Dressing for thrifting's a bit of a trick. You want to wear something tight-fitting so you can try clothes on over it, but you (well, at least I) also don't want to want to join the ranks of folks wearing underwear-as-outerwear. You know what I'm talking about. One of the best things about graduating will be no longer seeing the thinly veiled buttocks of my fellow undergraduates shuffling around campus.
Enter the versatile Express built-in bra camisole. And if you're me, laugh off that 'bra' claim and shove your own padding down the front. (The cami has an extra layer of cloth on the top half, and an elastic band under it. It's cute, but insufficient coverage, especially if you're braving SF wind chill.)
Then, because it's easy to doff and don while trying things on, add a shirt shell! I don't know how this hasn't come up before now, but I love shirt shells. I like how they're made of floaty dramatic material, how they're wrinkle-resistant, and how I keep finding ones with sort of Asian prints.
This shirt shell was the third item I found on the thrifting trip of doom that brought me Battleskirt Galactica and Everyday Skirtpunk. It has an asymmetrical hem. It has impractical long dramatic sleeves. It's got shiny threads running through it. Sometimes you pick up something and everything about it is you. I did a quick sanity-check by asking my friend Athena if it made me look like an old Chinese lady (hey, this is a valid concern) but she gave me the thumbs-up.
Then I added my Karen Millen leather jacket and a day out with one of my oldest friends was a go! This leather jacket was my first leather jacket (I have two now) and the most expensive piece of clothing I've ever purchased (even after stalking it for 5 months and buying it 55% off.) It took me four months to get the guts to remove the tags. This was several years ago, back when I had an income, and I still love it. I'm glad that worked out, because if I hated it, I'd probably be really upset at the wasted money. :D
I'd love to hear what sorts of elements/features other folks find appealing in a piece of clothing. I like how widely it varies from person to person! Mine is dangerously impractical sleeves and asymmetrical hems. How about yours? Animal prints in blue? Multicolored dots and cowl necks? Non-opacity and unsuitability as pants? ... if it's that last one, maybe don't tell me.
Jacket: Karen Millen (Karen Millen San Francisco store, old)
Shirt shell: Mezzanine San Francisco (thrifted)
Jeans: 7 For All Mankind (clothing swap)
Shoes: Pony (eBay)
