Welcome to my new segment called “The Clothing Challenge”, where I challenge my friends to battle it out through our own unique fashion styles! For this first duel, I’m battling my good friends, Tiffany and Maya, in the $20 (or less!) Thrifted Outfit Challenge.
The rules of this challenge are simple!
- Create an outfit that is $20 or less.
- You must get at least two pieces of clothing.
- You’re allowed to wear your own shoes and jewelry.
- Allow for your own style to shine through.
- Have fun!
The three of us decided to begin our challenge at a local consignment store called Plato’s Closet. There are multiple locations here in the Minneapolis area, and I knew we would be able to find some gems in this treasure chest. Tiffany, Maya, and I got into the store, divided, and conquered. After browsing rack after rack, Tiffany and I had managed to buy tops for our outfits while Maya unfortunately couldn’t find anything she was looking for, which meant that there was more shopping to do! We headed to Goodwill, where Tiffany and I were on a quest to find bottoms and Maya needed an entire outfit. Luckily for all of us, we were all able to find what we were seeking. Although this was quite a challenge, I think all three of us did a great job!
Are you ready for the results?
If you’re new to my blog, welcome! My name is Hamy Huynh and I like fashion and writing. You can follow me @imhamyhuynh on Instagram.
How would you describe your personal style?
Hamy: I would say that my style could be described as chic and creative. I love trying out new trends, mixing in old items, and finding new ways to wear clothing. Maybe it’s because my mom’s a tailor and she’s always altering clothing that she buys into better versions of themselves.
How often do you thrift shop?
H: Oh, all the time. Looking at my closet, I could probably say that 80% of my clothes were thrifted. Thrifting is just more affordable and you find way more bang for your buck.
Any advice on how to thrift/what did you learn while thrifting?
H: Things tend to look different on the hanger vs. on your body. You’ll never know if you truly like it until you try it on! My tip is to bring everything you think has potential into the fitting room. Oh, and also read the price tags. Thrifting can be expensive if you don’t pay attention to how much everything in your cart is adding up to be.
Did you complete the challenge?
Yes, I was able to buy two items for a total of $17! I bought a cream, off-the-shoulder top from Plato’s Closet for $7 and an olive, leather skirt from Goodwill for $10. I decided to pair it with my brown strappy heels from Charlotte Russe and some fun earrings that I got recently from A’Gaci. At first, I didn’t know what kind of outfit I wanted to create for this challenge, but when I found the top, I knew that I wanted to center my outfit around it. And then while Tiffany and I were browsing the aisles at Goodwill, we came across the skirt and I knew it was meant to be.
Where’s your ideal place to go while wearing this outfit?
I would definitely wear this outfit to go out with my friends or maybe even on a date to some place nice. It’s a really fashionable, fun, and flirty outfit.
Meet Sumaya Mohamed, aka my good friend and fellow fashion blogger, Maya (@ohsumaya on Instagram)! How great does she look?
Describe your personal style?
Maya: I would definitely describe my personal style as versatile. I can literally fall in love with just about any item or any look– from street wear to casual chic, and all the goodness in between. I have always just been a person who dabbles in a little bit of everything. My style has grown into its own unique, individual way of being.
How often do you thrift shop?
M: I would say about once a month or whenever I get the urge to go out and buy some new clothes online or at the mall, I hit up thrift shops first. 7/10 times, my cravings are satisfied and I usually find hidden gems that are way better than anything I would’ve bought at the mall (and way more affordable!).
Any advice on how to thrift/what did you learn while thrifting?
M: I learned that thrifting takes a lot of patience. You are not always going to find “the perfect item”. It is always incredibly important to keep an open mind each time you go. I would advise against going in with a predetermined mindset of wanting very specific things. Instead, I suggest having a general idea of what you want. For example, it’s okay to go in wanting a new top or a cute pair of bottoms, but it would be difficult if you wanted specific shorts with a particular pattern. Or better yet, go in not knowing what you want! I always find that it truly makes a world of a difference.
Did you complete the challenge?
M: Your girl definitely completed the challenge! I bought two items, which surprising, only cost me $12! My skirt was $5.99 and my shirt was also $5.99. I got a tan blouse made from a semi-satin material. It’s super comfy and flowy, perfect for summer. I paired it with a black miniskirt that is super cute and has a lot of bounce to it! I accessorized with a pair of earring I got from Forever 21 and some sunnies I got from Charlotte Russe. I also borrowed a pair of Hamy’s killer black heeled boots to tie it all together (thanks love!). I chose these items mainly because I thought that they looked cute not only together, but as separate pieces. This whole outfit gives me fall vibes, but its comfort and flexibility is perfect for the warmer weather as well.
Where’s your ideal place to go while wearing this outfit?
M: I can defiantly see myself wearing this outfit to a girls brunch, or even a coffee date! Just switch out the sunnies for a black, wide-brimmed hat, and it’s perfect!
Next up, meet another one of my good friends, Tiffany Nguyen (@tea.fny on Instagram!), an extremely talented photographer and marketing strategist. She’s also one of my biggest fashion inspirations!
Describe your personal style?
Tiffany: My personal style ranges from comfort to “out there”. There are days where I want one, or the other, or both. My style is quite eclectic, but I guess that’s just me as a person too; eclectic (haha). But I do tend to stick to neutral colors; nothing ranges out of the black and white scale too much.
How often do you thrift shop?
T: I actually don’t thrift shop as often as I’d like. Honestly, though, nowadays, everything is at your fingertips with online shopping. I think that after this experience, I’ll try to go more often because it gets me off the internet, first of all, and it saves a lot of money, I’ve realized. Not to mention, you could find some true gems that you may not find in stores and really save a couple hundred on one piece by finding it at an extremely cut price on the racks of a thrift shop.
Any advice on how to thrift/what did you learn while thrifting?
T: Look. Like, REALLY look. It can be extremely overwhelming and time-consuming, but I definitely think that it’s important to have sharp eyes, especially since thrift shops don’t carry two of the same items and you could’ve missed a really great piece because you got lazy, (hahahahaha). Also, TRY IT ON. Do not walk out of there without trying it on. Yeah, you may visualize it and think that it will look great with that one top you have at home, but trust me, just try it. And another important piece of advice, since the clothing items are used, make sure to also keep an eye out for any damages. Some are worth buying and fixing, some are not— it’s your call!
Did you complete the challenge?
T: I kiiiiiiiiiiiiinda did, kinda didn’t (hehe). I originally bought two items, a top and bottoms, but unfortunately the bottoms didn’t fit as well as I thought it would. My total came to $7 with just the top, $13 with both items. I like to call it, “The Modern Arthur”. It’s a mustard-yellow bandeau-like off-shoulder top (all those hyphens omg) and blue jeans with a belt, as well as a statement choker necklace that I borrowed from Hamy and long earrings.
I honestly chose the top because it reminded me of three things:
1, Rihanna’s top in “Wild Thoughts”
2. Beyonce’s “Hold Up” dress
3. Arthur
Where’s your ideal place to go while wearing this outfit?
T: I think a music festival would be the perfect place to go in this outfit. It’s bright and comfortable and also very breathable, especially in the heat of the sun. It’s simple yet bold enough to where you stand out, but also not really (hahaha).
That’s all for this week’s post! If you’ve made it to the end, thanks for reading! The three of us had a lot of fun collaborating on this blog post and completing the $20 thrifting challenge together. Make sure you give both Maya and Tiffany some love on their Instagrams and check out Maya’s blog, Maya’s Column!
Leave a comment below telling me what you thought of our thrifted outfits!
The Clothing Statement 
That is awesome,I am a total “thrifter” myself. Every summer I make a stop to goodwill to find some old jeans to make my own jean shorts. I like your page!! Stop by mine 🙂
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Thanks for reading this post and checking out my page! I’ll for sure stop by yours as well. 😁
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