Thrifty Thursdays: My 100% Thrifted Look For Under $20!

Welcome back, and raise the roof for another Thrifty Thursday!



For new-comers to the House of Ndubuisi, check out my last two thrift store reviews for Thrifty Thursdays and get all caught up!

For my steady visitors, I love you for reading :)

This week, instead of reviewing a store, I will be showcasing a fully thrifted look! I want to show that it's possible to get a complete look from every & any thrift store and look very fashionable and chic.

Best of all, this look was under $20, plus the shoes!

My look was inspired by  Back To School: The Shirt Dress.

I figured that if I were to showcase a look, it should be a look that I've posted about on this blog. I would never recommend anything I wouldn't personally wear and I want y'all to trust me on that!

 

With that settled, let's talk details...

Thrifty Thursdays: Review of Monk Vintage, NYC.

 Upon entering Monk Vintage Thrift Shop in Greenwich Village, I was taken aback by the homeyness of the store. Imagine walking into your great-grandmother's attic. It's a beautiful smorgasbord of vintage clothing, antique knick-knacks paired with cool modern pieces that have been carefully curated to match the theme of the store.

The retail workers I met in the store, apologized for the seemingly disheveled nature of the store, but just as I told them, organized chaos is the natural state of a thrift store. I loved it.

In my reviews, I'm reviewing these stores based on 5 categories with two stars for each; Staff/Atmosphere, Variety, Uniqueness, Prices and Quality.

Staff/Atmosphere: 🌟 🌟

The staff was lovely, and I really wish I got their names so I could give them a quick shoutout, but maybe next time. Upon entering the store, I told them my intentions for coming and they were very open and nice. This is New York City and people, especially in certain establishments can be a bit pretentious and hostile so I was glad that the staff responded well. Regarding the atmosphere, it's your ideal thrift store, packed to the brim with everything from clothing to teapots and lamps.

Variety: 🌟🌟

This store has everything, except electronics. Honestly, their inventory is impressive and I believe that anyone can go in there and at least find one thing that they like. They have an extensive inventory of  men's clothing, women's clothing, jewelry, shoes, bags, fashion accessories and they also carry various antique knick-knacks such as lamps, lanterns, instruments, camera lenses etc.

Check out the gallery below for a little sneak peak of what's in store...



 

Uniqueness: 🌟🌟

Monk has an array of various clothing from various eras, ranging from the 1920's to modern day basics and retro pieces. I spotted various vintage brands alongside modern pieces from known retailers such as H&M, Topshop, Splendid  & Jeffrey Campbell. They also carry some high fashion designers such as Salvatore Ferrogamo, Betsey Johnson and they have an array of leather, suede and furs (real & faux). Going through every aisle, there was never a dull moment,and  turn by turn, I found myself "ooh-ing" & "aah-ing" and wishing the whole dang store was my closet!

Quality: 🌟🌟

I would give them 3 stars for this if I could. I loved, loved, loved that every single item I came across was in good/excellent condition. Quality control can be very hard for thrift stores and I really appreciated the fact that the pieces in Monk are carefully selected so the customer doesn't have to worry about hidden holes, rips and tears in their new gear.

Prices: 1/2🌟

I hate that I have to give them only a half star for this category, but I found, personally that the prices were a bit high. It's important to take into account that this store is in a very expensive part of manhattan, and therefore prices may be a bit inflated to make the rent and expenses. However, in my honest opinion, certain pieces could have been much cheaper. For example, I came across a Levi's Oversized Denim Jacket for about $80, which is still a steal but for a second-hand store is too expensive. So, beware of the prices, but you can still snag a lovely deal on many of the other items that are moderately priced.

Finally, Monk Vintage has a few special sales and discounts going on and they are as follows:

1. If you're a NYU student, you get 15% off with your student ID.


2. 50% off of skirts sale...I'm not sure when it'll end so get it while it's hot!


3. If you donate items, you receive 25% on your next purchase!

Overall, Monk Vintage is BLAZIN' with 8&1/2 stars!

I'd recommend this store to an experienced thrifter with a few extra bucks that doesn't mind taking some time to find unique treasures. I wouldn't recommend this store to someone new to thrifting because the sheer volume of inventory may be exhausting to those less experienced. Monk Vintage is a store every thrifter, new or old should experience at least once because it'll be truly memorable.

That concludes this weeks "Thrifty Thursdays" review.

Check out Monk Vintage in The Greenwich Village, at  175 MacDougal St
New York, NY 10011.

Don't forget to subscribe!

You don't want to miss next week's post.

 

Love & Light,

Rachel.

 

 

 

Introducing: Thrifty Thursdays!

I'm officially starting "Thrifty Thursdays",  and in this segment I will be talking all things thrift!

I get tons of questions in person and on Tumblr about thrifting and it's always so hard for me to answer for a few reasons.

1. Thrift stores aren't "one size fits all". They are so many different kinds and it's hard to throw out recommendations all willy-nilly without understanding what the potential customer is looking for.


2. Thrift stores aren't for everyone. Some people simply won't like it.


3. Shopping experiences are different for each and every person and I'd absolutely hate to recommend a store that someone would be unhappy or uncomfortable in.

With these factors in mind, it's hard for me to answer the "OMG where are the good thrift stores in NYC?" questions because, as y'all can see, there a few factors there that are out of my control.

That's why I started this segment. Every Thursday, I will post a review of a thrift store in New York City, give them a rating of 1-10 stars based on the quality, prices, variety, uniqueness & staff/atmosphere of the store and I will also discuss the kind of person I believe would most likely enjoy this kind of thrift store. To close off the review, I'll disclose whatever promotions and discounts that the store offers...there could be some special discounts for my dedicated readers and subscribers, so keep your eyes peeled ;)

I will also be posting tips, tricks & articles on the art of thrifting. I'll be discussing topics pertaining to vintage shopping, consignments, online thrifting and most of all, the history, culture and benefits of thrifting.

I hope with this segment that I can help everyone find their inner thrifty granny :)

Are y'all ready to get thrifty? I know, I am!

I'd advise you to subscribe if you haven't already.

You don't wanna miss this!

Love & Light,

Rachel.

"Sweet lovers love the spring-"

Hello beautiful people,

I am officially on Spring Break, and I couldn't be more relieved to take a slight breather from the ever-compounding stress of college.

"In springtime, the only pretty ring time
Birds sing, hey ding
A-ding, a-ding
Sweet lovers love the spring--"

Springtime is the perfect time to get funky with pastels, show some color and inspire those flowers to bloom, and show those pretty colors.

 

 



 

Some details on this look...

Corduroy Dress: Faded Glory. 

Silk Pullover: No brand, unfortunately.

Shoes: Dr. Martens.

 

I found the Faded Glory Corduroy Shift Dress, while thrifting and it's one of those pieces that based upon the brand, I wouldn't be too interested in but the look was too good to pass up. Guys, Faded Glory is a Walmart brand!

This is the thing I really love about thrifting, it makes me look at clothes and buy what I genuinely like without feeling influenced by brands and popularity. Fashion isn't all about wearing luxurious and trendy designers for me, it's all about what I like and sometimes, what I like is carried at Walmart, haha.

Pairing the corduroy dress and the silk pullover, worked perfectly because corduroy can be a bit bulky so the silk gives the luxury feel to balance out the texture and appearance of the outfit. Also, the "feminine" pastels colors, even my lipstick, are perfect for spring.

Looking back on this outfit, the color scheme it's very "Princess Bubblegum" from Adventure Time. How cute!



Till next time,  

Happy Spring!

I will be starting a podcast in the upcoming weeks.

More details coming soon!

Love and Light,

Rachel.

 

(Back To School) Outfit of The Day ft. Mom Jeans

It's back to school for the spring semester, despite the fact that it's actually still winter.

It's gonna blizzard, for Christ's sake.

Accurate seasonal terminology aside, it's back in for the spring.

It's goes without saying that I'm fairly excited and equally distressed.

My body even thought it would be amazing to fall victim to the flu just one day before the semester began.

However, your girl is a fighter and bustling with positive energy and it'll take much more than the flu and an impeding blizzard to keep me down.

Upon the re-entering, I took some time to reflect on my college journey and y'know college has always been a tricky road for me to tread.

Often times, I don’t feel like I fit in with those with my major and other times, I feel so at home. I've had these feelings since high school and this anxiety & nervousness just continues with college.

However, it's another semester, winter is passing & I'm entering this semester with positivity, big brains and flawless outfits.

Welcome back everyone, it's spring…sorta!

 

I'm ringing in the semester with my trusty pair of mom jeans. I found these jeans about a year ago while thrifting , and it's one of my favorite finds to date.

In the early 2000's, mom  jeans got a bad rap because they didn't cater to the particular "slimming" silhouette that was and still is quite popular.

However, I do feel the tides shifting and the hip-hugging mom jeans are in…for me, at least!

I really enjoy mom jeans primarily because of the fit and comfort. It's hip hugging and that's an asset of mine that I like to play up and they tend to be looser around the thighs and calves, which is a great contrast from the ultra-skinny jeans I usually wear.

My favorite way to wear mom jeans is with a figure hugging crop top and some kicks or boots, with the feet of the jeans cuffed to a skimming length.

Mom jeans for me are all about fit and comfort. It's nice to feel extremely comfy in a pair of jeans while also looking fabulous.

For anyone wondering where to score a pair of these jeans, I'd recommend checking out your local thrift store, and retail stores like American Apparel and Urban Outfitters.

Jacket: American Vintage ( Vintage piece from mom)

Jeans: DKNY (Thrifted)

Top: BCBG (Thrifted)

Demin Button-Up: H&M

Shoes: Aldo

Bag: Thrifted

Jewelry: Brass Choker (Fabulous Etsy Find!~)

Love & Light,

Rachel.

For the Love of Thrifting.

I remember last year or so, when "Thrift Store' by Macklemore came out. A lot of my friends were like "omg let's go thrifting…omg thrifting is so cool…omg thrifting!!"

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"] Don't worry, I hate this song as much as you (probably) do.[/caption]

 

I've been thrifting for years, out of necessity. I was never a kid that could go into a regular retail store and pick out anything they want and get it. It just was not available to me.

However, at a thrift store, that was my place where I could let my imagination run wild and where I could create my look without necessarily worrying about a price tag. Even though, I found much of my style from perusing these stores, I always felt this sort of embarrassment for being there, because essentially, that wasn't the ideal situation I'd want for myself. Once upon a time, I used to avoid the windows at the thrift store in my neighborhood just in case someone I knew would walk by and see me in there.

So, with the sudden popularity of thrift shopping, I felt elated but also a bit slighted in a sense, because for once, I was not embarrassed to say that I got a piece of clothing  I wore from a thrift store but on the other hand, it's hard to look at something that shaped a big part of who I am and how I represent myself become so commercialized.

It reminds me of when I got made fun of in middle school for not dressing trendy enough, and not fitting the look that was popping in the Bronx back then. It reminds me of when, in my freshman year of college, people asked why I wore weird patterns and "weird" clothing because " it looks cute on you, but why do you do dress so different?"

So, to see thrifting become so popular, primarily because of a song and a fad, just made me feel….weird, to say the least. It's always difficult to watch the erasure of history, especially from things like this. Things that have been a necessity for economically disadvantaged people and communities. It's hard to erase my personal history with this, and just go along with this major upswing in thrift shopping. It's taken me years to become truly comfortable saying that I do shop at thrift stores and have to truly come to love every aspect of it.

Thrift stores are my playgrounds. I found myself in the aisles of kitschy patterns, outdated designs and "old lady" clothes. On that note, I'd like to dedicate these post to the people that thrift, out of necessity but have found the charm and sense of self in it all.

Wool & Cashmere Coat| $5.00

Knitted Pullover Sweater| $1.00

Plaid Pleated Skirt| $1.00

Brass and Pearl Choker| $10.00 {etsy find!}

Love and Light,

Rachel.