2nd Hand Style

minimalist fashion from (mostly) 2nd hand clothing 

[2ndhandstyle]

Feb 2nd 2018

I am bringing this blog back! Now posting outfits for 2018.

[2ndhandstyle]

Week 3: Friday

After 3 weeks of putting together outfits, I’m finally starting to understand ‘fashion’, in the way that every piece counts. 

Last week on Thursday I wore this same J.Crew button up, but I wore it with Danskos, and my blue gap jeans, but no glasses. The little bit of height from my shoes made it feel more ‘professional’ while wearing it with sneakers makes it feel more casual. The glasses give it a ‘nerdy’ look while wearing it without made it look more polished. The high-waisted black skinny jeans somehow made the outfit feel more ‘masculine’ while my low-rise gap jeans made me feel (surprisingly) more feminine (which is important when wearing a button up).

Either way, I’m starting to understand how watches, earrings, a handbag, and even the glasses I need to see change the way an outfit looks. Which I think will help me make better combinations in the future. 

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Week 3: Thursday

I love this J.Crew sweater. I love the orange contrasted with the blue and the white stripes. I’ve never seen anyone else with it and I’m always happy with the way it looks with everything else I own. It’s one of those things I look forward to wearing when the seasons start to change. Add J.Crew jeans and boots... done. 

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Week 3: Wednesday

It’s going to be tough not to wear my purple Patagonia vest every day this fall. It’s just the perfect addition to a boring t-shirt while also being so damn cozy. It’s really hard to resist. 

I do like it with my red prana jeans, though. Something about wearing my red jeans with green shoes and a purple vest makes my artist-brain happy. Bring on the contrasting colors, it’s more interesting that way. 

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Week 3: Tuesday

Boots! The best part of fall is wearing boots. My feet are always so warm and cozy tucked into my boots. If I was brave enough to wear my Uggs outside of the house that’d be even better! Boots are a pretty great close second, though. 

Add a dress and some leggings and you have the perfect fall outfit. Only regrettable part is that I do believe I saw a preschooler in the daycare near our office wearing the exact same outfit... 

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Week 3: Monday

The outfits are slowly starting to “repeat” themselves. I go to put something on and realize I’ve already worn it in a few photos. The Guess jeans I got in a clothing swap- and wore Saturday on Week 1.  The Toms I got from Nick and I wore them on Monday of Week 2. Hence why I had to force myself out of my regular scheduled T-shirt and vest routine. I have 44 articles of clothing to wear, if I was only going to wear 23 I should have left a bunch of stuff out of my wardrobe!! 

This J.Crew T-shirt once belonged to my sister Nina, before I ‘borrowed it’ got bike grease on it, and then couldn’t return it. The flannel is from Eddie Bauer and I fought a girl at Buffalo Exchange for it. I have thought about donating it 100 times but can’t quite get myself to do it, I think it’s because of the color, I love that deep red color. 

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Week 2: Friday

Originally, I wasn’t going to incorporate jackets into my Fall wardrobe... I know, I know, jackets are an essential fall item, but I have so many jackets and none of them are really “stylish”. They are all practical jackets, because in Oregon you actually need a jacket to stay warm, not just to look cute. Truth is, I have over 10 jackets and I would not classify any of them as “articles of clothing” or “fashion pieces” they fall more into the category of “gear” or “athletic wear”. The brands of jackets I have aren’t J.Crew or Banana or Nordstrom... they are Outdoor Research, Mammut and Patagonia. They are hard to incorporate into a sense of style... however, I’ve decided if I want to include them I can. 

So here I am, with one of my favorite ‘jackets’... this purple Patagoina vest I got at the outlet store in Santa Cruz when I was there with Nick and his parents. It’s an interesting color combination, with the red zipper. I wasn’t so sure about the color at first, but the more and more I’ve worn it the more and more I’ve fallen in love with it. It’s warm, has excellent pockets, and fits perfect. 

The rest of my outfit includes: Vans, Leggings, a Banana stripped T-shirt, Hobo wallet, green stud earrings, and my glasses. 

[2ndhandstyle]

Week 2: Thursday

The most comfortable, but still professional outfit: Gap jeans, and a J.crew button up with Danskos. So easy! 

This is one of those “I had to get dressed in less than 2 minutes” outfits. The J.Crew button up I’ve had since college and the Danskos I’ve had since my days as a hostess at Famous Daves. The jeans were a 30 dollar Buffalo Exchange find. 

The best part of this outfit: it was comfortable enough to wear on the bike ride into work.  

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Week 2: Wednesday

Dress and Vest! The unbeatable combination! Add earrings, cute sandals, and glasses, there it is, my favorite outfit of the week! I got this Black American Eagle dress at Buffalo Exchange earlier this summer, for only 14 dollars. It was the best find of the summer, as I’ve worn it at least 20 times since then. It still smells like the perfume of the girl who owned it before me, but I’m okay with that because I like it so much. The earrings I got in Bend when I was there with my family last February. The sandals are from the Clark outlet store, they are one size too big, but cute nonetheless (I think). The vest was my sisters, I traded her for it sometime last summer, but I think I already mentioned that in week 1. 

Lastly, my glasses. I’ve had these Warby Parker glasses for over 4 years now. I got them the summer (2012)  before senior year in college. I’d been hanging out with my ex-boyfriend, he’d invited me to a party in the south hills, where I met this guy named Brenden. Brenden let me try on his glasses (a men’s frame) and for the first time in my life, I’d found a pair of glasses that didn’t squeeze my head. So I went home and ordered them pretty much immediately after that. I’ve had them ever since. 

I wore them throughout senior year, on backcountry trips, to parties, etc. I wore them on my bike trip and then when I decided to move back to Eugene after my bike trip. When I became a bike mechanic (they had a designated spot on my work bench). I wore them on to work for the city, to break up with a boyfriend, to move home to my parent's house. As a sandwich queen, etc. etc. up until now. In fact, I think it might be time to retire these glasses.... 

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Week 2: Tuesday

I’ve had this Black J.Crew long sleeve literally since high school. I don’t remember purchasing it, but I do remember wearing it all throughout college and beyond. I remember I wore it to work my first day as a bike mechanic, thinking it fit the definition of “wear black”. Which it did of course, but it mostly needed to hold up against bike-grease, tire grim, and chain gunk. Surprisingly it did. I ended up wearing it multiple times to the shop over a long-sleeve pink hoodie. If you don’t believe me... click here. 

The shorts are also from J.Crew, but I haven’t had them quite as long. I bought them with Nick last summer when I was feeling like I didn’t have any ‘professional’ clothes since I’d always just been a bike mechanic or sandwich-maker. The shoes are the beloved All-Birds. 

Even though I semi look like a 12 year old boy, I like this outfit and think it suits me well. 

[2ndhandstyle]

Week 2: Monday

Mondays call for super simple outfits. Jeans + T-shirt + Toms + Jacket. The hat didn’t make it because I didn’t actually wear the hat. Which is fine with me because hats are complicated. They (potentially) mess up your hair, they don’t fit in your backpack very well (bad for transporting) and if you take if off your head you have to keep track of it (easy to lose), so hats are out (for now). 

The denim jacket is from Old Navy, the Jeans are J.Crew, the T-shirt is from the summer Banana Republic 75% off sale (I paid 11 dollars for it when I was in Bend earlier this summer) the Tom’s were a gift from Nick. The aforementioned hat I am holding is from Nordstrom. 

[2ndhandstyle]

Minimalism

Denim jackets (2) Sweaters (3) Collared Shirts (6) Dresses (4) Tank Tops (2) Blouses (2) T-Shirts (11) Pants (4) Shorts (2) Skirts (2) Shoes (6). 

I went through my closet at the end of summer and donated most of my clothes, I didn’t need so many things and most of the things I owned I didn’t like anyway. I put 2 dresses, 3 tank tops, and 2 pairs of shorts in a summer box with some of my sandals and swimsuits, put my athletic clothes and ‘junkie t-shirts’ in one drawer together, then I categorized the rest. The count above is what I was left with. 44 items total. 

What’s crazy about this decision is how much easier it is to get dressed in the morning, before I was sifting through tops, wondering what I had, what was clean, what went with what. I didn’t know where particular items of clothing were or when I’d worn them last, or if I even liked them. Piecing an outfit together was usually just picking ‘the jeans of the week’ and a top that seemed clean. Now that I have only 44 items to choose from, the choosing is easy. In fact, it’s in part why I decided to start this blog. 

After I’d categorized my clothing, I wanted to know how many outfits I’d be able to make before having to repeat. I wanted to know just how many combinations I could wear before things started to clash. Turns out, there’s a ton of variation I can get with just 44 items. Which is, in part, why I started this blog, as documentation for just how far my 44 items of clothing can get me. 

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Week 1: Saturday

Nick and I rarely ‘go-out’ on the weekends. We don’t really like it, sitting around drinking at a crowded bar where drinks are expensive and the noise level is high. We’d much prefer to stay in, have friends over, watch a movie, do nothing, go to bed early etc. etc. We like to get up early, we like to ride our bikes, we like to have the entire weekend day to do whatever we want and ‘going-out’ just never seems to result in that. We end up being too tired or too hungover. 

This Saturday was a rare occasion, our Friend Niki turned 27 and we went to meet her and some friends at a bar to celebrate. Boots, jeans, and my favorite flowy tank top....my go-to ‘going-out’ outfit. Comfortable enough to bike in, but just nice enough to look like I go out, occasionally. 

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Week 1: Friday

Okay, so this is probably more of a summer outfit. Shorts, a t-shirt, and my tennis shoes, but fall in Portland is only just begun and it looks like were going to have a few more sunny days before the rain comes for good so I might as well enjoy it while I can. 

My all time FAVORITE t-shirt is this Patagonia scoop neck. it fits me in the shoulders AND in length, is made out of Organic cotton, and has a sweet surfer graphic on the front. I got it at the outlet store in Santa Cruz when Nick and I went to visit his parents, last summer. The whole weekend was sun kissed and beautiful, kind of like the way this t-shirt makes me feel. I will probably keep it forever. 

The shorts are from the Levis’ Commuter line. They are high-rise, thick, but also stretchy. Perfect for bike riding on a sunny day. I got these at River City bicycle for 50% off, which is the best place for finding women’s specific cycling clothes because the owners always try to stock as much women’s stuff as men’s stuff but can never sell as much women’s stuff as the men’s stuff. It’s a bummer there aren’t as many female cyclists as there are male cyclists but it works out for me in terms of getting good deals. 

I’m counting the lipstick and the sunglasses as accessories. I stole this Revlon red from my mom’s makeup drawer a few summers ago and it has continued to be my favorite lipstick (thanks, mom). The sunglasses were bought by Nick, after he stepped on the ones I stole from Nina when we were vacationing on Vancouver island, it was very sweet of him to replace them. He bought them for me with Canadian dollars from the Kayak shop we rented boats from for a tour around Tofino. They remind me of our trip, and tour we took around the island.  

The shoes are Allbirds, but I already blogged about those in my Wednesday post. 

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Week 1: Thursday

On Sunday evening Nick and I curled up on the couch to watch a movie, Goosebumps. It’s a kid movie, starring Jack Black, and two high schoolers who end up unleashing all the monsters of the Goosebumps novels. It was cute, not nearly as scary as the actually Goosebumps books, or Stranger Things, the Netflix original series we started watching on Monday night. If you haven’t heard of Stranger Things, you’re completely out of the pop-culture world because normally I’m the LAST ONE on earth to hear about these things, either way, if you haven’t... Google it. 

ANYWAYS, in the movie Odeya Rush wears a denim vest over a zip-up hoodie and sneakers. I loved her outfit and attempted to recreate it. Her hoodie was grey and her vest was bleach washed so she looked a lot less punk than how my outfit turned out... but that’s okay. 

My red prana pants were thrift-ed at Next Adventure, the J.Crew blue t-shirt once belonged to my middle sister Nina, who also traded me the vest I’m wearing, last summer. The black jacket is Keeley’s she left it on her desk when she went to Norway for 2 weeks, (clearly, I borrowed it). 

The Vans are the ERA style. Not the authentic lace ups, or the classic slip-ons, but sort of the ‘best-of-both-worlds’ of each. They are wide and comfy like the slip ons, but have a tongue and laces like the authentics.... I actually know surprisingly a lot about Vans because when I was 16 I worked at the Van store at the mall by my house for a holiday season. One of my many places of employment over the past 10 years. 

[2ndhandstyle]

Week 1: Wednesday

This is actually an outfit I would wear every day if I could. Gap jeans, my favorite tennis shoes, a comfy T-shirts. The jeans are from Buffalo Exchange I paid 22 bucks for them. I remember trying them on and knowing right as I buttoned them up that I’d be buying them. Sometimes jeans just fit perfectly, like the original designer had you in mind when they drew out the pattern. It’s probably more the case that the girl that owned them before me perfectly broke them in before trading them in for something else. 

The t-shirt is a nice one, Giro. I bought it at the bike shop for half off. Unfortunately, Giro is discontinuing a lot of their women's line, probably because it’s a tough market. This shirt is designed to be ideal for biking. Technical fabric with a loose fit and a long back, it’s thick, comfy, breathable but stays dry. Perfect for wearing on a day when I don’t feel like “kitting out” to bike into work. 

The tennis shoes I did pay full price for online, I was just so sold on them when I checked out the website. They are called Allbirds. Keeley, who’s a much better online shopper than I am, sent me the link back in April. They are made out of wool, which makes them super soft and breathable. They are machine washable, wick moisture, and minimize odor, so again, perfect for biking. The best part, though... all those features mean NO SOCKS. Which I LOVE because I HATE socks. 

The last thing is the scarf. The scarf pretty much makes it an outfit. I mean c’mon, a t-shirt, and jeans on a fashion blog... boring add a scarf though and it’s a ‘real outfit’. I got this scarf at a clothing swap I had with my roommate and a few other girlfriends. This scarf was previously owned by Deidre, Ayla, Lauren, or Emily, I’m not sure. I wouldn't have bought this scarf brand new, it’s too busy, I buy mostly plain things. This is why clothing swaps are great. You end up with stuff you would have never bought, but that you actually end up really loving. 

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Week 1: Tuesday

Memorial day weekend, meant this week started with a Tuesday! It also marked the beginning of this fashion blog, which made putting on my boots and feather earrings a no-brainer. I’ve been dressing my outfits up with these pink feather earrings and Felmini boots since I was 19... time to retire them... no way. 

I remember where I got the boots, on sale at DSW for $120 the summer before my senior year of college, but I have no idea where I found the pink feather earrings that I’ve had for over 5 years, probably going to keep them forever. 

I also wore my favorite j.crew high-rise skinny black jeans. They are my favorite because they go with everything, and they just make me feel sexy. High rise jeans tend to have that effect. If you’ve yet to brave the high-waisted jean style, as a kid of the nineties who grew up wearing ‘hip huggers’ and ‘bell-bottoms’, I assure you high-waisted is where it’s at. 

Lastly- my boyfriends' blue Ezekiel denim button up. No, not a ‘boyfriend’ styled shirt... but actually my boyfriend's shirt. A few weeks ago Nick was going through his clothing, getting rid of items he never wore. I snagged a few things that I liked, and this denim shirt was definitely one of the best finds. 

I love wearing clothes that used to belong to people I love. Mostly because I love giving clothing a 2nd chance, but also because it makes that article of clothing kind of special. Even long after this shirt stopped smelling like Nick, it still kind of reminds me of him every time I put it on.