Goodwill Finds

I’ve been in love with fashion since I can remember! I loved shopping for new clothes growing up, but I was also never afraid of using second-hand clothes! When I was a kid living in Kearny, Arizona, one of my older cousins used to give me her gently-used clothes once she grew out of them. Every time I would get that bag of clothes, it was like Christmas! I would go through it excited to try everything on. My cousin was very fashionable; she always had the latest in-style brands, but I was most interested in the colors and how the material flowed. When I would pull out the clothing, I would go through my closet and make different combinations with my existing clothes and the donated items. I loved using accessories and different pops of color to make the pieces my own. My mother would even add lace or sequence to some of the pieces, and the result was a fashionista piece of art.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but as a kid I was already developing fashionista senses. I now know how to articulate that feeling I would get when I would put together different outfits. Fashion is a way to express myself and tell my own story. To me, fashion encompasses art, poetry, and connection. Each piece inspires a feeling, and I love combining those feelings into a beautiful piece of art that I can wear to tell a story that is uniquely me.

My mom shared that same passion for fashion. As a fashionista herself, she went to school to learn how to design and sew clothes. Then, she would model her creations on the runway. That was years before she had me. After she married my dad, she ended up working at the school as a bus driver, so she didn’t get to play dress up very often anymore. We were still able to share fashionista experiences, though. We always enjoyed looking at awards ceremonies on television and even pageants. Then, we would talk about the styles used. Once we got a chance to drive two hours away to a mall, we would use those styles as inspiration for shopping. Shopping together became a bonding experience for us, and after she passed away, I would spend hours at the stores we used to frequent just to feel like she was there with me. I was a periodista by this time, and as a periodista, I strayed from sustainable fashion; I was no longer using second-hand clothes. I was no longer a kid who got hand-me-downs. Instead, I was heading to the clearance section of big box stores looking to score great deals. I did. I scored beautiful clothes at low prices. I then combined those items in different ways with unique accessories to make the items look different on television. I thought I was doing a great job saving money and getting creative: making it look like I didn’t wear the same outfit twice, when in reality I did, just with different pieces that made it look different. I then realized after watching a documentary about fast fashion and the harm it causes our environment, that I was part of the problem. I was contributing to fast fashion by constantly buying new pieces of clothing to combine with my wardrobe for television. That’s when I decided I would start steering away from the big box stores, and move towards the thrift aisles.

After testing the waters with a couple of my now favorite thrift stores, Flo’s on 7th and White Dove Thrift Shoppe, I decided to try Goodwill. I have to say I was impressed. I didn’t realize I would find as many great finds as I did.

I created three completely different looks that were 100% thrifted from Goodwill Arizona. The skirt was my inspiration for the black and white look. It reminded me of a skirt that my mother has made before. The pleating is just exquisite! The white shirt is actually a dry fit workout shirt, but it has such a pretty cut, I decided to dress it up with the skirt and the beautiful black and white heels. The earrings and belt topped off the look.

The Phoenix shirt was my inspiration for this look. I wanted to tap into the gold and gray colors for the rest of the outfit. I ended up going for a soft metallic all the way: black and silver belt, silver shoes, and a gray, metallic skirt tops off this casual chic look.

For the last outfit, I first spotted the beautiful flower skirt. This was yet another skirt that looked like something my mom had made in the 70’s. I would normally pair it with a more classic look: maybe a black blouse, heels and a necklace, but instead, I went a different direction. I found the cardigan, necklaces, belt and boots. I decided to reuse that dry fit white shirt to pair it altogether and…tada! I felt like dancing in this outfit.

It makes me happy to feed my periodista fashionista spirit while also helping the community and environment. Follow me on instagram to see more thrift finds! @PeriodistaFashionista. Besos! Hasta pronto, mis fashionistas.