Blind Fashion Series: Part One
This will be a series written by Sarah Favro, a loyal customer of Second Look services and boutique and who will be sharing her experience with you as a blind woman styling herself with secondhand finds! Stay tuned for more pictures and videos to come!
From Sarah:
Hello! I am so excited Sarah invited me to be a guest for this week’s blog so I can share my styling makeover story with you. I started this fabulous journey with Sarah last fall. I had recently reached my weight loss goal – shout out to Weight Watchers for that – and wanted to celebrate that with a new look. Sarah had just joined our Goodwill team and I had heard how great she always looked, and that everything she wore she got at Goodwill! Despite working for the organization for over 16 years, my Goodwill experiences hadn’t always been very successful. I would find clothing, think it was fabulous because it was less expensive, and then never wear it because it didn’t look or feel right, and donate it back. Thanks to Sarah and Second Look, that’s not the case anymore!
I do need to share that I am not the typical Second Look client. I do love sustainable fashion and getting a Thrift Box full of fabulous clothing picked out just for me, but what sets me apart is that I am blind. What I want to share is that despite this, I can feel and look fabulous and what to share with you all how!
After hearing there was this Goodwill fashionista in my office, I randomly emailed Sarah one day and asked if she ever did any personal shopping. I had no idea about Second Look at the time and the services she provided. I just wanted some help shopping. You see, I tended to wear my clothing way too big and definitely didn’t have any type of defined style. My style, if you could call it that, tended to be the opinion of whomever I was shopping with or what I thought looked good based on how it felt. If something was fitted, I thought it was too small, and hence, the over-sized, frumpy look. Shopping trips were few and far between because of transportation challenges and on-line shopping presented challenges as well. Oh, and forget about the money I spent on clothing - just ridiculous!
Sarah and I met to go over my style profile. That was funny because I didn’t know what to tell her. My style was frumpy and definitely not trendy. We started with a shopping trip to the S. Clinton Avenue store at lunchtime. I walked out with a bag full of great clothing for less than $30! It was Sarah’s inaugural shopping experience with someone who was blind, but we made it work using our combined experiences. It felt great putting items back that didn’t fit me well. I did this rarely up until then because I would buy all I could to maximize my shopping trips. Time and time again I would buy something just because I was in a store and didn’t know when I would go shopping again, even if it wasn’t the best choice for me. But now I know what to look for and the best items to shop for.
Since that first day last October, I have defined my style, cleaned out my closet with Sarah, purchased Thrift Boxes, shopped Sarah’s store, and found some amazing items on my own at Goodwill! I still, and always will, need someone sighted with me when shopping, however, I am the one driving the ship now and feel more comfortable and confident then ever. Stay tuned for more on how I shop and put together my look in the next part of my series!
Here are some of my recent looks, all with the help of Second Look! (and yes one of the days Sarah and I dressed similarly in our thrifted dresses without knowing it!)
Mimicking Magazine Products with Secondhand
Finding expensive and unique pillow looks at secondhand stores to help style your home.
Some time ago I was flipping through a magazine and kept seeing images of items that were beautiful and desirable - for your home, your closet, etc. What I noticed about most of them is that the price tags were NOT desirable - and that I had seen similar in thrift store hunting, or even in my own shop!
So I got to thinking - why not show that, no matter what your wallet situation may look like (and if it’s like mine it’s empty 99% of the time haha!), you CAN have your dream closet/home/event straight out of a magazine without breaking the bank? AND it would be sustainable, AND it would be unique to you? That to me isn’t only a thrift win - it’s a no brainer!
I’ll be showing different magazine flips throughout the upcoming articles but let’s start with some home decor. If you’re like me, you like decorative pillows for your bed, couch displays, filling corners and more. But those pillows can run for a pretty penny - so why not find something secondhand, give it a solid wash, and display it proudly?
Here’s a few examples of pillows I found at thrift stores that I used for corner styling. Sometimes in those small empty spaces it’s helpful to place a pillow as decor to quickly add some style without having ot spend a lot on new furniture. Each of those pillows cost me no more than $2 a piece, and the one on the right is from Pottery Barn! The two pillows with the candle is right on the landing of my bedroom - and it adds a cozy feel to the entrance. The right pillow I placed on a stool I scored for 99 cents and next to a lantern also from Goodwill. Just enough to polish off the corner of my dining room and not be obstructive (and the whole thing cost me less than $8!)
As far as the magazine goes, here is the image I came across - each of the pillows in the picture are all over $15 a piece (one of them is $40!)
Looking at those pillows, I realized I had very close replicas already in my home from previous thrift trips - it truly is amazing what you can find (or I can find for you) at your local secondhand!
Crazy, right?! Again they’re not exact - but the point is to show you can find similar items of decent quality to magazine featured styles without the magazine price point. Which is your favorite? (Fun story - I actually went to the store three times and kept passing on the pin tucked tassle, bottom right. It was only $1 and I kept passing it by - until I finally grabbed it!)
Think of those items you’re desiring for your space, from the stores that you wish you could style from - and then great creative with a secondhand mindset. No matter your price point, even if you can afford the likes of an Ethan Allen or West Elm, you can still find beautiful pieces and no one - read that again - NO ONE - will know where you bought them….unless you’re like me and you get pride of out saying “thanks it’s from Goodwill!” ;-)
Looking to restyle your space? Need help finding holiday decor, certain pieces, or just someone to come in and assess your space and give you some style ideas? Let’s work together - shoot a message to Second Look at secondlookroc@gmali.com or check out the Services tab and let’s get styling!
Have a look for your home from thrift store finds? Shoot me a message, I’d love to feature you on my channels!
Happy Homing!
Sarah
Thrifting Tip: Don't Trust The Size!
One of my favorite things in the world is saying “thanks it’s thrifted!” The thing that people don’t realize though is even if it wasn’t, what really matters is how you feel in it and how your confidence grows as a result. No one knows what the label says inside, or what size it is (or year it was made). It’s about you, and how you feel in it.
The amount of times that I’ve found something not in my typical size at Goodwill and have rocked it regardless is countless - and often times the tag may say L or XL but it’s designed a few years ago and therefore the sizing is different than today’s standard (which is crazy on it’s own!) I’ve come to learn that all bets are off at the thrift store with this - and for some that can prove daunting. But that’s where Second Look comes in ;-) We do the hard work for you and find the best of the best looks irregardless of sizing, year, or designer. Take for example this cardigan. It’s from Chico’s, size 1, made in the 90’s. Because I love a good duster I instantly snatched it up - it’s a bit larger in the arms and may be longer than normal, but it had the feel I wanted and will pair perfectly for the fall. See below how I recently styled it:
The oversized look is “in” regardless, so why not keep your options open when hitting the racks? A 6 ten years ago isn’t the same 6 you’ll see today - so keep your options open and your eyes peeled - and score some amazing vintage and newer finds.
Again - no one but you knows the size, the designer or the year - and no one needs to ;-)
If you’re looking to learn more about how Second Look can shop for you and take out the heavy lifting, just check out the Services tab. I’ll be waiting ;-)
XOXO -
Sarah