer now.

I also took in the top a wee bit. It was just a tad bit large for me.

So, there you have it. Two simple fixes, and this dress is perfect for me! And for just $6. I feel great about it!

"Blush" Skirt

I really like this skirt:

 I think the style is great--love the buttons, love the high waist. It's just asking to have a cute shirt tucked into it with a nice belt.

 I found it at the thrift store in pretty good condition. As you can see, there's a little spot on it but it's not noticeable (...unless you, ya know, draw a bright green circle around it).

This skirt screams late 80s/early 90s to me.

Here's how I'd wear it:

Blush Skirt by princesszandra featuring a braided belt

DIY: Old Sweater to Cardigan Transformation

Do you have a sweater that doesn't fit right, or you're just tired of it, or your sister was getting rid of it and let you have it for free (sounds familiar)? Don't fret. You can give it new life, and it's ridiculously, unbelievably EASY! In fact, there are only 2 steps:

1.) Just get a v-neck sweater like this and lay it down flat....

2.) ...then cut it downward from the V like this...

 That's it!

Yes, I am very aware that my mirror is filthy

 

The fabric, which is a mix of cotton and nylon, didn't fray or come apart at all after cutting, so I left it. You  might need to do a little sewing near the edges where you cut if the fabric of the sweater isn't behaving. You could also do all sorts of things to decorate your new/old cardigan, like add some lace, pins, flowers, whatever.

You could probably use any type of neckline but I don't know how well it would work. The v-neck turned out great, though!

Not bad, and it was free!

Clearance Finds: Striped Dress

I found this dress on the clearance rack at Target yesterday. Target's a pretty good place for clearance shopping because they usually have a pretty large amount of stuff on the racks, so there's plenty to dig through, and they know what it means for something to be on clearance. Some stores say something's on clearance if it's 20 percent off. No way. That's no clearance.

This dress was was originally like 20-something bucks. I got it for less than 9. That's like a lot of percent off. (Am I good with numbers? No. Obviously not.) That's what I consider a clearance.

And before you think, "Well, come on, it's on clearance for a reason. What's wrong with it," let me assure you that it's actually totally fine. The dress is in great condition, it fits great, and I think it looks great.

I'm wearing it with a teal shirt underneath in this photo.

OBVIOUSLY there are lots of unsalvageable rejects on the clearance racks. That's why you've gotta dig. But when you find those gems like this one, it's so worth it.

Giraffe-esque Top

Oh hello Target clearance rack! What have you got for me this time?

 Yeah, so when I saw this top on clearance, I was shocked because it definitely didn't look like it belonged there. Sometimes you will find something on the clearance rack and love it tons only to realize someone just left it there and it is not on clearance at all. Also, this particular top was the only one left that I saw. It had the red clearance tag, though! I was still suspicious as I tried it on but wonder of wonders! It fit me beautifully!

 Pretty (but neutral) pattern, flowy fabric, and a nice comfortable fit. This will be just right to ease into fall outfits as the weather cools, but it's perfect for warm days, too.

...all this for under $7! I totally would have paid more for this shirt, so I'm very thrilled that I found it.