In Search of Inspiration-vintage hair!

So, here at Thrift, we have been in search of inspiration--whether it be movies, photography, museums or even hair!! Recently, we came across these incredible black and white contemporary photos that reminded me of the vintage vixen Barbarella! The look is vampy, chic and incredibly sexy! I love the look and it inspired me to create some wonderful 50's 60's styles dresses that are one bit housewife housedress one bit sex kitten!! Here are those images of the hairstyles! Thoughts?? Opinions?!

Thrifty Fashion Trends

Recently, there was a great article in the weekend Tribune that caught my eye. As many of you have seen throughout my time on the thrift blog. I am an avid thrifter and lover of vintage! I am also very into the eco-chic green movement in the fashion industry! We have created a line of reconstructed vintage thrift items under the line name of THRIFT! That just goes to show my passion. So, it was only justifiable to smile broadly and giggle with glee as I read an article about how second hand fashions are the new thing to do, buy and wear!

The article really goes to show how far thrifty chic shoppers have come during this great reccession! Women near and far are really becoming creative and cost efficient in their shopping adventures! They are going to consignment shops, vintage stores and thrift stores to find items that are often unused, worn once or still in great shape!

Some great options the article offered its readers were: Value Village, Salvation Army, and Goodwill! You can even take your hunting online and visit places like Ebay and Etsy!
Don't be embarrased to shop at places like this! It's the hot and smart thing to do as well as an eco-concious option! According to the article, "70% of adults state that buying used clothing in now more socially acceptable than 5 or 10 years ago [ . . . ] 43% say it is easier to purchase popular items used rather than new!"

It's a great trend that really gives you bang for your buck! If you can get a quality and name brand item on consignment or at a resale shop, why spend the extra cash and pay retail?! It makes no sense! I also suggest taking into consideration reconstruction! If you find a great vintage find that is a good fit, but a bit to lonf, take creativity into your own hands and hem the item to the length you want or belt it to cinch the waist to fit you better! Better yet, check out the hand made reconstructed vintage thrift store finds at: the good find on Etsy!

Thrifting is the new it thing to do! It's cost efficient, good for the earth and good for you! Make sure to make some time when you go on your trips and look at the visit as an adventure to find some great new items. What is better than finding a unique and cute top for only 50 cents?! I can't find anything as fun :)!

Fashion Photography

Fashion photography over the years has expanded and become increasingly artistic. As technology has advanced so has the style within fashion photography. Many artists argue over whether or not digital or manual photography is the best fit for fashion photography, but I see some incredible pieces come from both genres.

A great trend that can be seen in many artistic fashion photographs is a combination of vintage looks including black and white and dated looking images from the 20's and 50's mixed with surrealism. The effect is striking and beautiful. One renowned photographer in the industry is Eugenio Recuenco and his pieces have paved the way for ecclecticly styled fashion photography. His ability to tell a story within a photograph is uncanny and his style is remarkable.
His pieces are works of art and he has worked with many big names to create high end editorial pieces to advertising campaigns for corporate companies. His view of the fashion world is almost comedic, but it always chic and eerily sexy. Definitely check out his website (see link below) for some of your own inspiration!

Art for Art Sakes

Inspiration can be found in the most unique and even odd places. THRIFT is all about creating wearable art and it is neccesary to be inspired by interesting objects and works of art. We look everywhere for special vintage inspiration. Here is just a taste of a great realistic oil painter that we have been following: Chris Achesson.

Vintage and Retro the NEW Trend in Graphic Design

Thrift ABSOLUTELY loves it! We just read this incredibly interesting article in Smashing Magazine (a graphics related mag) about how Vintage and Retro stylings are the new it thang in the graphics world! HEHE (Everyone else is FINALLY catching up!)

Check the article out here: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/10/07/retro-and-vintage-in-modern-web-design/

Look out world he were come clad in vintage chic greatness!

xoxo

Team THRIFT

THRIFT's Branching into Accessories

Check out our latest most innovative crafty creation! Thrift has been working on a line of interesting wearable pieces of art. These creative rings are inspired by the summer that will soon begin to surround us. We have utilized victorian, nautical and bohemian inspiration for this line of incredibly chic and very fun rings! They range in price from 5-10 bucks each plus shipping and handling! Definitely take a look at: http://www.thegoodfind.etsy.com/!

As always the rings are eco-friendly and made from already existing and recycled material, using vintage earrings, pins & knick knacks into hip & trendy rings!

Happy Shopping Thrifters!

x's and o's

Team THRIFT- for the good find

Vintage Chic for Baby

As many of you guys know, I (Jenny, the other half of THRIFT) am a mommy! I have a little girl name Bella and as the fashionable young chic mom that I am, I feel it is only proper that I dress my chica in great duds!

THRIFT can be bought on Etsy.com which is an incredible site for handmade goods to be sold on! You can be sure to always find the cutest vintage and handmade items for your kids on Etsy! THRIFT just loves the community on Etsy and the great items that can be found as well!

Not only do we love vintage street chic for us, but we love it for the little ones as well and after browsing Etsy for some inspiration today, we came up with some great items to showcase on today's THRIFT blog!

THRIFT UPDATE: As you know we are still working on our Summer 2009 line! As soon as we complete them and do our screen prints we will have pictures up! This summer we will be playing around with many different mediums and experimenting with many different styles. We are still hand made, hand painted and eco-friendly! Keep your eyes peeled for Chipped Red Polish as well! We will make sure to have some of our latest designs at our first launch party in Chicago!!

Enjoy the great pics :)! Comments?? Let us know what you think and what you'd like to hear more about!

Vintage Street Style

Thrift is all about the vintage stylings with just enough feminie sex appeal and a touch of street cred to make a girl feel extra spunky! We get inspired by vintage images and the beautiful street style we see in Chicago everyday! We are currently working on our Summer 2009 line and are hoping to bring you some funky pieces with a touch of sexy femininity this summer!

Keep checking back for more information on events we will be participating in with the Chipped Red Polish Crew as well as fashion shows we will be in! Just an FYI Thrift will be showcased at the UIC Fashion Show Friday April 3, 2009! So, please show us some love and check out the show!!

Images we are inspired by

Dangerous Curves Fashion Show

This past week I was ablet to spend some time with one of Chicago's premier stylist-Tamika Martell! We met up at the Chicago's Shecky's Girls Night Out Event at the Great Hall in Union Station. We talked fashion and goals and pretty much made a new friend!

Tamika is a talented woman with a great company with incredible vision! April 25th from 7-10 she will be hosting the Dangerous Curves Fashion Show. A show that she produced with the Chicago woman's needs in mind.

It is a show dedicated to the many body types of women and showcases current fashion and trends. All proceeds from the show will be donated to 2nd Chance Chicago! This is a great event filled with fashion AND charity! A fabulous way to spend a night!

For more information please check out: http://www.a-linestyleservices.com/events.html!

Also, check out the Chicago Examiner this monday for my interview with this down to earth stylist!!

Stay tuned readers!

TEAM THRIFT

Who is CHIPPED RED POLISH?

If you ladies, are just like us, you know that a great day often includes listening to some great tunes by likes of Joan Jett and Blondie, chilling out reading a book, and painting your toesies that awesome shade of blood red, but it just always seems to chip, doesn't it??

Like the saying goes in Breakfast at Tiffany's, "Don't you ever just feel like you've got the mean reds?"....Just like that chipped polish on your fingers and the slightly unkempt yet fabulously chic Holly Go Lightly, your are NOT perfect.

Yet, isn't that what makes you so special, so creative, so unique? Ladies, I present to you the artist collective and new Chicago crew: Chipped Red Polish! Victoria and I recently joined this group of aspiring and established musicians, artists and designers. Each of the women in this group is so incredibly talented they must be commiting some sort of felony! Their beauty, grace and brains is what drew us to the group!

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Chipped Red Polish is all about promoting each of the artists through an online blog (check us out: http://www.chipped-red-polish.blogspot.com/), Myspace (www.myspace.com/chippedredpolish) and YES through nightlife events! We will be out and about Chicago throwing banging parties while promoting a positive feel in the artistic industry as well as each of our own work!

This past Sunday all the ladies of the CRP Crew got together for a photoshoot! The images will be up on our blog and myspace shortly! The kind owners of Chicago's own HellzBellz were nice enough to get us some great tees to vogue in!

In conjunction with this new endeavor THRIFT-for the good find is embarking on, Victoria and I will each be branching into our own specialized blogs for Chipped Red Polish. We both will continue to update the THRIFT blog with great ideas that pertain to the line as well as showcase new additions for Summer and Winter! So, please keep checking back. BUT--Make sure you check out each of our new blogs as well!

Jenny's Blog--The Style File (http://www.jennys-fashion-files.blogspot.com/)

Vicky's Blog--Beast Bid (http://www.beastbid.blogspot.com/)

Stay tuned!

TEAM THRIFT

Check out your very own good find at: http://www.thegoodfind.etsy.com/! Don't forget to be our friend on myspace: www.myspace.com/thegoodfind!

Stitch y Bitch! Why? Because we said so!

THRIFTERs and Knitters! Meet the lovely Knittas! This is a fun group of women who stitch and bitch together! It's like a jam session only with knitting needles and yarn! They will be hosting their stitch y bitch session at Efebos Cafe on March 25 2008 from 7-9 pm! You can learn to knit and even get help on a project- if your stuck on that one little purl! Defintely stop by and join in the fun. Hey, maybe you'll be inspired to create more and then take a place with THRIFT-for the good find on Etsy?! Just a thought! For more info: check out: http://www.elstitchybitch.blogspot.com/!

Artist Girl Power!

We at THRIFT are all about empowering women to be inspiring, creative and most importantly confident! Because of that we just love learning about other women trying to make a name for themselves with art!

We were able to catch wind about an incredible artist out of Santa Cruz! Sarah Jane is her name and you should definitely check her stuff out on myspace. She is a singer, but she also does incredible grafitti art and in the essence of one of a kind pieces - hand paints accessories!

Sarah Jane and THRIFT are soul mates! She creates bold beautiful grafitti inspired paintings and wall art in the Santa Cruz, Cali area! We just fell in love with her bold and bright colors and ecclectic style! She primarily focuses on her music and art work, but likes to dabble in designing. She sells fun hand painted hats and hoodies that we know THRIFT lovers would LOVE to rock!


She is also a great musician with a hip hop, rock pop vibe. She's got spunky style with fun lyrics! While you are browsing our spot on myspace: www.myspace.com/thegoodfind take a second and give her a shout at: www.myspace.com/sarahjaner!

Have a great week lovely readers!

Team THRIFT

Go Green This Spring

March has most suprisingly appeared in a regal manner! We are now another month closer to the lovely weather of Chicago Spring. March is also a fun time to go green, in both the literal and environmentally friendly way as well!

It is the month of St. Patty's Day after all and wouldn't it be fun to dress up in a lil' green yourself for this holiday while promoting an environmentally positive effort such as THRIFT??!!

Well, Thrifters, I say take a risk and join your fellow Irish men and women and look fabulously mean (not angry, but definitely fierce) in green this St. Patty's Day! Thrift has some very sexy and chic green pieces to choose from:

Pick up the schmancy and add some incredibly skinny dark denim for a very sexy yet bikeresqe feel. OR you can look o-so-cute in our girlscout hand painted skirt! Take a look at http://www.thegoodfind.etsy.com/ for other fun pieces to add to your spring wardrobe! Enjoy the week all!





Team Thrift

THRIFT Showcased in U of I Fashion Show

This past weekend THRIFT had the honor of being a showcased designer in the Cirque De Mode Fashion Show. This event showcased an incredible stage production with great props, dancers and of course incredible clothing.

THRIFT was the introductory and featured designer for the circus production. Our bright colors and incredibly stylized designs fit right in with the circus theme which featured incredible makeup and outrageous hair! Our clothing was well received and won over many spectators.

We were able to meet some great new people and be a part of the Universitiy of Illinois diverse artistic and cultured student body for an evening . Check out the images from the show below! Keep tuning back for more!!

We are Barbie Girls, In a Barbie World!

(Image courtesy of: nitrolicious.com)

I know I blogged on this before, but finally, the Barbie Mercedes Benz Fashion Show aired! Yes, it was amazing and yes, it brought back some nostalgia for us! I love, still love and will always love Barbie! I know as a feminist, many a woman would scorn me for this, but hey- I am a fashionista too!

Barbie always signified all things glamourous and fashion like for me! I can recall designing miniature garments and sewing them for my barbies at the ripe age of 7 with my first sewing machine! I can also remember my first fashion drawing kit and yes, it was a mattel Barbie Fashion Stencil Kit! Barbie instilled in me the love of fashion and I am amazed at the longevity of the brand!

The Barbie show was incredible and it definitely pulled in some great vintage stylings as well as some crazy off the wall contemporary outfits for 2009! I just loved the designs as well as the INCREDIBLE pink Louboutin pumps! The owners thank Barbie for developing the imagination in us for our love of fashion! You can see some great vintage and contemporary mixings in the line shown at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Show and you know THRIFT is all about mixing vintage and contemporary for a unique look!

Keep checking back for more fashion lovers!

Jenny

Thrift-for the good find!

Make us your friend on myspace.com/thegoodfind!

Hand Painted Couture In Hands of the People

Hello All!

This Spring Thrift- for the good find has brought to you an array of beautiful designs and we have only just begun! If you are a fashion maven (and even if you are not!) and you have been keeping your eyes peeled to the new and interesting trends that are going on around you, you can see Thrift is working hard to bring you fun and up to date fashion, but at smarter than couture prices.

Yes, part of our charm is the fact that we have a designer eye, but with a better price. You can see many of the couture designers creating hand painted garments. Yet, they are not vintage, nor are they one of a kind. Not to knock anyone because Vic and I LOVE the designs of couture makers like Cavali and Posen, but we of course, can't afford them.

So, what we are doing is bringing you items that have a little similiarity to those beautiful designers, but that are most definitely unique and available to the people like you! Cavali had a beautiful hand painted and street mural inspired gown in his Spring collections that can be seen on style.com and we are uploading the pic for you lust after as well in conjunction with one of our own hand painted creations!

Keep checking back for more..We ALWAYS got your fashion back!

The Ladies of THRIFT

THRIFT--Branches out to menswear!

Hey guys!!

Just an update! We are excited to announce that THRIFT will be branching out to men's fashion in conjunction with our women's line. Keep an eye out for funky ties and tees for the hip boys out there! Also, keep your eyes peeled for some awesome band collabos that we currently have in the works! We are so excited to bring you some new stuff and include the boys in on the fun! Also, we will be working on some fun screen prints with our logo on new accessories like: handbags, scarves, ties, men's tees as well as on our dresses. Can't wait to show you the new additions.. Hope you are ready....

Team THRIFT

Thrift for the Chicago Style Examiner

As of yesterday, Thrift has been noticed by the Chicago Examiner for our "Recycled Creations"! 

The article was wonderful and we couldn't be more proud and excited to see that we are being noticed for our hard work! 

Click to find out what Patricia Johnson had to say about Thrift!!

Thrift for the Examiner

THRIFT in the News!

Hello THRIFTERS and BLOGGERS!!

We just wanted to take a moment and say thank you for all the support! Thrift was recently showcased on FRIDAY Chicagopicks.com newsletter as well as two magazine spotlights in The Wave Magazine and Venuszine Magazine! We are so excited to share our vision with you all! Take a second and read the fun articles and keep up the love! We appreciate it more than we could put into words!!!

Venuszine: Its My Party and Nobody Came (http://venuszine.com/articles/fashion/4378/Its_My_Party_and_Nobody_Came)

The Wave Magazine: THRIFT--A Chicago Line- Where Fashion Meets Art (http://thewavemag.net/67143/68201.html)

Chicagopicks.com Friday January 23, 2009 Edition

(http://chicagopicks.com/)

Envision, Believe, Create

Thrift is evolving and becoming so much more than Victoria and I have ever dreamed of. As we both have been working harder and harder to develop this line it has become like a child to both of us. We have envisioned great things and as we work on the line it is flourishing into such positive things.

As you all know, we consider THRIFT unique for a multitude of reasons, but one in particular strikes so many chords with the Chicago public and that is the fact that we are an eco-friendly line. We create recycled, reconstructed and hand painted garments from vintage shops and thrift stores into NEW and unique pieces!! What better way to ensure we don't leave a huge carbon footprint, then recycling what is already here into things you can use again and still look gorgeous in!?

As we are growing, we are directing ourselves and this line towards a positive standing. We believe in what we are doing and we love what we are doing and we hope you do to! As of late, we have been experimenting with unique screen printing and regular printing techniques using eco-friendly dyes and recycled all natural fabrics! We have just created some fun fabrics to use for accessories utilizing our THRIFT logo (see picture to left). This logo can also be found on some refurbished/recycled purses that are currently in the works! Our creativity is in overdrive guys and we are bringing you some great stuff!! Nothing is going to waste in our shop, we are even packaging and wrapping with recycled paper and fabric scraps!! So, definately take a look- see at our Esty Shop: http://www.thegoodfind.etsy.com/! Also, make us your friend on myspace: www.myspace.com/thegoodfind!

Keep your eyes peeled for some great new stuff!! Take care all!!

Thrift--