chic.ed // 1

I decided to start this new series for the blog. The whole idea behind chic.ed is thrifty shopping, smart repurposing, and practical redesign. This means I'll be sharing a lot of different things like DIYs, up-cycled pieces, furniture makeovers, repurposed objects, and smart purchases (including thrifted/ second hand items).

These two pieces were definitely smart purchases. I found myself wandering around Hillcrest yesterday while my car was being worked on. I decided to go into Buffalo Exchange. I went in with a good mindset and a game plan: be practical about what I look for and stay within the budget of my gift card. What's practical for me? Look for pieces that I've been wanting for a long time, if possible, stick to good brands I know and love, and make sure that whatever I find will go with a few other things that I already own.

Confession: I unintentionally went outside my gift card budget. I thought I had $40 on my card, but apparently had less than that. I was very surprised when they rang me up, but just paid the difference. Next time I'll check my balance before they ring me up.

top: $8.25

skirt: $11

----------

total: $19.25

This skirt is originally from H&M and I remember it costing somewhere around $20. It's actually one that I had been wanting for a long time right around Christmas and New Year's. Anytime I was in H&M (which was a lot because I was Christmas shopping) I always looked for it in my size. I never found one, so I just forgot about it. When I saw this yesterday, I snatched it off the rack and was so excited when I discovered it was the right size. What are the odds?!

Although it was the right size, it was still a little too loose. The first thing I did when I got home was take in the waist a little. If I didn't do it then, who knows how long it would have taken me to actually get to it. Because I did it right away, I actually got to wear it last night when we went out to drinks.

I love everything about this sweater: the neutral color, the metallic accents, and those shoulders. How could I say no to those? When I saw that it was $16.50, I wasn't sure if I could bring it home. I know that's not a lot, but there is a noticeable hole right in the center of it near the botom. (Make sure to always inspect clothing  for damages when thrifting or buying second hand. You don't want to be surprised when you discover it at home and it's something you can't fix) Normally, I would never buy something that was damaged like this one was (the hole was in a spot that wasn't fixable), but I really really loved this top. I knew that I would most likely only wear it tucked into a high waisted skirt. I have a lot of those, so I just needed to know what kind of discount I could get for it being damaged. They said they would sell it to me for 50% off. Sold!

Buffalo Exchange is my go to spot when I'm in a shopping mood, but my wallet isn't. Where do you like to shop?  Do you like buying second hand or new?