Frugal Babe

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Thrifted Clothes Can Be Trendy Too

January 17, 2014 By Frugal Babe

This winter, I’ve really gotten into the boots/skirt/leggings trend.  I’m a few years behind on this one, but that’s ok.  A few months ago, I found these great Teva boots at Goodwill for ten dollars:

IMG_1572

They’re as comfy as tennis shoes, but much cuter.  And the price was hard to beat.

I also came across a brand new pair of grey cable knit leggings at a thrift store for three dollars, with their original $25 price tag still on them.  The only problem was that they were a size XL.  I’m on the small side, but I don’t like small leggings and tights.  I don’t like feeling constricted in my clothes, and I hate “crotch-sag.”  I also like leggings to be on the long side, going all the way over my ankles without stretching too much.  So through the legs, the XL leggings were actually perfect.  But around my waist, they were just too big.  There was too much material there, and even with the elastic waistband, they were falling down. 

So I spent ten minutes altering them, with some help from my little boys.  Since they’re leggings, the waist area is never going to show (I am not one to wear leggings as pants… mine are always under a skirt, dress, or at least a tunic-style top that covers my rear end).  So I wasn’t worried about perfect sewing and just eyeballed everything. 

I put the leggings on, pinched in the extra fabric on one side, and pinned it so that they weren’t too tight, but weren’t falling down.  Then I took them off, turned them inside out, and hand-stitched a seam down the side, extending a few inches down from the waistband (I would have used the sewing machine, but it wasn’t working right, and this was a very easy hand sewing project).  Then I chopped off the excess fabric, and this is what the inside of the leggings look like now:

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Once I turned them right side out, this is what I had:

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They fit perfectly now.  Not tight or constrictive, and they’re very comfy, cute, and warm.  And the $3 price tag for brand new leggings was pretty awesome. 

In general, I’m more into comfort than trends.  But since leggings and comfy boots (no high heels here…) fit into both categories, I’m all about them.  Especially since I’ve been able to find exactly the pieces I want at thrift stores, for a fraction of their retail price. 

Filed Under: thrift stores 5 Comments

Comments

  1. kellygroves13 says

    January 17, 2014 at 10:34 pm

    I didn’t know Teva made boots! I love the boots, leggings, tunic look. I am sincerely hoping it hangs on for a couple more years because I am really working on my legs so I can hopefully pull the look off next winter…I’m not there yet! Well, I will actually be rocking it whether it is in style or not because I am not known for being stylish, just comfortable, which is fine for me! I have a ton of wish list clothing items and piles upon piles of stuff to go to Goodwill. I guess when I finally get around to donating I will head in and see if I can find any items from my wish list! As always, thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • frugalbabe says

      January 18, 2014 at 8:23 am

      Neither did I Kelly! I had tried on some boots a few years ago, and they weren’t very comfy, so I basically forgot about the whole boot trend. And then about six months ago I discovered that Merrell and Teva make boots. I got an awesome pair of Merrells on eBay ($40 for boots in perfect condition that were originally $200), and those Tevas for $10. And I also found a great pair of super-comfy brown suede Bare Traps on eBay. So I went from no boots to three pairs in one season :-) And I wear them constantly now. I think the boots trend will hang on for a while, but I’m with you on that one… I don’t care if it does or not, I’m going to wear these boots until they wear out!

      Reply
  2. Heather S says

    January 18, 2014 at 2:04 pm

    Awesome finds! Tailoring clothes can really save a ton of money!

    Reply
  3. Liz @ Economies of Kale says

    January 21, 2014 at 11:47 pm

    Nice boots :) I live in such a warm climate that I had trouble finding boots in thrift stores. It took a year, but I finally got some. Winter coats are a problem too, but there are always lots of shorts!

    Reply
  4. Phoebe Spooner says

    February 18, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    I really needed some advice on being more frugal in my life, so thanks for being such an awesome blog! Hope you don’t mind that I gave you a shout out in my blog!

    http://takenbythelapels.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/cest-la-vie-frugality/

    Reply

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