This is Alden’s sixth entry in the series “Grist dared me to make a change.” Read the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth here. And support her dare with a gift to Grist!
Club Monaco dress from Housing Works; around $20, BCBGirls open-toed heels, $12.99; purse, $9.99. Total for outfit: $41.99.Alden WickerToday I pulled something I already had out of the closet: a Club Monaco dress I got at Housing Works last year. It’s a nice dress, though I never gave it much credit because I got it at a thrift store. It’s a psychological phenomenon, that we value something more if we pay more for it. So I was always a little “meh” about this dress, and I don’t wear it often.
I may have complained about my dress being blah yesterday, but it was so comfortable! The other editorial assistant kept complaining about the heat, and about sticking to her seat. I nodded sympathetically, looking at her pretty blouse and pencil skirt and just thought to myself, “Sucker.” I was easy and breezy. What a great excuse to wear a jersey nightgown to work. I like this dare!
After work, I went to my yoga studio and sported an outfit from Goodwill that served me well: like-new Nike pants and an Adidas fitted top. The pants were a bit large on me, but they got the job done. Besides, I need to set aside my ego for a class and get out of those butt-shaping Lululemon pants. It’s about the practice, guys, not the outfit! :wink:
Adidas fitted athletic top, $7.99; Nike jogging pants, $19.98. Total for outfit: $27.98.Alden WickerYou’ll notice that yesterday was also the first day I didn’t wear those star stud earrings. I thought they were pretty cute, and was planning on keeping them. That is, until I took them out and realized that I had an infected right earlobe. Just lovely. That’s what I get for wearing $1.99 earrings.
I haven’t been able to make it to any thrift stores this week, which puts me in a bind. I need flip-flops and tennis shoes, and a couple more casual T-shirts for this weekend. I have to figure out when I’ll have the time to sneak out of the office and hit up the closest thrift store before I head to Vermont.
Luckily, my host informed me that it will be an extremely casual weekend. When I asked about hiking, she said, “I’m sure we are going to be up late drinking, so I imagine the ‘hiking’ will be us walking around in the woods for a bit.” Normally, I would be peeved at this cop-out, but that’s just less gear I have to worry about. One of our friends doesn’t like horses either, so horseback riding is out. So all I need are T-shirts, shorts, and a bathing suit. That is my kind of weekend!
For this next shopping trip, I’m going to stay far away from that pricey (at least according to all of you knowledgeable commenters) curated Goodwill and try a more down-to-earth place nearby. Wish me luck! And send some money to Grist!
