The Most Versatile Shirt I've Ever Owned

Most style bloggers that I know and follow have photographers. Professional photographers. They are able to post weekly, even daily outfit posts that are incredibly fancy and professional. Me. My husband and my 7 year old daughter are my photographers. And you can kind of tell. They are incredibly gracious and work really hard, taking LOTS of pictures as I try to figure out my most natural smile and what the heck I'm supposed to do with my arms.  The exposure is off. The framing isn't perfect. My arms are awkward. And more often than not, a kid or two will show up in a photo because they want some of mama's love. And since I'm equally committed to spending time with my family AND building this business, this is the way it's got to be. I guess you could say that Thrift Me Pretty is a family business; when mama needs pics for the blog, it's all 8 hands on board. Just like yesterday...

Here we are, on a week's vacation in Maine, and we declared yesterday photo shoot day.  I gathered my outfits together, popped them in a suitcase, and off we went to one of my most favorite pristine ponds in all of Maine - Austin Pond. Though I had hoped for sunshine, it was misty and cloudy. And if you know anything about the Maine woods, that's a recipe for BUGS. Not just mosquitos either. Black flies. Deer flies. Horse flies. Moose flies.  And bug dope.

A few bugs never deterred this New England family though... we're tougher than nails. And committed to telling you about my  BEST MOST VERSATILE SHIRT.

A couple of weeks ago I found a super cute H&M shirt at a thrift shop for only $2! It's got these really cool flouncy capped sleeves, which are perfect for my triangle shape (narrow shoulders, wider hips). Having voluminous sleeves balances out my shape by broadening my torso - creating upper-lower body balance. (It's all about illusion.)  And, it's the perfect length - not too long, not too short.  I was able to create three outfits with this little number:

OUTFIT 1

A few weeks ago I picked up these neat J.Crew capri pants at a thrift shop for $6.  No matter what I tried to pair with them, I felt like I was wearing my grandpa's pants. But THIS SHIRT is the perfect dose of feminine for these plaid pants. I styled it with some bright yellow beads (thrifted $1) and a leather wrist cuff (thrifted $2). I felt both feminine and a little edgy, all at the same time.  LOVE.

OUTFIT 2

I thrifted this pink Oxygen skirt last year for $10, and it's been sitting in my closet since then because I couldn't find the right top to go with it. The shirt needed to be short enough so you could see the cool waistband, but not so short that I'd look like a 39 year old mom trying to look 19. And it needed to be loose, so it wouldn't get all bunchy over the skirt's gathered band. AND, because the skirt had such a pronounced A-line silhouette, I wanted a top with voluminous shoulders so I wouldn't look too unbalanced. Voila. The perfect shirt.

OUTFIT 3

I love dressing up boyfriend jeans with something ultra feminine. I picked up these GAP jeans for $2 a few weeks back.  The gold necklace, bracelet and shoes were thrifted ($6, $2 and $20, respectively).

So there you have it. My new best-most-versatile shirt. You'll notice over the weeks and months that I don't own many clothes.  You'll see lots of repeat pieces, styled differently. I try to keep my closet to a minimum, only holding on to things that I really really love. I don't shop in outfits (like one might do at a retail shop), I shop for pieces. So knowing how to make bunches of outfits from a handful of pieces is a skill I'm happy to have!

How about you?  Do you have any pieces that you LOVE because they are both versatile and work with your particular body shape just perfectly?  Do you have any questions about this illusory magic that I speak of?  Go ahead.  ASK ME!

And stay tuned, because next week I'll show you how I wore a pretty little something I SWORE I would never - could never - wear  ;)

To Your VIBRANCY!

xo Stasia

How to Line Dry Your Clothes.

Salut!  

I am over-the-moon thrilled to know that SO many of my Thrift Me Pretty peeps are die-hard line dryers! I received a number of laundry love notes after my last post, TOP 10 REASONS TO LINE DRY, and couldn't wait to write all about THE ART OF LINE DRYING.

I figure that if the process of line drying is laborious, and you end up having to re-wash everything because everything took too long to dry (and got stinky), or got all bunchy, saggy and wrinkly, then it wouldn't be worth your time.  I don't like to be stinky, bunchy, saggy OR wrinkly, and I'm guessing you don't either.  The techniques that follow will leave you with crisp, fresh smelling, un-shrunken, un-faded clothes and linens. And if you do these techniques with love, then you'll be creating art-on-the-line.  

Enjoy!

How to Line Dry Your Clothes

1. FADING.  Turn your darks inside-out if drying in direct sunlight. Otherwise you'll be telling all of your friends that Gray is the new Black.  

2. BROKEN CLOTHESPINS.  For the love of sun and rain and wind, buy high quality clothespins. The springs on a cheap clothespin will blow out if you hang anything heavier than a tissue. And they'll rust. Spend the few extra bucks for sturdy clothespins with stainless steel springs. Check your local hardware store for quality clothespins.  

3. SAGGY-SIDE-SEAMS.  You know what I'm talking about, right? When you put on a shirt and the bottom hem is in the shape of a sad face... with the side seams hanging lower than both the front and back of the shirt. This happens when loose knit shirts, like t-shirts, are hung upside down, with clothespins on the side seams:

This hanging technique works with woven's and lighter weight knit shirts (like kids shirts, or synthetic, hydrophobic shirts.)

But for grown-up cotton shirts, I recommend simply draping the piece over the clothesline (if it's not windy) or wooden drying rack, being careful NOT to pull the fabric beyond the natural drape of the shirt where it meets the line/rack. You can see in the photo below what I’m talking about. Left photo correct. Right photo incorrect.

I'd steer away from clothespins when using the drape-over method because they'll leave pinchy marks on your clothes.

4. CRISPY/STIFF CLOTHES This is an interesting one for me, because I LOVE stiff jeans and crispy towels! I know. I'm an oddball. But it's how I grew up. To me, crisp means fresh. Like a cucumber... and nobody wants a soft cucumber.  But, if you prefer soft jeans and towels, simply add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle, and that should do the trick.  If you don't want to wait around for the rinse cycle, use a fabric softener dispenser ball like THIS. I'd suggest avoiding traditional fabric softeners because ONE - over time, they effect the absorbency of your fabrics (no good for towels) and TWO - they are full of chemicals. Another option - throw your clothes in the dryer for 5 minutes before you hang them on the line. That should soften them up.

5. WRINKLES Give your clothes a good shake before hanging them. And when I say shake, I mean more of a snap. This will relax the wrinkles. A nice breeze will also help with the wrinkles. My friend Sara told me that she hangs her pants upside down, by the bottom cuff, because the weight of the upside-down pants will help reduce wrinkles. I've never employed this technique, but it makes sense.

6. SLOW TO DRY Hang jeans, pants and shorts from the back part of the waistband, zipper down, at the pant's side seams, as seen below. This allows for optimal air circulation throughout the garment.

I would also suggest hanging your pants (or anything with pockets) inside out, so that the pockets can dry more quickly. You'll notice that pockets are the last to dry if hung the regular way.

7. SHOULDER BUNCHES Never hang a shirt by the shoulders. Ever. Shoulder bunches just aren’t cute.

8. ALLERGIES They are a bugger, aren't they? Just tonight my eyes felt like sand paper, so I went to the drugstore to pick up some Zyrtec. Thankfully, I'm far more dependent on a daily dose of organic, fair-trade, dark chocolate than I am on allergy meds. Not much you can do about allergies and outdoor line drying during allergy season (whatever that is for you). Except maybe line drying INSIDE! If you have a laundry room or non-stinky basement, that's ideal. Set up a line in there. Otherwise, your living room will work just fine. Most everything will fit on a wooden drying rack. Woven shirts can be hung on hangers and set over your door jam. Fitted sheets can be hung on hangers too. If you wash at night, most everything will be dry by morning.

9. UNDERPANTS If you don't want all of your neighbors to know the make and model of your undies, hang them by the crotch with one clothespin. They won't look like anything except fabric.

10. STINK Sometimes, during peak humidity, my dish cloths and towels get stinky. When that happens, I just hang them in direct sunlight for a full day and and let the bacteria massacre begin, and like magic, the stink goes away.

Other Interesting Line Drying Tidbits

• If you attach a clothesline to a conifer, be leary - they drip sap (it's happened to me).

• If my back is sore, I place my hamper basket on a chair near the clothesline for less up-down-up-down-up-down.

• Drying on a wooden rack inside will raise the humidity level in your house. Avoid during the muggy season. But go for it in winter when the air is dry.

• Wipe your line down occasionally.

• Clothespins are called pegs in the UK.

• I hang like things together, and on the same line each time. I have no clothespins on my first row, as it's for items I drape over the line, like blankets, sheets and knit shirts. The second row of my line is for socks, under-things, and the baby's pj's (which I hang by the feet). The clothespins are lined up nice and close, so no clothespin rearranging is necessary. The third row is for shirts and the fourth row is for pants - and the pins are already spaced in a way that makes sense for each so I never need to shift the clothespins around. Talk about efficiency!

• I usually stroll out to the clothesline after an hour or two to flip things over that I have draped on the line (like knit shirts or duvet covers). Speeds drying time.

BONUS - give your clothes a good shake before bringing them into the house.  Baby Z got stung tonight when we put on his freshly line dried pajamas.  Seems there was a bug/bee lurking in his jammie-pants  :(

Well there you have it. If you're new to line drying, get out there and hang some clothes! Enjoy the sun beating down on your face and the sound of the wind ruffling your linens. Breathe in the sweet smells of mother earth when you tuck your babies in at night in those same lined dried sheets.

If you're a seasoned line drier - what sun-sational line drying techniques do you use?  I’d LOVE to hear your best line-drying stories!

To your VIBRANCY! xo Stasia

Top 10 Reasons to Line Dry

When I grew up, I didn't know that people used driers to dry their clothes. We ALWAYS line dried, so I figured that EVERYBODY line dried.  Year round.  Even when it was 12 degrees outside.

Shoveling a path to the clothesline in the dead of winter was as normal to me as using the word "wicked" to add emphasis to everything.  It was a wicked shock to learn that people used tumble dryers to dry their clothes, and an even greater shock to learn that folks outside of northern New England thought that wicked meant... well, wicked (like the witch), and not WICKED (as in - really, very or totally).  

And over the years I've learned that there are laws and community association rules that forbid people from hanging their clothes outside. Wha-What? Arguments range from potential property devaluation to obstructed views, safety risks (strangulation-by-clothesline), and my personal favorite... OH MY GOD THERE ARE UNDERPANTS HANGING OUTSIDE!!  And after researching the topic online for a bit,  I've come to see that these arguments are wicked heated!!  Will my clothesline really decrease your property value? Has anyone ever been strangled by a clothesline?  Is it so shocking to know that people wear underwear? Could it really be true that a billboard of a scantily dressed teenager in her seductive push-up-wonder-bra and lacy panties is okay for one to see (and gawk at), but not a pair of full coverage cotton underpants?  

After doing some research online, I discovered that a number of states have passed "right to dry" legislation, overriding any and all local rules and regulations that ban the use of clotheslines.  PHEW! Vermont, of course, was among the first.  (Yay, VT!) Curious to see if YOUR state has passed Right to Dry legislation?  Check out this nifty organization/website, Project Laundry List, to learn more.  

Anyway, I left home more than twenty years ago, and I've line dried everywhere I've ever lived since then. From Maine to Moldova.  Alaska to Vermont.  Even during the harshest of winters.  And here's why:

Stasia's TOP TEN REASONS TO LINE DRY

1. It's FREE.The sunshine is free.  The breeze is free.  The dryer is SO not free.  In fact, your dryer is one of the biggest energy suckers in your entire home!  Check this out:  In Vermont, I pay 15 cents per kWh for electricity, so if I were to use the dryer 10 times a week (I've got kids and I cloth diaper) for 60 minutes a pop, I'd spend around $343 a year just to run my tumble dryer!  (Do your own calculations HERE.)  I did an experiment a couple of years ago, where I didn't line dry once for an entire month - and sure enough, my electric bill was around $30 more than usual that month.  Ouch!!  Did I mention the sun and breeze are FREE?

2. It smells SO good. There is nothing better than the fresh-air scent of line dried clothes.  Especially sheets. Pure delight. Skip the chemically laced fresh-air-scented detergents and go for the real thing.

3. The sun whitens whites and disinfects - no bleach required. It might take a few days in direct sunlight to brighten your dingy whites and kill the stink-germs, but it's free - both economically and chemically.  And cloth diapering mamas - the sun does magic on your prefolds!

4. Your clothes last longer. Lint (in your lint trap) is worn away fabric (from abrasion) that happens during the tumble drying process.  I'd say a good 95% of my family's clothes are thrifted, which means they've already lived a first life.  If I'm to get a good second life out of them, I need to launder them with care.

5. Line drying reduces wrinkles. I never iron.  EVER.  And I'm not wrinkly.  It requires a good shake and some slick hanging skills, but the results are worth it.  (Wanna know my best line drying tricks? Then click HERE!)

6. It's therapeutic. Gentle breeze tickling my neck. Sweet sunshine kissing my checks. The slow methodical motion of pinning the clothes to the line. Deep breaths. Grass beneath my feet. Baby playing at my side. It's not a place that I worry or fret. Instead, it's where I think. Come up with ideas. I'm open. Wild hearted. Connected to the earth - the wind - the sun. Sweet perfection.

7. Saves on other appliances (not just the drier!). In the winter, if your house is dry - hang your clothes inside on a rack.  The evaporation will release much needed moisture into the house, just like a humidifier.  I do it all the time.

8. It's my morning calisthenics. Up-down-Up-down-Up-down.  Basket to line.  

9. It's social.   Depending upon where you live, it can be a wicked social activity.  Most days I end up chatting with the neighbors when I'm hanging the laundry.  

10. My clothesline is my family's Lookbook. I love seeing baby Z's cloth diapers being bleached and disinfected by the sun's rays.  My husband's sleek J.Crew button-up shirts remind me how handsome he is.  I giggle when I see my daughter's plaid shirts and shorts (which she pairs together), reminding me of her quirky style.  And seeing my own polka dots, ruffles and stripes reminds me how lucky I am to have a line filled with clothes that suit my soul.

And because I LOVE clotheslines so much, I'm going to devote the next entire post to HOW TO LINE DRY YOUR CLOTHES.  Because yes, there is a right way to hang clothes on the line.  And I'm going to teach you how to do it so you can avoid misshapen droopy shirts, faded jeans, and wrinkly everything.  

Do you line dry?  Are you a fair weather clothesline user, or a badass-shovel-a-path-to-your-clothesline kind of gal?  It's a funny thing to be passionate about, but I know that we clothesline gals have a special sort of kinship, and I'd like to know WHO YOU ARE.  Tell me what you love most about line drying.  I’d LOVE to hear!

To your VIBRANCY!

xo Stasia

Why Fashion Has NO PLACE At Alt

Last week I went to Alt Summit, a fancy-pants conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, created to educate, inspire and connect both novice and professional bloggers alike.  I'm a Vermont girl that doesn't get out of town much, but when I do, I'm more of campground, youth hostel, budget motel, developing country, chicken-bus-rider kind of traveler.  So to even walk into the Grand American hotel was... WHOA.  Awesome.

I'm still in processing mode post Alt, and suspect I will be for weeks and months to come.  Big events like this, with gaggles of women, always brings up lots of "stuff" for me.  I like to think about all of my awkward "I carried a watermelon" moments, winks and guffaws, and reflect back as to why I did what I did, said what I said, and felt what I felt.  I find that big events like this, coupled with some serious introspection, are akin to several years of intensive therapy.

Whole lotta' women, getting ready to hear Martha Stewart's keynote!

One of the MANY things I've reflected on post Alt is FASHION.  The pre-Alt-fashion-hype was intense, and although I was a wee bit intimidated, I packed up my best (99% thrifted) threads and dressed my essence and my intentions every single day (except on Wednesday night when it was soo cold out I had to wear my airplane clothes out to dinner instead of my hot-pink strappy dress, but I digress).  As I met with folks,  I heard a lot of, "OMG I almost didn't come to Alt because I didn't know what to wear!" and "I love your dress.  I didn't know what to pack.  Don't mind my shoes."   And hearing those self defeating, apologetic words hurt my heart.  Every.  Single.  Time.  And in those moments I thought to myself - FASHION HAS NO PLACE AT ALT.

Don't worry.  These are not fighting words.  I love smooth legs, pedicures, hot red lipstick and fancy dresses just as much as the next girl.  What I mean is this.  Fashion is something that happens OUTSIDE of us.  It's a bench mark that we use for comparison.   Me versus them.  It's what the mannequins and models are wearing in billboards, magazines and television ads.  It's what's hot.  If you pay attention to what's out there, you can do nothing more than mimic what you see.

But Style.  Style is something that happens INSIDE of us.  It is how we USE fashion to reflect our souls.  It brings the focus back to us.  It's about WHO WE ARE and how we want to be perceived.  It's how we smile, laugh, engage, love, reflect, and experience our world.  It's our soul and our intentions and our values all wrapped up into one happy package.  You can't mimic style, no matter how hard you pay attention to what's happening "out there".  Mimicking doesn't work because she is she and you are you and you are not she and she is not you.  Only you are you.  And you have to determine which colors, cuts, textures, stones, fabrics, labels (etc.) reflect who you are and who you wish to become.  It's what I call INSIDE-OUT CONGRUENCY, and it's absolutely totally achievable, no matter who you are.

When you are one among a sea of women, trying to make split second, kick-ass first impressions and connections, you must be on top of your game.  I don't know about you, but if I'm wearing something that makes me feel homely or frumpy, saggy or baggy, then there's a real good chance I won't be showing you my best most truest and brilliant self.  I'll be self conscious.  Apologetic.  And perhaps even withdrawn.   But put me in something that reflects my soul, and it's a game-changer.

Next summer, when Alt rolls around again, I don't want there to be a single woman worrying about what they are going to wear, in comparison to everyone else.  I've got some ideas that need to be flushed out... I'm think pre-Alt smash-the-fashion webinar or e-course!  Ohhh, I've got ideas.

To your VIBRANCY!!

xo Stasia

PS.  Photo credit goes to Alt Photographers Justin Hackworth + Brooke Dennis.

Packing for Alt Summit. The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.

UPDATE MARCH 2020 - this post was originally written close to 6 years ago (June 2014), and goodness me do I have a tender spot in my heart for 6-years-ago-Stasia! It was my first time putting myself out there in what felt like a very big way, and I remember the vulnerability and guts it took to hit publish. A lot has changes since this first-ever blog post… my body, my smile, my style, my thoughts about style. It just goes to show that SHOWING UP is a journey, and that as times change, WE CHANGE. Enjoy!

Hello!  And WELCOME to my very first blog post!  Ever.  In my whole life!  I'm leaving for Alt Summit in about 8 hours, and since I'm going to the BIGGEST BLOGGING CONFERENCE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, I figured it was high time I had a blog.  

And it seems only appropriate, as a Style Blogger, to talk about WHAT I'M WEARING TO ALT.  But in truth, what I'm wearing isn't nearly as important as WHY I'm wearing what I'm wearing.  And how I went about choosing, prepping and packing.

Usually when I travel, I throw a bunch of stuff into a suitcase - a few nice shirts, my favorite skirts, a couple pairs of shoes - and hope to hell they all go together.  I NEVER create actual outfits before I travel.  And I usually end up in tears because I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR.  I've been burned too many times, so this time I took a different approach.  I created an OUTFIT ITINERARY!  That's right.  A map.  An outline.  A stress-free plan.

1. I created a list, breaking down the various venues, and counting how many outfits I was going to need: Tuesday day (flight) / Tuesday night (sponsor dinner) / Wednesday day (conference) / Wednesday night (food truck dinner party) / Thursday day (conference) / Thursday night (garden party) / Friday (saying goodbye + exploring the city) / Saturday (flight).  That's 8 outfits.

2. Then, I decided how I wanted to FEEL at each venue.  For example, I’m gonna want to feel differently on my flight than I’ll want to feel at the sponsor dinner, where my nerves will be a little bit shaky and my insecurities will undoubtedly kick in.  Comfortable, chic & funky works for an airplane, but for my first night at Alt - I want to feel confident, bold, bright and just plain happy!

3.  Once I decided how I wanted to feel, I hit my closet and started creating outfits, using those words to inform my outfit creations.  I tried on everything, because I wanted to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions later. Like things not fitting the way I remember, or forgetting to pack the strapless bra for that spaghetti strap dress.

I found some gems of course, but I’ll tell you what. I wasn’t far into my try-on sesh when I started to freak out because… some of the things I was planning to wear DIDN’T ACTUALLY FIT! Thank GOODNESS I decided to TRY EVERYTHING ON before putting it all into my suitcase! I've lost some weight recently and some of my best things were way too big.  Saggy jeans. Empty darts. Gaping under the pits. And to top it all off, I thrifted a brand new (with tags on!) fancy-pants pink taffeta dress last week, brought it to the tailor for a little nip and tuck, and I FORGOT TO PICK IT UP tonight!!  

So here I am... leaving in about 8 hours, and I'm not done packing.  

WHY?  Because Alt is a big deal.  Fashion is HUGE at Alt, and those little voices inside my head have crept in and told me that my second-hand-vermont-gal wardrobe is not going to be good enough.  What I need to do is listen to my BIG GIRL voice - my SOUL'S voice, that KNOWS I'm perfectly suited to be there, in my second-hand-vermont-gal-wardrobe.

I've momentarily lost my footing.  I've forgotten about Inside-Out Congruency, and have gone into the comparison game... me versus everybody else.  And no good can come from that.

I swore I wasn't going to stress.  I was going to dress my essence - rock the ole' Inside-Out Congruency and stand tall with my suitcase of second-hand-clothes.  And I still will.  This is just a little hurdle that I need to navigate.  But that's what life's all about, isn't it?  Navigating the hurdles.  Pressing through.  Finding your trueness.

Despite the hurdles, I'm still loving my wardrobe itinerary.  So if you'll excuse me, the itinerary has three blank spots, which means I have 3 more outfits to pack!

To INSIDE-OUT CONGRUENCY.
xo Stasia