Identifying the theme behind a particular trend can make it much easier to find fashionable items at the thrift store. The trendiest maxi dresses seem to have either a 1990s or a 1970s vibe. Of the seventies dresses, there is a strong peasant style influence, so when thrifting I’ve been keeping an eye out for laces and embroidery.
What I’ve really been looking for is a genuine vintage dress, but what I found is a contemporary dress that’s still for sale as of this writing. The fun thing about that I found posts about this on at least seven other blogs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). As you can tell this dress is insanely photogenic and flattering on pretty much anyone (or at least any skinny white chick with a blog, apparently).
So if this is such an awesome dress, why would someone give it away? Simple: it had a broken zipper. I noticed this when I bought it (always check for broken zippers and missing snaps and buttons). But I also noticed that there was enough zipper hidden beyond the seam that I could snip the end off and re-attach the pull. A few minutes of work and a few stitches at the dress was like new again!
Chicwish Wondrous Floral Embroidered Maxi Dress
Found at Goodwill for $8
DIY Tassel Earrings
Compare to new at $84, $68 or $168
Designer Inspiration: Valentino and Zuhair Murad
