Thursday, October 02, 2014

Thursday Thrift Score: Putting on the Ritz

Thrift scores come in all shapes and sizes - and prices. It's all relative really. You'll see what I mean.

This past Friday, my husband and I got all spiffied up for a charity gala for his company. He warned me weeks in advance how fancy it would be - that he would probably be in the minority by not wearing a tux. I hadn't been to an event that formal since prom, so I knew I had some shopping to do.

I was hoping to find a old bridesmaid/wedding/prom dress at the thrift store and refashion it. I really loved making my Cinderella costume last Halloween and have been itching to do something extravagant again. In fact, I was recently honored to be included in Paris Ciel's 55 Intelligent & Fun Ways to Refashion Prom, Wedding & Formal Dresses, and some of the other projects on that list are so inspiring! Makes me wish I had more excuses to go all out!

Alas, it was not in the cards. I went to all my usual haunts, searched high and low for the gown of my dreams (or perhaps nightmares), but I just didn't find anything suitable. My last resort was a consignment store in a pretty wealthy area of Dallas. I knew they would have something - maybe something that might only needed slight alterations since I was starting to run out of time to do a lot of reworking. I also knew I would be paying more for that luxury, but I figured, "What the hell! I don't get all dolled up very often. Might as well splurge a little!"

Not only did I find the perfect dress that needed no alterations, but the tag just happened to be the color of the day, so I got an extra 40% off the ticketed price. Behold, my Carolina Herrera black chiffon gown.

Carolina Herrera Gown

I can't find this exact dress online, but the least expensive CH dress I saw was about $2500. So I feel like my $171 post-tax price was well worth it.

And, of course, we can't talk about fancy outfits without mentioning the shoes, right? I picked up these Tory Burch strappy heels at Nordstrom Rack for a mere $75 (retail $399). Just so we're clear though, these are not dancing shoes. They are not even walking shoes. They are by no means gracefully-descending-the-stairs shoes, though I was forced to at least attempt the feat (after a few glasses of champagne to boot!). I'm proud to say I did not fall on my ass, though I was certainly not graceful about it either.

Tory Burch Heels

Now that I was properly clothed, we still had to address the hair and make-up. Being the cheapskate I am, I like to go to the nearby Paul Mitchell beauty school for all my coiffing needs. My thinking is, I could go to Super Cuts and get my hair cut by someone who just graduated beauty school, or I could get my hair cut by someone who is about to graduate and has an instructor there to fix their mistakes. Plus, I feel like my super thick hair offers the students a healthy challenge. Three hours later, I left with my hair styled and my face painted for just $50, including tip. So if you're keeping track, that brings the total for this whole night to just under $300.

Sadly, we were a bit rushed to get to the party on time, so there was no time for pictures. But as luck would have it, there was a professional photographer there taking complimentary portraits for the attendees. So here you go, probably the only chance you'll get to see me in full make-up. I threw on pale pink pashmina (thrifted of course!) to cover the tattoos, and accessorized with a handsome hubby.

All Dolled Up

In other news, tada!

Pearly Pink Peyote

That's right! The peyote bracelet is complete! I finished it Tuesday night, meaning it took less than a week - a lot better time than I thought it would be when I first started it. It was super tedious, but I really loved the process. I definitely see myself doing more peyote work in the future.

Pearly Pink Peyote

Be sure to follow me on Instagram, where I'll be posting something pink every day during the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Pearly Pink Peyote

14 comments:

  1. Carissa - You did a great job designing your peyote cuff - it really is cool.
    What a fun adventure - finding the perfect dress for the Gala - was it fun shopping in the upscale thrift shop? I appreciated your logic in using the services of a senior student at the beauty school and it is a really good tip for the rest of us. Thanks for sharing the photo - perfect couple !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was definitely a lot of fun trying on fancy dresses - certainly not the kind of thrift shopping I'm used to!

      Delete
  2. That's a really nice bracelet :) Also, I hope I said it then but I'll say it again: the halloween "episode" was my favorite during the Refashion Runway! So many great contributions and I really liked yours!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Helga! I was quite pleased with my costume as well. And so were the kids in my neighborhood when I wore it to pass out candy last year. :)

      Delete
  3. Well done! I love that gown, and your hair!. You two look great - and happy. Hope you had fun!

    The bracelet turned out well. Someone else admired the toggle - I do, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Jenny! The hair was a lot of work - I'm glad I didn't try to do it myself!

      Delete
  4. You. Look. Gorgeous. And what a cute couple you make!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You look just beautiful! Love the gown, the shoes, and the approach to dressing up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What can I say? Even when I splurge, I'm still super cheap!

      Delete
  6. You look gorgeous. Hot Hubbie is the perfect accessory, he has such a great smile.

    I used to have my hair cut at a beauty school for the same reasons you do. I don't think of myself as cheap, I think of myself as a value shopper. Getting the high end garments at a deep discount, is a great score, congratulations. It is a timeless dress and fits really well.
    You bracelet turned out really well. It looks like you've been doing peyote stitch for ages instead of it being your first effort.

    regards,
    Theresa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Theresa! I am nothing if not a perfectionist - which is why I made several little practices pieces of peyote before starting an actual project. Just like knitting - you have to test out how your yarn is going to knit up before actually starting your sweater!

      Delete
  7. The shoes you bought that are hard to walk in are what I call "Dinner Shoes." You wear them out to dinner only because all you have to do is walk in the restaurant, sit, and walk to the car. That's about all they are good for, even if they are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is exactly what these shoes were!. And I made it from car to building just fine. The grand staircase, however, was an unfortunate surprise.

      Delete