Red, White and Denim-2nd Loved 1st Friday #1

Hello, and welcome to MeadowTree’s first 2^nd Loved 1^st Friday. This is the day that I celebrate my love of finding that special item that isn’t new but is new to me. It is also the first day of my Linkup and I invite all of you to linkup with your finds.

I love a good second hand find and know many others do as well. A few reasons for this addiction: love of Mother Earth and saving her resources, getting more value for our dollar, finding that absolute gem among the endless stream of fast fashion, love of true vintage, which is never new.

And of course, there is the exciting possibility of finding that truly luxurious or originally quite valuable piece.

There are so many places to go on the hunt these days: charity shops, consignment shops, eBay, specialty vintage shops, flea markets, estate sales, and just swapping clothes with our girl friends. More that a few of us, I bet, check out the luxury goods online consignment shops such as Yoogi’s Closet, The RealReal, Poshmark, Fashionphile, and Tradsey. I am sure there are many more that I don’t know.

Although only one 2^nd loved item is needed in your outfit to link up, I decided to go a bit overboard. I went for a classic American sportswear look with my three main pieces, all scored from charity shops. I decided to show three different ways to style them. This post also shows how important I think accessories are. Accessories put your personal stamp on style.

Style #1

The red/white stripped top was found at Salvation Army. For some reason, the tag was cut out so I have no idea who was the manufacturer. But there were so many features I loved, like the three-quarter length sleeves, exposed zipper in the back, curved sides, and that the material was a thick cotton knit. But what really hooked me was that the stripes matched!

The White House/Black Market jeans were found at Goodwill. I like a variety of pant leg looks but felt I was falling into a straight leg snooze. When I saw this pair, I knew it was time to wake up and go wider! This denim has an almost a linen texture and I love the details that White House/Black Market puts into their pants. Even the buttons are out of denim.

The  Hollister belt was found quite a while ago. I just really liked the twill-on-twill design and the navy running stitches. I tried something a bit new and just tucked in the front tail of the top for the belt to show and let the back tail hang free, sort of an asymmetrical look.

This red spherical vintage Rodo bag has to be one of the quirkiest things I own. When I spied it on eBay with a good price, there was no question that it was going to reside in my house. I had to retrofit part of a large styrofoam ball inside the bag because when I actually put stuff in it, it looked like a deflated basketball.

Ever since I adopted Sophia, my miniature Poodle seven years ago, I have collected Poodle motif scarves. So, I really wanted to include one of my vintage Poodle scarves for this first 2nd Loved 1st Friday post. This silk scarf is by Kreier and was made in Switzerland. I use it for a neck scarf. Plus, it makes a great head scarf for my doll (that I’ve had for over fifty years) Cinderella.

The blue Keds sneakers are super old. They have probably been in my closet for fifteen years or so. Not to bragg, but I can remember getting them at TJ Maxx. I don’t wear them much but sometimes they are perfect.

My silver watch was bought new but it is designed with vintage silverware. Although new, it is still “reusing”, which I like a lot. There are a few designers who design with found objects and I think that is wonderful.

Style #2

Style #2 is dressier. My belt is replaced with a skinny long Liz Claiborne silk scarf found at my favorite flea market. There’s not a tag with fabric content but I know silk when I see and feel it. The pure primary colors just sold me on this scarf. I could envision that it would make a perfect belt for something……and today is its premier appearance

There’s a new bag and shoes for this look. My bag is an Eric Javits Squishee that I found on eBay. I have a fondness for his Squishees. eBay has Davits bags for a range of prices, from under $25 to more than $200. It just depends on what you are after.

The light blue linen Tahari chunky heeled sandals were found at TJ Maxx. I use them with this bag a lot. Another look using them together is found HERE.

Style #3

Style #3 is my “going on a road trip” look. Forget the belt, I just am letting the top hang out and be itself. There is always a hat with me on trips. This time I grabbed my blue straw Cabbie. The bag is a Coach and I call it my “horse bucket” bag. The thing is huge! I didn’t realize how big it was when I ordered it from a Coach online sale but I found it was so-so handy back in September when we drove to Illinois.

For years I’ve tied scarves on my bags. Sometimes I just do it because it looks pretty. I also think keeping a scarf around is just practical. Today I have a navy and white Elaine Gold silk. I’ve just started adding Elaine Gold scarfs to my collection and know that sometime in the future I want to write about her life and designs.

For this style I added a pair of red Angiolini loafer flats that I actually found at Goodwill. It’s very rare that I find any shoes at Charity shops (eBay is a different story). The shoes are either cheap looking, worn out, or some ancient style. These flats were in great shape and have a slightly squared-toe, which I usually don’t go for, but I liked on these.

OK, slight deviation. Love that zipper and those perfectly matched strips.

Back to that headscarf. Unlike a hat, it can take a bit of wind (I’ve chased down a few hats in my time). I have always loved old movies when the ladies would wear their headscarves. Jackie O was famous for wearing them. Headscarves are so classic chic. I think they can be worn more often. When a headscarf is on your head, its pattern and design can be seen fully and appreciated.

And all together now……………..

This is what I did with my latest 2nd Loved finds. Do you have any and if so, how have you been styling them?  I would love if you would link up and show your ideas.

If you have never participated in a linkup before, no fear. Go to Linkup 101 guide that is found on my 2^nd Loved 1^st Friday linkup page (also found at the top in the tab section).

I know I am pretty excited and am planning to feature one individual each week who linkups. The party starts today leaving it open for the whole month. You can add as many links as you want and they can be from Instagram, Facebook or your blog. Hop around to see what other participants are up to. It makes for a lot more fun! If you have any questions about the linkup, ask away.

So without further ado, let’s get this party started!

Just click the frog below to link up and join the fun!

And have a great week and I will see you again with my usual Sunday post.

Until next time, Happy Styling!

 

Michael gets credit as the photographer for today’s edition of MeadowTree.