STORY AND PHOTOS BY KELLY CAVANAUGH
As a young adult, I loved to flip through the Gorsuch Catalog, which at that time I called my fashion Bible. Every model was exquisitely polished and put-together head-to-toe in layered alpine-themed looks that made me drool.
On my income, though, the only thing I could afford were the socks. And even those were a stretch, so I made it my mission to attempt to recreate these stunning looks on a serious budget.
With pages torn out of outfits I loved, I headed to the local outlet stores and thrift shops to compile the looks as close as possible with a budget of under $200. I was amazed to see the outcome of my charge. It took a little digging and creativity, but I was able to produce magazine-worthy looks at a whisper of the regular prices.
It has been some time since I did the catalog challenge and I decided one day last week that that was the day to reprise the fun. With my daughters in tow, we decided to go to The Attic thrift shop in Hailey.
With so many thrift shopping options in our valley, we decided on The Attic since it provides critical support in rebuilding lives that are affected by emotional and physical abuse. Twenty percent of profits go directly to providing clothing, shelter, support and education for those in need in our community.
We even had an opportunity to witness that firsthand when Lindy Stark, the new manager of The Attic and a 20-year valley local, stopped our interview to talk with a woman who had bravely come in to ask for help.
The large store has so much to offer in women’s clothing, Halloween costumes, and furniture. We had $50 to find two fashionable outfits that could be worn to a holiday party or school event, along with last-minute Halloween costume ideas.
For some bargain shoppers, the label is the most important find, while others find the most value in the quality and “like-new-ness” of a garment. For us, labels weren’t high on the priority list--we were going for elegant, quality and fit.
To The Attic’s credit, finding pieces was easy because they organize their merchandise very nicely by category and color. The girls first found two pairs of jeans and corduroys that weren’t their size, but the adjustable tabs were tailored for their frames in seconds.
They couldn’t find much in the way of tops at first. But we found a lot of extra-small cashmere sweaters and tops to choose from in the Women’s section. There were tops and sweaters with fun embellishments on them adding a vintage seasonal flair, and also a hand-knit cream cable sweater that was absolutely stunning and only $12. The quality and assortment of tops could get any female through a work week, holiday parties and more simply by changing out jeans for leggings.
As the girls dug for belts and shoes, they came across an incredible vintage pair of red-leather boots that posed for both a Halloween costume and dressed up a holiday look. My favorite find was a maroon faux-fur coat that draped perfectly over any underpinning, taking every look up a notch.
Without a doubt, The Attic has what it takes to build magazine-worthy looks. All of our finds, with the exception of the coat, were under $15, making the $50 budget go a long way. The only accessory we didn’t have luck with was the shoes, which didn’t quite make the “like-new” cut. I highly suggest if anyone reading this has quality shoes they need to donate, The Attic could use them!
Have an open mind when shopping at thrift stores: Garments can always be dry-cleaned or washed to make them feel more like your own. Labels don’t mean squat here in the Valley- if anything, overdoing it with designer clothing can come off as trying too hard.
And be flexible with your outcome. If the magazine sports a navy blouse but the store only has cream, don’t worry. The overall silhouette will still come out great.
Happy shopping!