What does it take to catch your eye? A color? A detail like lace or stitching? If you’re like me, you might have a color or detail that love but that’s not necessarily the requirement to catch you eye. For me, I couldn’t tell you what it takes to get my attention (in terms of clothes at least, lol) but I sure know it when I see it.
To explain what I mean, I want to share with you the story of a Simone Rocha sweater that I recently fell in love with. For those of you who don’t know the brand, Simone Rocha is a talented Irish designer known for designs that are feminine yet not “girlie” (aka totally my style). You can learn more about Simone and her work here https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/simone-rocha .
The sweater I fell head over heels for is a luxurious, silky black knit that is partially sheer with a classic crew neck. It has vented sides and bows on the shoulder (my favorite part of the sweater!). I really fell for this sweater because it’s not only feminine and chic (classic Simone Rocha), but also incredibly comfy. I recently styled it with a cami underneath and paired it with high waisted black Gap jeans and Puma sneakers.
While this particular sweater is no longer for sale in retail stores, I found a similar style by Simone on Farfetch for over $800. I know that sounds crazy but people actually pay that (and more!) for gorgeous sweaters like the one I found.
So before you think that I’m some high rolling diva, I need to confess that I only paid $40 for this gem. Yes, I’m serious. I purchased this sweater a local, annual community clothes charity sale (more info on that later…)
And finding it was true senrendipity: I honestly wasn’t even looking for sweaters at the time. Instead, I was focused on trying to sort through an armful of shoes when a volunteer at the sale walked past with it and it just caught my eye. I just KNEW it was special. I dropped the shoes and left my shopping buddy to keep an eye on them while I chased down the sweater.
Once I had it in my hands and saw it was a Simone Rocha, I knew I had a good find. It was only $40 which just sealed the deal. While this sweater was only one of handful of amazing things I found that day, it’s surely my favorite.
So how can you find your own Simone Rocha- or other designer- sweater for $40 instead of $800 (or a similar, steep discount)? First: get to know the best places locally to find gently used and secondhand swag. Thrift and consignment shops have always been a great place to find amazing stuff. I also recommend checking out local blogs, social media accounts and magazines to get the scoop on events and sales that you might otherwise miss.
If you just don’t have the time or patience for brick and mortar shopping, I get it. I mean, I love Poshmark too. I’ve also been shopping on eBay since I was in high school (for reference, I’m in my mid thirties). So yeah, it’s easy and sometimes less time consuming to shop online or on an app. But there’s just something about being surrounded by clothes that just makes a shopping trip come alive and gives you that extra chance to find something that catches your eye.
So the takeaway is this: be open minded and invest in some local thrift/ charity shopping because you just might find something that steals your (style) heart.
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