"I have nothing to wear." - Me, during the Holiday season. Anyone else? Between work parties, family dinners, friends' celebrations, and New Year's Eve, my closet gets a lot of action throughout the Winter season. This often leaves me with loads of laundry accompanied by the overwhelming feeling of "I have nothing to wear."
So what's my solution? We all want to wear something new and shiny for our Winter occasions, but for me, that plan is often limited by budget and accessibility. A great alternative to buying fast-fashion pieces for my Winter occasions? Buying secondhand at Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake! With over 28 stores across 8 counties in the Baltimore-area, their racks are filled with unique pieces at affordable prices.
Instead of breaking the bank, I incorporate thrifted statement pieces into my pre-existing wardrobe to create brand new looks! It's totally doable. To show you how it's done, I'm teaming up with Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake to show you pieces I found at their Owings Mills location - and how I've styled them to revamp my Winter wardrobe!
Highlighted pieces were found at the
Owings Mills Retail Store
11411 Reisterstown Road
Owings Mills MD 21117
Styled for: Work Parties
I went into @bmoregoodwill's Owings Mills looking for a new pair of jeans. Due to the stress of graduate school and increased attendance of Pilates, I've toned up, lost inches. As a result, many of my jeans are too big, and I've been needing a new pair of jeans. Shopping for jeans is a challenging task, let alone secondhand. Full disclosure: I was expecting finding a pair to be a challenge. I certainly wasn't expecting to find a beautiful pair of dark wash, J.Crew jeans...let alone in my size! I tried these beauties on and voila, perfect. A STEAL for only $5.99. Goodwill is also a great option for finding affordable, gently used pieces if you're transitioning between sizes.
Fast forward 10 minutes: I was on the hunt to find a top to pair with my new favorite jeans. I spotted a gold collar out of the corner of my eye. I immediately walked over to see what the piece was and if it was my size. In a Charlie Bucket moment (think Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), I peeled away the items surrounding this shimmering shirt to find a gold, silk Ann Taylor top for $4.99. Silk for $4.99, are you kidding me? Serendipitously, it was my size. In that moment, I knew this shirt my golden ticket to perfect Winter Work Party style.
In line with my passion for looks with structured femininity, I wanted to style the jeans and shirt at the intersection of Holiday Lunch x Casual Friday at the office. I threw on a blazer, kitten-heel pumps, and a belt (that I already owned) to pull it all together. The best part of this look? Each piece can stand on their own. You can remove the belt, the jacket, and the outfit still makes a statement!
Breakdown of Cost:
My Jeans - $5.99
My Top - $4.99
Blazers at Goodwill - $6.00
Belts at Goodwill - $3.00
Shoes at Goodwill - $8.00
Styled for: Holiday Date Night, Friends' Holiday Parties, New Year's Eve
If you follow me on Instagram, you know I love a powerful, structured look. Yet, I wanted to go with something more flirty when styling a second look. To achieve this, I headed over the dress racks of the Owings Mills location in search of a sweater dress. Sweater dresses are one of my favorite pieces for winter because they're both practical and chic.
I spotted this neutral-patterned dress and fell in LOVE! My default color palette is neutrals because they transcend seasons. After a try on of this neutral beauty, I confirmed the dress fit! As I started to think about styling, I decided I wanted to let the dress be the center of attention of the look. To create this look, I threw on a white leather jacket and black boots (that I already owned). Together, I think the look gives the perfect amount of edge for a date night, friend's Holiday Party, or News Year's Eve celebrations!
Due to the versatile cut and colors of this dress from Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, it could be styled in a ton of ways. I also envision this dress being styled with 1) black tights and a blazer for work or 2) sparkly black pumps for New Year's Eve!
Breakdown of Cost:
My Dress - $7.00
Blazers at Goodwill - $6.00
Shoes at Goodwill - $8.00
Can you believe I bought three pieces for $20 dollars?
I love shopping at Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake because I want to break the stigmas that 1) you can only look good with brand new clothes and 2) expensive looks are only created with expensive clothes. As I've previously mentioned, shopping at @bmoregoodwill allows me to create elevated looks while also promoting sustainability. Would you have picked out these pieces? How would you have styled them? I'm always so curious if/how different people would style the pieces that catch my eye.
Did you know Goodwill's purpose spreads beyond just re-selling clothes? I've talked meaningfully about Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake's community initiatives in a previous post. I'm passionate about helping communities through action and intent - especially during the Holiday season. I love that our local Goodwill prioritizes sustainability and invests in Baltimore residents by also providing job readiness programs and job opportunities.
If you or someone you know are looking for work or job training in the Baltimore Area, visit https://www.goodwillches.org/work/employee/.
If you feel inspired, comment on this post, share on Pinterest, send to a friend, and/or recreate it with your own personal flair. Don't forget to tag me! For more style inspiration, check out my previous looks under the STYLE tab and follow me on Pinterest! Keep up with my everyday looks by following me on Instagram.
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Until next time,
This is a sponsored post by Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake. More secondhand looks can be found here. All styles, reviews, and opinions expressed in this post are my own!