Unexpected Combination

dress from Langford Market, sweater from New York & Company,
Forever 21 earrings and boots, tights from ???

I surprise myself sometimes. I used to think I didn't like brown and pink together, but somehow I ended up wearing this yesterday. I've been getting in the habit of setting aside clothes I haven't worn in awhile as a reminder to wear them. It helps me decide what I should actually keep in my closet. If I can't find a way to wear it in a week, there's no reason to keep it. I hadn't worn this sweater or dress in months, so I hung them on my closet door with the intention to wear them this week. I added brown tights and boots, and voila, I had an outfit. I got quite a few compliments on this ensemble, which did good things for my ego. I have a few other things hanging on my closet door, so hopefully you'll be seeing them this week. If not, out they go!

Long Weekend

Tucker for Target dress, necklace from Target, belt from Wish (closed),
Forever 21 boots, brown tights from ???

What a weekend! I worked 22 hours over the last three days. It might not sound like much, but it sure feels like it because I worked all last week and I'll also be working today and tomorrow. Thankfully, I have a day off on Wednesday! Of course, I'm not complaining because I definitely need the money, but lately I've realized how hard it is to keep up with blogging. Working retail, especially on the weekends, means I'm usually not home before the sun goes down. So, I'm going to start making an effort to take pictures before I go to work. It's hard to wake up earlier than I need to, but I'm willing to do it for my blog. I've been wearing cute outfits all weekend, but I didn't get a chance to take any pictures. Such a shame!

More Basic Black

Gap shirt, Halston Heritage skirt from Julian Gold,
necklace from Target, Montego Bay wedges from Payless

Oh boy, do I love this skirt! It's so flowy and soft and it makes me feel like a million bucks. It's definitely one of the best purchases I've made in a long time. At the same time, it's one of the LAST purchases I'll make for awhile. I can't ignore the fact that I'm broke and all. But, I couldn't deny that I needed this skirt. Let me explain...

Since I started my new job at Alfred Angelo, I've realized that I lack professional clothing. When I worked at Cream Vintage, I could wear whatever I wanted, which was awesome but not realistic. My wardrobe is filled with fun, casual clothing that wouldn't be appropriate to sell wedding dresses in. I needed basics that can be remixed with the clothes already in my closet and this skirt definitely fits the bill.

What do you think about my new favorite skirt?

Wishful Thinking

Gap sweater and jeans, thrifted vintage blouse from Goodwill, Zara wedges

Let's pretend for a moment that I'm not a recent graduate, broke, and in debt because I want to talk about all the awesome shopping that's happening here in Austin this weekend. Two of my favorite shopping events are going on this Saturday and Sunday—Le Garage Sale and the City-Wide Garage Sale. It's too bad (but good for my wallet) that I'm working all weekend or else I'd be at both sales on both days. If you'll be in town and don't have any plans for the weekend, please go to these sales so I can live vicariously through you. Now, allow me to tell you a little bit about them.

If you're a fan of shopping at local, independent Austin businesses, Le Garage sale is for you. Tons of local boutiques and stores (including Dog and Pony, Kendra Scott, Langford Market, Goodie Two Shoes, Strut, and so many more) get together in the Austin Convention Center to sell their awesome items at lower-than-normal prices. It's a great way to be introduced to all the great local businesses Austin has in one single place.

If you're a fan of buying antiques, vintage clothing and accessories, and unique knickknacks, the City-Wide Garage Sale is for you. Local vendors set up booths in the Palmer Events Center to sell their vintage collectibles for much lower prices than what you'd pay in a brick and mortar vintage store. The last time I went, I got some amazing vintage jewelry for very cheap and my best friend, Jackie, bought two beautiful vintage dresses for $8. Tip: If you print out a copy of the Vintage Around Town Guide, you can get in for free!

Did I distract you long enough to make you forget I wore almost this exact same outfit not too long ago?

Little Black Dress

Gap dress, Zara flats, Forever 21 necklace, vintage bracelets

When Matt saw my hair up like this, he asked me if I had any little fake birds to put in it. Normally, Matt doesn't have the best ideas when it comes to fashion and hair, but I realized it wasn't a half-bad idea. It might be kind of cute to pretend like my ballerina bun is a nest and put a little bird, a couple of tiny eggs, and a few twigs in it. I probably wouldn't wear it out because I'd get the "are you crazy?" stares, but it might be fun for a photo shoot or something.

This dress is the first purchase I've made using my employee discount.since I've been back at Gap. I held off for two weeks, but as soon as I saw this dress the morning we got it in the store, I knew I had to try it on. I really hoped it wouldn't look good, but of course, it fit wonderfully. It's the perfect go-to little black dress that can be dressed up or down. I love it so much that I wore it two days in a row after I bought it. And I'll probably wear it again this week!

Personal Style

thrifted vintage skirt and Nine West wedges from the Goodwill Blue Hanger outlet,
Gap shirt, thrifted belt from Goodwill, Forever 21 necklace  

This outfit is the perfect representation of my style. It's feminine, yet casual and includes something from all the different places I like to shop. I often wear a combination of thrifted and/or vintage pieces and items from my retail guilty pleasures like Gap or Forever 21. I like when I wear outfits that perfectly represent me, especially when it's not planned. It's a really good way for me to understand and define my own style. Having a blog definitely helps, but it's always interesting to look back at the outfits I wore two month ago and already forgot about.

By the way, this will be the last post with me wearing my glasses. After a whole week, I'm finally able to wear my contacts again. I was getting tired of having to push my glasses up my nose whenever I bent down and not having any peripheral vision.

Now, on to the more exciting news...I was featured in The Daily Texan last week! I helped my good friend, Jessica, out with her article, Locals give winter wardrobe advice, by giving her my tips for dressing for the bipolar Texas winters. She also asked me to be the model for the article, to which I gladly obliged. The online article looks great, but the printed version was even better because they had a full-body shot of my outfit. I have 10 copies, so I'm tempted to cut myself out like a paper doll or make a bookmark for my boyfriend. Stay tuned for a DIY...

I have to thank Jessica again for such a fabulous article. She recently started her own blog, Sparkle & Stripes, and I highly suggest that you check it out. She's got a really great sense of style and the cutest eyeglasses ever.

My Gap Getup & Glasses Glare

Jeans, shirt, and cardigan from Gap, wedges from Walmart, vintage necklace
from the Austin City-Wide Garage Sale

It was weird not going back to school when everyone else did this week. Instead, I've been working all week and trying to stay on top of all my online duties. In addition to working at Gap and Alfred Angelo and running my blog and Etsy store, I've also been writing for Broke & Chic. Of course, I've been writing about shopping secondhand, which is one of my favorite subjects. Admittedly, today's outfit is not a good representation of how much I love to thrift, but what can you expect from someone who has a discount at Gap?

My latest article for Broke & Chic is about the differences between thrift stores and consignment stores. Sometimes, it can be difficult to understand all the options for buying secondhand clothing and shoes, so I wanted to help those folks who are still feeling confused. Check it out over at Broke and Chic and be sure to like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to say up to date on the latest posts about looking great for less.

Attempting to be an Entrepreneur

Old Navy pants, thrifted boots and sweater from Goodwill, gifted scarf from
my boyfriend's grandmother, Calvin Klein pea coat from Burlington Coat Factory

If you don't already know, I've recently started an Etsy store selling vintage clothing. I started it less than a month ago and I've already sold two items! I literally jumped for joy when I got the email telling me that I'd sold my first item. The novelty of selling something all by myself still hadn't worn off yet when I sold my second item yesterday. I like to check my email while I'm still in bed in the mornings (as a way to avoid actually getting up) and when I found out I sold another item, I jumped out of bed and fist-pumped the air. No joke. Thanks, Etsy, for getting me out of bed.

I started the store without knowing if anything would actually sell. I just wanted a way to get rid of the stuff I have piling up in my closet...and in the dining room. I'm not doing it so much for profit (although it's been nice), but more of way to give these great vintage pieces I have a home. It's a good feeling knowing that someone is getting use out of out of the awesome stuff I don't have room for anymore.

Be sure to visit my Etsy store at the same name as my blog, The Closet de Natalie!

Four Eyes

vintage skirt from Little Tin Soldier via Smashion, vintage blouse from an estate sale,
thrifted belt from Goodwill, thrifted Nine West wedges from the Goodwill Blue Hanger

I never wear my glasses out. In fact, I pretty much only wear them at night when I take off my contacts. As you've probably noticed, I'm wearing my glasses for the first time ever on this blog. Maybe it's because I've been wearing contacts for so long (give or take, 12 years), but my eyes feel almost naked without them. When I wear my glasses, I feel as though I don't have any peripheral vision and that all my other senses are out of whack. I also feel a little self-conscious wearing them.

Now, let me explain why I'm wearing my glasses in public because it's definitely not by choice. Basically, my allergies were so horrible last week that even my eyes were affected. They were itchy, red and watery and I made the mistake of rubbing them constantly. Somehow, I ended up infecting them and contracting pink eye. Ewww, I know. I went to the doctor before the weekend and they gave me some eye drops and instructions to not wear my contacts for at least a week. It's been four days and although I've been feeling a little limited by this slight handicap, it's starting to feel more natural. You'll see me wearing my glasses for the next few days, so get used to it. I sure am!

I Have a Job!

Gap corduroy pants, Gap leather jacket from Buffalo Exchange, thrifted striped shirt,
thrifted Nine West wedges, estate sale necklace gifted by my step-mom 

I'm a working woman again! I got my old job at Gap back and although it's not what I thought I'd be doing after graduating college, at least I'm making money. This outfit was what I wore for my first day back on the sales floor. I wanted to wear something from Gap for good luck and these pants were perfect to pull on when I was called in with less than 30 minutes to get ready and be at the store. Even though it's been about a year and half since I'd worked there, it's all coming back pretty quickly. It's a fun job because (duh) I love Gap and the store is in a great location right next to Central Market. I forgot how much I loved walking around there during my breaks. Free samples of fancy cheese and crusty bread? Yes, please!

I'm only working at Gap part-time, so I'm still looking for something else to fill my time and make enough money to pay my half of the rent and bills. I have another interview tomorrow, so wish me luck!