New to the Frugal Fashionista series?
Begin with designer wardrobe on a frugal budget.

I made a mistake this week on vacation. I walked into some high end retail clothing stores that I haven’t frequented in years. My reason? To literally start pricing some of the items that I am featuring every week, and make sure I am up to date with the latest trends.
You know where that browsing landed me? With a huge case of the “gimmes.”
Give me one of those and oh, let me just try on one of these. Did I need a thing? Absolutely not!

The benefit of that shopping trip was that I have a lot to process about how consumers are so influenced by the ploys of these amazing marketing groups. Quite a few thoughtful posts are swimming around in my brain about personal finance and all from a little”harmless” browsing.
I didn’t purchase a thing, but that didn’t stop me from being “convinced” that I needed quite a few new items.
Bottom line: Remove yourself from temptation. 🙂

Now, on to my thrift designer outfit of the week. I apologize that it’s only one. The Frugal Fashionista was not thinking ahead and I went out of town without my other pictures….oops.
In the past, wearing silk has scared me. It’s the kind of fabric you wear once “you’ve arrived,” and my bus has yet to get there on time.
On top of that, silk is truly special. Just think how amazing it is that God’s remarkable creature, the silkworm, worked especially for us so that we can wear something really fancy.
I surely wouldn’t want to hurt his feeling, so when I came upon this BRAND NEW (yes, tags still on) 100 Silk, Coldwater Creek dress at Good Will for $6, I hatched, I mean snatched it up without a protest. I did it in honor of the silkworm. 🙂
This is a style that is forgiving with any figure. If your arms aren’t your favorite feature, don a cardigan or wrap. Since I have fallen of the wagon with both my exercising and my eating, the pounds are slowly creeping back on. I plan to remedy that soon, but in the mean time, this style hides a good ten extra pounds with it’s straight lines, and my weight gain is barely noticeable.
Here is another example of how the right piece of jewelery makes an outfit. This $2 purple yard sale find necklace doesn’t go with much, but I am thrilled that I didn’t pass it up because it completes this outfit. Simple, yet elegant.
Again, imagine my excitement when I saw these like new shoes at a yard sale the weekend after I purchased this dress. I am disappointed I can’t share the brand (since they’re in my closet and I am not, 🙂 but I do know they were made in Italy….yes, only the best of Italian Leather for my silk dress.
Shoes – $2 and I doubt they were worn more than once – no visible scuff marks or any signs of wear.
Total for this head to toe designer Frugal Fashionista outfit? $10