Here’s the TEA
Fashion was engraved in me before I could walk .. before I could talk, growing up in Harlem and Brooklyn I got the best of both worlds fashion wise. Being that I moved frequently I dipped and dabbed in many different school systems. And then came charter school uniforms.. It became a routine for me to come up with different ways to express myself from ties, style of shoe , bottoms and tights.
Once I hit high school and college the stage where your parents think you GROWN, GROWN. I realized my style was way too expensive for my dehydrated pockets so I began creating my own fashion rules, and looks on a budget.
First off raid your parents’ closets
I know what y’all thinking “my parents closet? nah you buggin.” But let’s give credit where it’s due most of our parents were killing it back ‘n the day. And most of our parents are hoarders who refuse to give up any old clothing they purchased.. Which is why you need to raid their closets!
I’ve found so many gems in my dad’s bags full of stuff from the 90’s sweatshirts, jumpers etc. As for my mom I’ve found vintage handbags, jewelry, hair clips , scarfs, you name it. So y’all still think i’m buggin? (older siblings are not excluded from this raid)
I’m gonna take my tote to every thrift store.. I’m gonna THRIFT ‘TIL I CAN’T NO MORE
I started thrifting in high school mostly because during that time minimum wage was eight dollars and I was tired of asking my parents for money. I would go in with about forty dollars and come out with ten different items, I still thrift to this day. Thrift stores are everywhere, some can be a bit pricey but if you have enough patience, time and persistence you’ll find things for the low low.
My go to thrift shops are all the L’Train vintage outlets, Buffalo exchange, Unique Boutique and Beacon’s closet. If none of these work for you , you can always google nearest thrift stores and I’m sure more than 5 will pop up.
Would you rather sell clothes you don’t wear anymore while shopping for new ones?
If this is you then Depop and Poshmark would be best for you. On both of these sites you can create a profile selling things you no longer wear , while searching for a whole new wardrobe. You can also filter your searches based on price range, shoe size, dress size and so on.
I personally haven’t purchased anything off a Poshmark yet but my mother and brother both sell and purchase things from there so YES it’s LEGIT. I live on Depop because I find more of what I like on there like a variety of mom jeans, 2000 era clothing, shoes and accessories for reasonable prices.
Did you read this and think “sis just @ me next time” use the hashtag ballinonabudgetwlucky under your insta pictures. I’m definitely interested in what everyone puts together and where they gather most of their pieces from!
Until next time – Lucky aka a baddie on a budget.
