While I enjoy the thrill of walking into a department store and dropping some cash on the latest Rebecca Minkoff bag or some new block heels – one of my absolute favorite ways to spend a Saturday morning, is with latte in hand, and on the hunt for a rare vintage find.

I have actually found that once I started going to second hand shops like My Sister’s Closet and Goodwill, my style actually improved significantly, because I had to challenge myself  think outside of the box when mulling over the racks and racks of used threads. I’m serious!

Thrift and consignment stores are a great place to expand the horizons of your own style, because more often than not, when you walk into a second hand shop, it can be somewhat of an unorganized  s*it show – so you have to force yourself to dig deeper (literally and figuratively) into what you think is cool – as opposed to mannequin shopping for what is on trend. However a mannequin can be good in this situation too. If you find a piece of clothing you love, but it doesn’t fit, you can tailor it to your measurements using a mannequin, similar to tailors dummies.

Take notes, you may find yourself gravitating towards the same kinds of pieces which indicate a clue about your own ‘signature style’!  For example, in my early thrifting days I opted for accessories like leather bags, or unique belts and my obsession grew from there. I literally scored a vintage Celine belt for $3.50. Yes, it’s real. Yes, I’m sure.

Once I began expanding my imagination to see beyond all of the ‘who the eff would ever, and I mean, EVER wear/buy/make this crap?!’ kinds of stuff – and I started to see the ‘woah, is that a vintage Zac Posen cardigan?!’ stuff {Once again, not kidding – I scored the Zac Posen  blazer I’m wearing in this post for under $50…#winning}.

/// SHOP the POST ///

Zac Posen Blazer – Thrift Score

Button Front Denim Skirt – Topshop

Saddle Bag – Rebecca Minkoff

Lace- Up Block Heels – Forever 21

Knuckle Ring – Kendra Scott