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My Outfit Monday: That time my look cost $10

 
My Dress for Success outfit betwixt a romantic satellite dish and bushes.
My Dress for Success outfit betwixt a romantic satellite dish and bushes.
Published Oct. 6, 2014

Let me tell you about my experience at the Dress for Success Tampa Bay excess inventory sale. Yes, that's the sale that benefits a nonprofit that gives suits to disadvantaged women, a sale we may have mentioned once, twice or a million times over recent years.

This year's event was my first. I had high expectations.

I waded through piles of pants and racks and racks of gently worn (and $5) blouses, skirts and dresses, thankfully with a thrifty BFF-expert by my side. To be honest, I usually feel overwhelmed and impatient in environments like this -- to find a gem means you really have to give it your all, and I often do not have my all to give. So, predictably, I was not finding much beyond a relaxed Express button-down.

Then my friend picked out a vintage-y green pencil skirt with a subtle polka dot pattern and paired it with a romantic, rosy peasant blouse. I tried it on. Et voilà: A one-of-a-kind, sweet outfit was born.

For $10.

I'll admit I was a little bummed that I did not clean up like Deal Diva Stephanie, who volunteers at Dress for Success and has scored awesome Nine West boots and designer skirts and dresses from the excess inventory sale in years past. But I walked away with a really cheap boost to my closet, making the trip to Tampa and the careful sifting worth it.

For work, I added another punch of sweet with my rarely worn Ann Marino bow heels. I layered a short, single-pearl necklace with another long necklace that has a magnifying glass on the end (Modcloth, I think).

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