Frugal But Fabulous Fashion…At Discover Goodwill

This morning was so much fun as we filmed live on FOX21 News at one of our local Discover Goodwill stores where we talked about one of my favorite subjects…fabulous fashion for less. No matter your age, body shape, or budget, you can almost always find something fashionable at Goodwill. I would say on average, when I enter a Goodwill store, 99.9% of the time, I’m leaving with a shopping bag. Ha! 

We showcased outfits for tots to adults and for the most part, found complete outfits, from head to feet, in one shopping trip. Without spending a ton of money. Not a fan of second-hand clothes? I’ll have some cleaning tips and what to look for when shopping thrift later in the article, which we talk about on-air. 

LOTS OF GREAT SELECTIONS FOR MEN –

Discover Goodwill has lots of great selections of clothes for men. From casual to business attire with an excellent assortment of well-known brands that are well-made and durable.

Our model Josh, who is also the assistant manager at the Discover Goodwill we filmed at on Circle, looked great in three different outfits we found for him. 

Two casual looks without looking sloppy…comfort but style.

Abercrombie & Fitch jeans $12.99 (average price $78)

Express long sleeve crew neck tee $4.99 (average price $30)

VANS shoes $14.99 (these looked like they had never been worn and average for $60)

This complete look cost $32.97 versus paying approximately $168 if bought new. And everything is in perfect condition.

Levi’s pants $7.99 (average price $60)

Banana Republic tee $4.99 (average price $30)

Shoes (these had no brand whatsoever on them but they had never been worn,) priced at $8.99 and without a brand, I’ll estimate them new at $30. Total cost $21.97 versus about $120 for new.

And for a look Josh can wear to work, we found…

Express cotton dress pants $6.99 (average price $70)

Van Heusen fitted shirt $6.99 (average price $45)

Kenneth Cole tie $3.99 (average price $55)

Nunn Bush Moc Toe Slip-on $10.99 (average price $85)

This ensemble cost $28.96 but if everything was bought new, it would have been approximately $255.

Besides these great pieces we found, Goodwill also has tons of suit jackets, athletic wear, and cold-weather outerwear for men.

Robert was another of our male models but I wasn’t able to get a picture of him prior to filming. You’ll be able to check out his look when we share the clips later this week.

FROM TODDLERS TO TEENS –

I had two lovely little four-year-old tots (and their moms) meet me at Goodwill prior to shooting live on FOX21 for some still photos. Filming can take patience and we do film early so I thought it would be much easier to do still photography. They were both cute, funny, and very, very patient. Love these smiling faces!

Mason is wearing a pair of Old Navy Toddler Destroyed jeans $2.99, Gap plaid button-down shirt $2.99, and Carter’s green jacket $3.99. Total price was $9.97 versus approximately $75 if bought new.

Hadley is so sweet in this H & M L.O.G.G. bird bedecked dress $4.99 and mint Beautrees faux fur jacket $2.99. Similar dresses run for about $10 and the jacket I found online with leggings for $46. Even though the jacket didn’t have leggings with it, for $3 it’s a steal! Total cost for Hadley’s little outfit $7.98 versus $56 if bought new.

I need to buy a portable small steamer for when I do fashion shoots because the wrinkles sometimes show up even more on film than they looked in real life! Hadley’s skirt and top needs a good pressing but she still looks adorable and you get the idea! 

Hadley is wearing a Jumping Beans heart tee (Kohl’s brand) priced at $1.99 but half off the day we shopped, along with the cute little Gymboree skirt $1.99. You can’t beat the price for this outfit…$2.98!

And Mr. Mason has on his Old Navy jeans $2.99, The Children’s Place camo tee $1.99, along with this warm and in perfect condition, Old Navy jacket $4.99. This comes to a grand total of $6.98 instead of paying $40 if purchased new. 

Alison is a bit of a pro when it comes to modeling for Goodwill on FOX21 so I didn’t even have to help her choose anything. She’s got it when it comes to style. 

Alison pulled this entire look together for only $29.96. Less than $30 for her Rue 21 top, Say What? sweater, Encore jeans, and fabulous TOMS Suede Desert Wedges (the TOMS run $90 new.) Less than $30 for 4 pieces that she can wear with other items she already owns and she looks so great! Brand new this look would have cost about $180.

Sweet Georgia looks so cute in this Love Change sweater dress and fleece lined leggings. Great look for a preteen with warmth, comfort, and she loved the detailing on the bodice. The dress was $6.99 (if new, it would run about $60,) and the leggings are one of the many packaged new items Discover Goodwill now offers. These are $4.99 and they have lots of colors and patterns available. Total price for Georgia’s outfit was $11.98.

Another great look we found for Georgia that she loved. We used the $4.99 leggings she had on earlier and added this beautifully detailed Dolcezza black mini that was $6.99 (normally about $70,) along with the Hang Ten vintage Army Green jacket that would have cost around $60 but was only $6.99. For the tights, jacket, and dress, we paid $18.97 instead of buying new for approximately $130.

My pal Blaine, who just so happens to be Georgia’s younger brother, let us pick out a couple of casual cold-weather looks for him. 

Casual but dressier than jeans. He’s so handsome in these Dockers pleated pants $4.00 and Izod sweater $2.79…seriously! Total price was $6.79 but would have been more like $65 had they been brand new. And both pieces were in perfect condition.

This is what Blaine wore on-air…Lee jeans $6.29, Under Armour tee $2.99, and OTB plaid hooded jacket $4.99. $14.27 versus brand new cost of $73. Blaine didn’t mind modeling for me because he was able to play with our cats in between all the pictures…and they (the cats,) always love when Blaine and Georgia visit.

I certainly appreciated all my young models and their moms and dads who helped! As you can see we found great brands and everything was in excellent condition. Everyone looks great and you can’t tell they’re wearing “Goodwill” but I’m sure the parents could tell they bought “Goodwill” when their totals were run up. Great savings!

FABULOUS FRUGAL FASHION FOR WOMEN – NO MATTER THE WEATHER OR OCCASION

It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a simple pair of jeans or a little black dress, clothes aren’t cheap. And if you’re trying to put together an entire outfit, including shoes, you can easily spend $100 or more. Heck, your shoes can cost $100 alone. But why?

The lovely Natasha, who works at Discover Goodwill, was nice enough to model for me and we found two great looks for her. For a more casual and comfy look and feel we went with Faded Glory distressed jeans $8.99, gray Sonoma long-sleeve hoodie $$6.99, and fabulous Bobs shoes that were in perfect condition $10.99. Total price was $26.97 versus a price of about $100 if each piece was bought new. And Natasha can absolutely wear each item with so many other things she already owns. 

Look how gorgeous Natasha looks in this! Perfect for an evening out or special occasion, this outfit is so complimentary but more importantly, comfortable. She could also wear this to work or really for anything, but I’d change to another pair of shoes if you’re not someone who wears sky-high heels all the time. 

Black Kasper crepe pant $4.19 (these retail for about $80,) Planet Gold camisole $3.99, Atmosphere blouse that skims and flatters $5.99 and the sky-high Body Central platform pumps $7.99. All four pieces added up to $22.16! Under $25 for two tops, pants, and heels. If Natasha had bought this new, she would pay about $150. 

Our next model for the morning was Olivia, who is another pro at modeling (and doesn’t need any help pulling a fabulous look together!) Olivia, who is the digital marketing and project coordinator for Discover Goodwill, found two classic looks with pieces that will always be in fashion.

For Olivia’s first look, something she can wear to work that is comfortable, professional looking, and each piece is fabulous on its own. For less than $25 we found 4 basic pieces that she can mix and match with items she already owns. Had she bought all of this new, she would have paid over $200. Big savings!

Candie’s pants $6.99, Chico’s long tee $3.99, H & M short zipper jacket $6.99, and Worthington black pumps $6.99

And for a more casual look Olivia found these Southpole jeans $9.09, fabulous green tee $3.99, Say What? geometric wrap $6.99, and Kelly and Katie flats for only $6.99 for a grand total of $25.07 (versus approximately $140 if bought new.)

My friend and neighbor Sandra, who is mom to our young models Georgia and Blaine, looks stunning in this green Ellen Tracy sheath dress. It has a bit of spandex in it which helps slim and trim, and she can wear this style year-round. In the spring/summer months she can wear it alone with cute heels and bright accessories and in cooler weather, simply add a jacket or wrap. And the color looks amazing against her skin tone. 

Ellen Tracy dress $8.99 (approximately $100 if bought new,) and this fab black swing coat (no tags) was marked at $4.99 but on sale at 50% off that day so it only cost $2.50! This look for only $11.49! (I’ve eaten lunches that cost more than that!)

And look how we changed the entire look by simply adding a shorter blazer. Love the Grace houndstooth classic blazer that brand new would have cost about $95 but was only $8.99 at Goodwill. This look added up to $17.98.

And let me add that Goodwill is a great place to find sweaters. So many sweaters to choose from with lots of excellent brands. Sweaters for men, children, and women…

Here’s my friend Sandra with another friend and neighbor, Beth, modeling two fab sweaters for less than $6 each. Love the cream Banana Republic fringed sweater Sandra has on $5.99 and the Ann Taylor Loft sweater Beth is wearing $4.99. Both of these brands typically sell sweaters from $60 to $80. Huge savings when buying used at Goodwill versus new. And both of these sweaters have many more years of use because they are in great condition. Again, why pay more if you don’t have to?

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING USED CLOTHING –

No matter how low the price is, if something’s not in good condition, it’s not worth it. Before buying used clothing or shoes, make sure you check the item out carefully. 

Before you buy…

Look for stains, rips, frayed cuffs or collars.

Double-check that zippers work and all the buttons are attached.

TRY ON! Because you never know how an item was laundered, you want to try the item on first. Even is something is labeled a large, if it went in the dryer and wasn’t supposed to, it may fit more like a small.

Look at the heel and sole on shoes to make sure they aren’t worn-down or have holes in them. 

And remember, you always want to wash used items before wearing. For items like shoes or hats, you can pop them in the freezer overnight and the cold will kill dust mites and bacteria. (You can also put jeans and sweaters in the freezer to get rid of odor, bacteria and dust mites.)

Here’s some more useful info on what to look for when buying used items…

https://www.719woman.com/featured-on-homepage-top/thrift-store-shopping-what/

It was a wonderful morning sharing thrift shopping tips, showcasing some fabulous clothes on our lovely models, and of course it’s always a blast working with Lauren from FOX21 News. 

And on a personal note, I always appreciate the staff at the various Discover Goodwill stores in our area who let me come in and use their merchandise and space.

It’s easy to look great on a budget!