You may laugh
when I tell you this, but I have a hard time finding clothes.
Allow me to
explain.
I am pretty
picky about what I wear – I spent years not giving a shit, and now I’m at the
opposite end of the spectrum.
For me, shopping
for clothing is an art form. I’m looking for something that’s just so: and most
of the things I find in stores are not just so. A stop at my local Target will
yield some basics (tank tops, cardigans, what have you), but basics do not make
an interesting outfit.
That’s why most
of my clothing shopping is done at thrift/consignment stores and online. Thrift
and consignment stores hold all sorts of hidden treasures – but if you have
something against wearing someone else’s cast-off clothing (which I clearly
don’t), then this option is not for you. Online shopping can be risky – no
trying on before you buy – but the options are endless. And that’s where
Modcloth comes in.
Modcloth is far
and above my favorite place to shop. It’s an online-only store, but their
clothing is exactly what I’m looking for: vintagey shoes, whimsical prints, 50s
housewife-chic skirts… they’re calling my name.
Upon initial
investigation, Modcloth’s prices will seem a bit high. That’s because they ARE
a bit high. Never fear, my friend. I am not one to pay full price for clothing,
so all it takes is a little patience. Modcloth has flash sales every now and
again, and occasionally, they’ll mark clothing down 30%... then 50%... and
rarely, 70%. (Word of warning: when they mark it 70% off, it’s usually final
sale. Proceed with caution.) That’s when things start to get affordable.
Modcloth does a lot of 50% off sales around Christmas, and once in a while,
they’ll offer a $10 off coupon. So don’t let the prices scare you: they can
change in a hurry.
The first item I
ever bought from Modcloth was this:
It was
super-clearanced, so I took a chance and ordered it. It ended up being just
what I was hoping for: a nice flowery print, a rich blue, and a cut that was a
little out-of-the-ordinary.
Modcloth and I
have been friends ever since.
Which brings me
to the list: my top ten pieces from Modcloth. Almost all of these items were
purchased on some kind of ridiculous markdown: at least 50% off, or 30% plus some
sort of coupon. So here you are: welcome to my little Modcloth fashion show!
wedding dress
When I started
planning my wedding, one of the first things I considered – like most brides –
was my wedding dress. Between trips to David’s Bridal and Jean’s Bridal in
Wilmont, SD, I tried on a great many dresses. However, the dress I ultimately
ended up with belonged to my grandma Lorraine. She’d saved up her clothing
rations to have it made in 1944, when she married my grandpa Harvey. In 1981,
my mom wore this same dress to marry my dad. It needed a bit of work (the
shoulder pads had to go), but it was a classic dress with a great story. As the
dress was nearly 70 years old, as you can imagine, it was a bit on the fragile
side. I wasn’t going to risk wearing it on the dance floor: just imagine the
potential for disaster! So I needed a second dress for dancing. There were a
few things I knew I’d look for: I wanted a dress that was knee-length to show
off my custom wedding Converses, I wanted to stick with the vintage look, and I
didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg. Modcloth to the rescue. I saw this dress
on their website and knew it was the one for me. Twirly skirt (with pockets!),
50s-ish – done. But it wasn’t quite that easy. The dress was SOLD OUT in my size.
I put myself on a waiting list, checking my email every day with the hope that
I’d get that notification telling me that my size was back in. I waited. And
waited. And WAITED. Until one day – the email was there! I ordered the dress
immediately – and a few months later, I danced the night away in that same
dress. And boy, did it twirl.
red heeled sandals
I really became
a fan of Modcloth while looking for wedding stuff. I was going to wear red
heels with my wedding dress, and nothing else would do. I searched for the
perfect pair, and I thought this pair was it. I bought them and tried them on
with my wedding dress, but they weren’t quite right. (Fun fact: the shoes I
ended up wearing came from the super-clearance section of JCPenney.) While they
were not right for my wedding dress, they WERE right for practically everything
else in my closet. So they stayed, and they’ve become a summer work wardrobe
staple.
typewriter shirt
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When I buy
clothes, I try not to buy too many things that I can’t wear to work. While I
can’ t wear this shirt during the week – as it’s too casual for business casual
– I can wear it if I work a Saturday or a Sunday. You can’t go wrong with a
literary t-shirt. Modcloth has the best graphic t-shirts: besides the
typewriter, another Modcloth graphic t-shirt favorite of mine is my narwhal
shirt. Yes, I have a narwhal shirt.
red damask maxi dress
I know I’ve told
you in my cheap outfit blogs that I was a little slow on the uptake when it
came to the maxi dress trend. But now that I’ve fully embraced it, you can’t
find better maxi dresses than Modcloth. This is the first of two maxi dresses
you’ll find on this list, and both of them are by a brand called Gilli. Their
dresses are so soft and wonderful that you’ll wonder why you bother wearing
anything else. This particular dress is one of my all-time favorites. It got
TERRIBLE reviews on Modcloth, so I was a little wary – but at the time, they
had free returns, so what the hell. It arrived. I loved it. End of story.
black and white damask shirt
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One of my
greatest clothing struggles is (and has been for a while) finding long-sleeved
shirts for work. I’m not talking about solid basic long-sleeved shirts or
cardigans or sweaters, but long-sleeved shirts: something that’s lighter than a
sweater, but has some kind of design or interest point so that it can be worn
as a stand-alone. The reason I am on the lookout for these shirts is because my
office – like many others – is never the perfect temperature. It’s too hot in
one place, but too cold in another. And I get so sick of layering with
cardigans. Lighter-weight long-sleeved shirts are perfect, but a good one is
hard to find. This is an example of a good one.
bright flowery skirt
Like
long-sleeved work shirts, interesting skirts had evaded me until I found
Modcloth. Skirts in stores were either too bland or too short, and the classic
a-line was nowhere to be found. Modcloth is full to the brim with a-line skirts
that are not only longer lengths, but often have neat designs and pockets (!!!).
This one even happened to be on sale.
bike dress
Much like my
wedding reception dress, acquiring this bike dress required a great deal of
patience. It had been sold out for months, and I’d been on the waiting list for
AGES. I’m a sucker for anything with bike print, and this dress was made out of
that fantastic slippery material that manages not only to hide flaws, but never
wrinkles and is super comfortable. Thrown in a cute bike pattern, and I had to
have it. When the dress never seemed to be coming back to Modcloth, I expanded
my search to the rest of the internet. The only other website I could find that
was selling this dress was in Lithuania. But lo and behold, the bike dress did
finally come back in stock, and I snagged my own. Good things come to those who
wait! And wait.
chevron maxi dress
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This is another
maxi dress by Gilli, and like so many of my favorite Modcloth pieces, I had
been on a waiting list for this dress to come back. I don’t own a lot of brown,
but I love the browns and pinks in this skirt. And I’ve said this before, but
it’s worth repeating: maxi dresses are the most comfortable things EVER. This
one gets bonus points because of all the fun colors.
bird skirt
I’ve worn this
skirt to work a few times, and I get more compliments on this skirt than
anything else I wear. Once again, it’s got a great pattern and pockets (and was
on sale!), so it’s everything I wanted in a skirt. Since the skirt has so many
colors, it’s remarkable easy to find a shirt to match it. That, my friends, is
very important in my skirt world.
coral flats
I don’t know
about you, but I am so happy that coral is trendy. I have always loved this
color, but until recently, you couldn’t find much in this particular shade. Now
it’s everywhere, and I’m so glad. I got these shoes to add to my work shoe
infantry. While I do love wearing heels, there are days when I spend a whole
lot of time on my feet – and that’s where the flats come in.
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