Last month I mentioned that I would be bringing you a Real Mom Style Feature once a month. I want to showcase real style, worn out in the real world by real people, because fashion is for everyone. I was inspired by my friend Mary and did a feature on her style here, she’s not a blogger but I think her great style deserves to be seen.
Meet Erin
This month I’d like you to meet Erin. Erin lives in Illinois with her adorable family, is a working mom and has an INCREDIBLE eye for thrift shopping. I actually wish I could fly out there and take this girl to a Goodwill because she is a master at seeking out designer looks at thrift prices.
Take her real fur collar coat for example, it only cost her 10 bucks!! Aside from looking brand new, having an incredibly modern cut and being very flattering, fur collars are totally trending for Fall 2014 / Winter 2015!
Thrift Shopping
I love thrift shopping, you may remember this MiuMiu look I created with a thrifted wool skirt here. I will be featuring more of my thrift finds in the next few months because I think it is a fantastic way to get very high quality clothes at dirt cheap prices. If you follow your own TASTE as opposed to fleeting trends you can find pieces that you love and that will work as a part of your wardrobe for years to come.
I especially love thrift shopping for fur. I work in the exotic leather goods industry, so I’m not exactly an animal activist (surprisingly there are few protesters out there to “save the cute and cuddly crocodiles”), however, I am sensitive to how the fashion industry can be exploitative.
Fur is no exception. In this can the more designer you go the better your chances are of finding fur and other leather goods that at least adhered to strict guidelines, the cheaper the fur or leather the higher the possibility of cruelty, mismanagement and exploitation.
If you are like me, and actually like wearing real fur than THRIFT is the way to go! You aren’t contributing to a new production cycle but you are ensuring that the fur that already exists gets as much wear as possible. Plus, fake fur really just doesn’t cut it when compared to the real McCoy. I’d rather wear thrift than fake.
Erin’s Style
One of the things I love about Erin’s style is that she’s not afraid to mix summer pieces into her winter wardrobe. She creates visually interesting outfits without spending a lot of money by using accessories like belts and scarves, layering and using contrasting fabrics.
Having great “style” isn’t about buying whatever the latest fads are in the H&M window display, it’s about putting in that little extra effort into styling the clothes you already have and not being afraid to wear them in new combinations.
THANK YOU ERIN for sending me photos of your great style. I hope other moms and women have been inspired by your love of fashion and how you manage to look fantastic without breaking the bank.
Real Style Features
If you want to chat about your style issues and dilemmas (or give me a few suggestions!), e-mail me at reasonstodress [at] gmail [dot] com. If you’re comfortable in being included in a Real Mom Style Feature LET ME KNOW, I would love to feature you in the upcoming months.
Also, my Satellite Paris Earrings giveaway has ended and I will be announcing the winner tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who participated and put in the time to offer some great feedback and suggestions.
One of the questions in the survey / giveaway was about inclusion in the Real Mom Style Feature and a lot of bloggers were interested. So beginning in March I will also be adding a Blogger Style Feature, bringing you inspiration from around the web!
I’ll be pinning up a storm this week from the NYFW (New York Fashion Week), if you want to follow along or even send me a pin you can find me on Pinterest here.
Happy Tuesday!