Weekend Casual

This weekend I was thrilled to attend my first plus size clothing swap. Thanks to my blogging buddy, Curvy CEO for hosting such a wonderful day. As you know I love going to clothing swaps.  Unfortunately, many times, my choices are limited.  I think most curvy girls stay away because they think they may be the only girl bringing plus size clothing. It was a treat to have so much to choose from.  I'll be posting my great finds later and I'm sure I'll be wearing items in future posts. When I picked out my outfit, I wanted something chic, comfortable but easy to shed if I needed to try on something. I picked one of my favorite weekend casual outfits, a tweed blazer, cargo pants, a gray t-shirt, flats, and my trusty Coach Willis (cross body bag).  I added my tiniest cubic zirconia studs, a chunky chain necklace and my silver monogram necklace.  I also threw on a couple of rings for good measure. I took a few photos with my camera phone but as you can see the quality (due to lighting) isn't the best.

Jacket - Kasper, T-Shirt - Target, Cargo Pants - Avenue, Shoes - Marc Jacobs via Saks off 5th, Bag - Coach, Earrings - ??, Necklaces - gifts

I wanted to add pictures of some of my blogger friends from the swap but I only took three photos. They went like this.  First one Bisi looks great, I look drunk.  Second photo, I look pretty good and Vivi has her eyes closed. Third photo, Vivi looks great and I have my eyes closed.  It's an unwritten fashion girl rule that you don't post "not so great photos" of your girls.  But you can see photos of the beautiful Bisi and Vivi in the Curvy CEO post. Bisi blog is Fatshion and Fattitude.  Vivi's blog is Heart, Print & Style. She won the Goodwill giveaway I ran a while back.


Many of the items I'm wearing are no longer available but you can wear similar items. I pulled together this little collage on Polyvore for your viewing pleasure.

J Crew crew shirt, $39
Tweed jacket, $59
Jessica London cropped tweed jacket, $31
Cargo Pants, $69
Flats, $70
Coach Willis bag, $298 (I paid $40 at Goodwill)
Monogrammed jewelry, $210
Cubic Zirconia earrings, $12
Chain necklace, $5.80

If $298 is out of your price range for a Coach Willis bag, never fear.  I found mine at a Goodwill store in NYC.  I've found several Coach bags at Goodwill stores in the DC area.  You can also search on ebay.  There are lots available in every price and quality. It's a great investment bag. I use mine often on the weekends and love that it has a shoulder strap and a top handle. The monogram necklace is also a pricey piece but I found it in lots of sizes and price points. Mine is sterling silver but I've seen them in other metals.

I love this outfit combo because it's easy and chic.  The tweed jacket and jewelry elevate the casual cargo pants and t-shirt.  The flats make shopping and errands comfortable and the bag keeps your hands free.

What's your favorite weekend casual outfit?

Thrify NYC

As part of our trip to New York, my sister and I decided to avoid the big department stores and shop the thrift and vintage store route. It was an adventure and we couldn't lose. Great style at bargain prices!

We both scored some great items. Keep in mind we stayed on the Upper East side. This worked to our advantage because the women of the Upper East side like to donate their barely used, "I'm bored with that", "I've been seen in that" clothing to thrift stores and charities.

The first day, we hit a Goodwill store that I had heard about. It took some digging, as most thrift stores do but my sister found a vintage 1960's Harris Tweed coat, in blue and purple hues for only $19.99!  A new one can cost over $300. I found this vintage, like new, Coach Willis bag.  It is in perfect condition.

My apologies for the picture quality. A better camera is in my future.

Day two we hit some of the charity thrift stores. There are four within a three block stretch on 3rd Avenue. I saw some good items, tons of designer shoes that were too small for me, Burberry trenches that didn't fit, an Armani coat that was priced a bit high, a Marc Jacobs bag that showed too much wear, and a vintage Etienne Aigner purse (not my style) that still had its tags! My sister walked away with a great wool jacket and a cashmere sweater for less than the price of a nice dinner.

On day three we went back to the Goodwill store to look for some vintage t-shirts. We didn't find any that we liked but we both walked away with a great menswear vest. Menswear is still in this fall and I'm excited to incorporate the vest into my rotation.

As we were headed toward the register, my sister spied a silver mesh bag. As she picked it up I said, "That looks like a Whiting & Davis." I have a long love affair with Whiting & Davis, going back to the days when I used to look at the one my mom has owned since the 50's. Luckily, now it's mine. They are known for their metallic mesh evening bags. As luck would have it, I was right!  The bag was not vintage but a current style and in brand new condition! Of course I couldn't leave without it.

My bag looks just like this one. It's currently selling for $120 - $150.  I got it for only $7.99!  Thanks to my sister and the ladies of the Upper East Side! 

We left the city on Sunday with a vintage winter coat, wool jacket, cashmere sweater, a vintage Coach bag, two wool menswear vests, and a Whiting & Davis bag for less than $150. That is the current price of just the Whiting & Davis bag.  Score for the sisters!!