Thrifty Threads

Welcome to another installment of Thrifty Threads, AKA Most Stylish Compact-y Outfit, where readers model their favorite secondhand clothes.

A Compact-y outfit is anything used or recycled, from the Goodwill, a thrift store, or a consignment shop.

Today's model is Stephanie, who says she buys about 90 percent of her clothing used. She found this fantastic dress at the House of Dang for $18. It's a late 70s vintage piece, and what you can't see in the photo is the drawstring waist. It looks super comfortable as well as being stylish, which sounds like a perfect combination to me. Stephanie says it's what she imagines Ali McGraw would have been padding around her Upper East Side Manhattan apartment in, once she was married to a lawyer in Love Story. The House of Dang is a boutique in Dallas, but they also do a lot of their sales online, so check it out.

Stephanie and I worked together as film editors back in the early 2000s, before she left the film industry to become a musician. She currently makes her home in Dallas, and you can listen to her sing and play guitar on her My Space page. I won't try to describe her lovely voice, but she lists some of her influences as Kristin Hersh, PJ Harvey, and Veruca Salt. Stephanie also works with the lions and tigers and is the Media Director at In-Sync Exotics, a rescue and education center for big cats. In her spare time she does yoga and enjoys wine, food, and art with friends and family. She says she learned a lot about being a locavore when she lived in Portland for a few years, and she tries to keep those ideals in her current lifestyle.

Thanks Stephanie for sharing those photos! Now we're all imagining lounging around a giant apartment barefoot, drinking wine and listening to Nina Simone or Ella Fitzgerald. I know I am. I'm definitely going to the thrift store to look for a "maxi" dress. I remember my mom and her best friend wearing them back in the 1970s when they were all the rage. Comfortable elegance, it's a great look. And Stephanie, you wear it well. Readers, it's your turn. Put on some of your favorite thrift store scores and send me a photo. You can find my email address on my profile page. We all want to see your fabulous finds, so don't be shy. It's so inspiring to see how stylish you can be wearing secondhand clothes.

Please share your thoughts, tips, and ideas in the Comments section. And click here to check out past installments of Thrifty Threads.