The kind of outfit I usually wear to go thrift store shopping

...or anywhere in which trying on a fair amount of clothing is highly likely to occur.

Outfit details

All hair flowers: Arden

Vintage Aurora Borealis glass bead necklace: from etsy seller Little Women Vintage

Sky blue sweater: Cleo (this sweater is a bit big in the torso for me, so I usually fold it in the back and hold
its revised shape in place with a belt)

Royal blue faux leather belt: unknown

Light blue 1950s gloves: etsy or eBay

Vintage black velour pencil skirt: etsy seller Lady Kitschener's Vintage Emporium

Nude seemed stockings: eBay

Black pumps: Payless

Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano

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Spring was fairly late in arriving to our little neck of the British Columbia woods this year, but once it did finally grace us with its presence, countless blossoms and blooms began springing up around the neighbourhood. From luscious lilacs to charming tulips, pussy willow to whatever (I'm by no means an arboriculture expert) the gorgeous fuchsia hued blossoms were that grew on this tree that's located on the perimetre of our condo's front yard (does anyone know what type of tree this is?).

Knowing how short lived most start-of-the-season flowers are, I wanted to ensure we snapped some pics out in front of this tree before it's vibrant dark pink blossoms disappeared (this being the first year we've been at this house, we didn't know that tree was going to blossom and were thrilled when it did), so we did just that recently before I headed out on a day of second hand clothing shopping with my sweet mom.

While I utterly adore such days, they are quite tricky for me because I really need my health to be in a certain spot before I can even entertain the idea of doing something (which is for me) so physically demanding. Every now and then the universe cut me a break though and I do happen to have a day (or at least part of one) where I'm able to go out and spend a few hours trying on clothes at my town's various second hand and consignment shops.

Whether I'm going to such stores or am shopping for garments elsewhere (such as the mall or a big box retailer), I've learned over the years that you'll save a fair amount of time and continue to look fairly un-rumpled throughout the day if you stick with relatively simple garments that are easy to get on and off - and which don't stand to do too much damage to your hair (as you whip them over your head time and time again).

More often than not my thrift shopping day outfits consist of a simple neutral hued a-line or pencil skirt (worn with or without hosiery, depending on the season - in these shots I had nude seemed stockings on), a comfortable thin to medium weight sweater or cardigan, a camisole or full slip, and a sensible pair of shoes.

I generally forgo my usual bangle bracelets in favour of closer fitting stretch or clasp ones and/or vintage gloves (as I don't want to risk losing a bracelet in the process of trying clothes on), and keep the rest of my accessories fairly streamlined and close fitting, too (think stud earrings, princess length necklaces, and only those brooches in my collection with the sturdiest of fasteners).

When it comes to my hair I like to keep things somewhat low key, too, as a fancy or fussy updo can all too quickly get mangled as you're taking clothing on and off over your head. Sometimes I'll wear my hair curled and piled on my head in such a way as to channel Betty Grable, other times I'll use a headscarf paired with faux Bettie bangs, and quite often I'll stick with loose waves (care of my hot rollers) and a roll or two. Hair flowers on clips are pretty resilient usually, so one or more (or four in this case!) can be a terrific way to inject a bit more interest into an otherwise fairly plain vintage inspired look.

If you're not in the mood for a skirt and sweater however, another look I've sometimes donned for days like this is a basic vintage (or vintage appropriate) shirtwaist dress (again with a cami or full slip underneath so that you have that there ready and waiting for the you as you try on clothing). The buttons here can slow you down a bit though, but over all it's still a pretty quick garment to hop in and out of. High waisted trousers or jeans, too, assuming they're quick to slip on and off, can also be a good option for a day or fast paced thrift store shopping.

While we didn't unearth any actual vintage items (not rare at all, last time's awesome discovery of two 1950s hats is a rarity these days around these parts), I did pick up a few lovely vintage appropriate cardis, sweaters and tops, plus a stellar pair of shoes in a classic 1940s style that I've been hoping to find for ages now.

As such  the day was definitely not a bust at all. My health held up while we were shopping, and most importantly, I got to get out for a while and spend a terrific afternoon with my mom, which is always the very best element of our days spent thrifting together.