keenthrifts

[keenthrifts]

diy.

Hello! Sorry for my absence, real life has been busy but I am back! And have been doing quite a bit of thrifting, so much that I hope I can actually catch up to everything I have bought and post it here.

I recently visited the Røde Kors Genbrugsbutik in Dronninglund on a lovely rainy day. I found this top, which was originally much longer. It is two sizes too large for me, but that was completely fine by me because when I laid eyes on it I knew I wanted to turn it into a crop top to wear with this black plaid skirt.

Turning it into a crop top was actually a bit tricky. The fabric is knit so I was (and still am) worried about any unraveling after I cut it. Luckily, a friend who does cosplay gave me a tip of using a lighter to burn the cut edges and that that should do the trick in preventing any unraveling. So I took my scissors and my lighter and went at this top. It came out exactly as I wanted and I’m so happy about it! I also felt like quite the badass setting fire to my clothing, it was quite fun!

It’s my dream to shop only at thrift stores and be able to DIY anything I buy in order to fit me how I want it or turn it into anything I want. But alas, I lack a sewing machine and sewing skills. Maybe someday that’s something I could do in the future, but for now this was a nice little venture into some upcycling.

[keenthrifts]

recent buys.

I perused the genbrugsbutik in Hals this past Friday while waiting for a bus.

Here’s what I bought:

A black ruffled blouse - I love ruffles. And despite my fashion Pinterest board being full of them, I don’t have nearly enough of them in my closet. I am especially a sucker for ruffles at the collar, so this blouse was an instant buy for me.

H&M Divided collared bodycon dress - I almost walked past this one, it was on a rack that I hadn’t looked at just before I was going to ring up the blouse, but I decided to stop and check the rack. The color is what made me buy it instantly - it’s my favorite shade of blue. Not to mention I have the perfect hat and shoes that would go great with this dress and make for a cute sporty summer look. With the weather getting warmer I’m so excited to wear this!

There were a few other things I wanted to buy, namely a black sparkly shirt and a cool black necklace, but I passed on them due to the shirt being two sizes too big and the necklace not being interesting enough.

[keenthrifts]

kpop influences.

When I go thrifting for clothing and accessories, I always have two major things in mind:

Can I match this item with any of the current items in my wardrobe?

Does this item in any way resemble any of the items stored away in the mass KPop outfit catalog that exists in the back of my mind?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then I allow myself to commit to the purchase.

That catalog of KPop outfits in my brain doesn’t always direct my interest in clothing at thrift shops, but it does pop up in my mind whenever my brain gets pinged while looking at an item, trying to determine if it in any way bears resemblance. I’ve frequently stopped and pulled out my phone during these situations, pulling up Pinterest boards in the middle of aisles to find very specific pictures of very specific outfits in order to decide whether or not the item fits. 

I don’t expect a 1-for-1 match, I am aware that would be unrealistic. But clothing items that hold the same elements or fit a similar vibe? That is what I’m looking out for.

And sometimes, they do!

The white eyelet button down (purchased at my local thrift shop) reminded me of a similar type of shirt worn frequently by OnlyOneOf’s Yoojung and KB. Obviously the style of my shirt compared to theirs is quite different, the eyelets aren’t the same at all and mine are within a floral design. But again, it’s about the essence of the shirt, the vibe. I would be doing myself a disservice if I went thrifting with the idea of getting exact matching clothing in mind. The black-see-through-cardigan-type-thing (I don’t actually know what you would call this?) was purchased at the Røde Kors Butik in Dronninglund. It stood out to me because it reminded me of what Yoojung wears in OnlyOneOf’s Zurui Onna MV, sleeve length and all. It also has buttons on it that reminds me of my late grandmother’s clothing, so that also is a little bit of a comforting thing.

The hard part about thrifting while being influenced by the styles of KPop idols is the ever present fear that I will not be able to pull off this clothing in the way an angelic, otherworldly being like an idol can. I bought these clothes with the fear that they’d look strange and grandmotherly on me, but I’ve worn these often now and I don’t think there’s been an issue. 

[keenthrifts]

jewelry.

I wish I could say I have a bigger collection of thrift store jewelry but sadly I do not. I find that jewelry at thrift stores is really easy to look past, I just give them a quick glance and write them all off as bad and outdated. But I’m trying to take my time to actually look lately, because clearly I can find some decent stuff.

My thrift store jewelry, one by one:

Faux pearl necklace - This was actually given to me by my mom probably a decade ago from her own thrifting adventures. I remember at the time it didn’t suit my style, but I kept it in case it ever did. And sure enough! I’ve worn it a lot recently.

Tacky drop earrings - Another find from my mom. These I definitely wore back when she gave them to me, during my short bob Edie Sedgwick obsessed era. Nothing like a big pair of dangling earrings to compliment short hair. I’ve held onto them because they have pink and blue - two colors I wear often - and are a pretty nice statement piece. I’ve had people call them tacky, loud, costume jewelry, and just really start a conversation around them.

Beaded choker - I found this at the local thrift store around the corner from me. I absolutely adore jewelry in this beaded style - I used to wear lots of rings and bracelets in this exact style in my early 20s. So I had to grab this one when I saw it. I haven’t had a chance to wear it yet - but maybe for more casual spring and summer outfits!

Butterfly earrings - Another find from the same thrift store. I have a bit of an obsession with butterfly related things and I just love these earrings. I think these are among my most favorite thrifted finds. I haven’t gotten a chance to wear them yet, but I have images in my head of the exact outfits they work with.

Blue & silver heart earrings - Again from the same thrift store! These are SO CUTE AND PRECIOUS AND DAINTY. I especially love these because of the blue bead in the center, which is my favorite color, so they’re super easy to match with my outfits and are a nice little extra touch of blue!

Pink butterfly necklace - This necklace is from the Røde Kors (Red Cross) Butik in Dronninglund. I happened to go to that thrift store on the day of its grand opening without even realizing it, which was very funny at the time. But anyway, again, my obsession with butterflies! Plus it’s pink, which matches well with my outfits.

Chunky gold chain necklace - Again from the thrift store around the corner from me. I had seen a necklace like this at H&M before this and had considered buying it, so it was actually nice to find this at the thrift store for even cheaper. I actually have worn this a lot since I bought it, so it was a good purchase. It also has a matching bracelet, which sadly doesn’t fit me.

This doesn’t feel like enough thrift store jewelry and I definitely need to get my hands on more. I'll be sure to keep you updated on that.

[keenthrifts]

bees.

What better way to start this blog than with one of my most favorite recent thrift finds?

I found these at the Folkekirkens Nødhjælp Genbrugsbutik in Hals - one of my usual thrift stores due to it being right next to the bus station in the same town where I pick up my meds every month. These Folkekirkens thrift stores are just like most thrift stores I’ve been to in Denmark - charity owned and run by volunteers almost entirely made up of little old women. 

I came to this one that day to kill time and stay out of the rain while I waited for my bus. I actually hadn’t planned to buy anything - in fact I told myself I shouldn’t. But then I saw them.

On a shelf labeled “size 37” were these black, sleek dress shoes. I had already had it in my mind that I would keep an eye out for dress shoes in order to dress up certain outfits. So when I turned to look at these, I was immediately sold. The bees. The bees!!!

They just fascinated me. They looked perfect on these shoes. An immediate statement piece. They’re so intriguing to me. Kinda give an edgy, strange vibe? I immediately pictured a character in a YA novel wearing these shoes. Fuck not spending money today. Fuck that I’m not even a size 37 (I made a bad habit out of wearing clothing sizes too big for me for the sake of the drip a looong time ago). I needed these shoes. Plus, they were very obviously unworn. Completely brand new, as reiterated by the old woman who rang them up for me.

So now these shoes belong to me after spending 79DKK (11.33USD). There is absolutely zero branding or labeling on these shoes, which I found even more intriguing. But on the inside of the shoe there is a manufacturer’s number, with which I was able to find that these shoes are from Poland and actually cost around 188DKK, so definitely a nice bargain, especially considering that I've taken to wearing them often.