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<strong>Valkyrie</strong>’s “Formal<br />
for $20” Challenge<br />
Story by Katie Ott,<br />
Design by Mariana Novakovic, Style Editor<br />
I first got into thrift shopping about 4 years ago when I<br />
started working with the costumes for my school’s theater<br />
department, and I discovered how many cute clothes<br />
there were at Goodwill for a fraction of the price. Now<br />
the majority of my clothes come from Goodwill and other<br />
thrift stores. I think thrift shopping is a great alternative for<br />
college students who love to shop, but don’t want to break<br />
their bank. When I got asked to try and create a thrifted<br />
outfit for formal for just $20 I was instantly on board.<br />
For those of you who have never shopped at a thrift store<br />
before, there are a few things to keep in mind. First off, its<br />
helps to be willing to go shopping a few times in order to<br />
find everything you need. The truth is about 98 percent of<br />
the clothes in Goodwill aren’t going to be things you’re<br />
interested in buying, so it’ll be hard to buy an entire outfit<br />
in just one visit. Secondly, Goodwill stores are organized by<br />
color and item, so it helps to have a general idea of what<br />
you’re look for. Since I knew it’d be hard to find a fancy<br />
dress for this outfit, I decided to look at all the black dresses<br />
because I knew those would be easier to dress up. And third,<br />
be willing to step out of your comfort zone. Sometimes<br />
things don’t look super cute on the racks, but that doesn’t<br />
mean they won’t work out. In my opinion, it’s always better<br />
to try something on because you never know what will<br />
surprise you.<br />
Going into this challenge, I knew I’d have to think a little<br />
outside of the box. There’s lots of different clothes available<br />
at Goodwill, but it can be hard to find fancy dresses<br />
there. So, if you’re looking for a more “prom” style dress for<br />
formal, I recommend trying to host a dress swap with all of<br />
your friends in order to find a new dress. But if you’re just<br />
looking for a cute new outfit that’s still pretty cheap, you<br />
can definitely find something at Goodwill. Right off the<br />
bat I pulled this black jumpsuit from the rack and instantly<br />
loved it! But, I was hesitant to try it on because I’d never<br />
found a jumpsuit or romper that worked for me. Nevertheless,<br />
I tried it on and it actually fit really well! I loved the<br />
simplicity of it and also how comfy it was! It’s made of a<br />
stretchy material so it wasn’t too tight or restrictive. I also<br />
liked that it was solid black because then I had a lot more<br />
options for how I chose to accessorize it.<br />
purse that had a knock off Tory Burch design on the front.<br />
I felt like this purse was a great size for formal since it<br />
would definitely be big enough for my phone, keys, and lipstick<br />
without being too big to get in the way. I also loved<br />
that it had a strap because I personally hate having to keep<br />
track of a clutch throughout pictures, dinner, and the actual<br />
dance. Also, its important to note that I bought this clutch<br />
in order to fully commit to the challenge of creating an<br />
entire outfit for $20 but you could easily use a nice clutch<br />
that you already own with this jumpsuit.<br />
A few days later, I went to a different Goodwill closer to my<br />
house in Atlanta. Although the Rome Goodwill does have<br />
a lot of good options, you are going to have better luck if<br />
you go to thrift stores closer to major cities like Atlanta or<br />
Chattanooga. There, I was able to find these great black<br />
flats to pair with my jumpsuit. I felt like they were a good<br />
choice because they were comfortable and the rhinestones<br />
on them add a little flair to the outfit. However, again since<br />
the jumpsuit is solid black you could easily go for a colored<br />
heel or flat if you wanted to add a pop of color. To finish off<br />
my outfit, I found this silver chain belt that helped accentuate<br />
my waist and give the jumpsuit an edgier look. For<br />
the rest of my accessories, I just wore some silver hoops I<br />
already owned to tie in with the silver chain belt. For my<br />
makeup, I wore some red lipstick in order to add a splash<br />
of color to the black and silver color scheme of the rest of<br />
the outfit.<br />
After both trips, my final cost came out to $19! The jumpsuit<br />
was $7, the purse was $3, the shoes were $6, and the<br />
belt was $3. All in all, I felt this was a pretty successful<br />
Goodwill haul and honestly the outfit could’ve been cheaper<br />
if I had chosen to reuse a purse and pair of shoes I already<br />
owned. So, don’t think Goodwill is just a place to get tacky<br />
shirts and costumes. You can definitely find cute, name<br />
brand clothes there for any occasion. Also don’t forget to<br />
donate any clothes you don’t wear anymore. Goodwill’s able<br />
to provide all these clothes because of donations from people<br />
like you.<br />
Also if you liked this article, make sure to check out my<br />
new fashion blog, “Simply Thrifted.” I post about clothes<br />
and outfits I’ve bought from Goodwill as well as tips for<br />
In the same visit to Goodwill, I also found this small golden thrift shopping. My blog is at simplythrifted.com and my<br />
Instagram for it is @simplyy_thrifted.<br />
54 Style<br />
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