magical milly

I’ve been a long time fan of the designer and creator of the brand Milly, Michelle Smith, but have rarely found her pieces at my standard retail “go-tos.” So, of course, I was beyond excited when I found this vintage Milly dress at a local thrift store. Who would abandon such a gem? And where can I thank them for doing so? I did a bit of research on the Milly line and have grown to appreciate Michelle/Milly that much more! You can read more about her story here and here, among many other places. Cheers to the hunt for treasured finds- which, after all, is at the heart of the Fashion Huntress.

Dress: vintage Milly via Goodwill ($5, retails for approx $400)

Blazer/jacket: Ann Taylor via thrift ($7, retails for approx $150)

Necklace: Ann Taylor Loft ($10 marked down from $60)

Tights: Simply Vera, Vera Wang for Kohl’s ($7 marked down from $14)

Boots: Not Rated via DSW ($50 marked down from $75) (seriously, I wear these ALL the time)

Fashion Huntress tips:

1) I legit basically live in these boots! I will say that they were not the super sale price that I usually hope for, but I end up wearing them so often, I think they were well worth the cost. I personally recommend having an ankle boot as a solid year-round option for comfortable footwear. It can be challenging to find something that specific at a “super low” price, but DSW and Nordstrom Rack are good options for finding boot options on sale, if not on clearance racks. On the other hand, this is actually a good time of year to get a pair of ankle boots, since the majority of them will be on clearance as part of the “left overs” from winter. I saw quite a few pairs at Gap for around $15-$20. 

2) Now that I’ve officially become a thrifting fan, I will say that not all thrift stores are created equal. I’m not sure why, but in my area, Goodwills and Savers tend to be the “gold mines” over Salvation Army thrift stores. I strongly encourage people that thrift (or are thinking of thrifting) to sign up for the email lists for thrift stores in their area- as thrift stores tend to have sales at least a few times a month, which means your finds will be at the lowest possible price. Many stores, including Goodwill and Savers, also have a free “membership card” which means that you can shop during “special member-only” discount days. 

Anyone else have a favorite thrift store? Thanks so much for stopping by, readers! I hope everyone has a great weekend!