Frugal Holiday Finery

Bloglines subscribers: you will want to pop over and view the picture. There's something new and different about it. He hee.

Thinking it's somewhat of an insult to the readers who have been here since the beginning, sometimes I'm afraid to post an idea I've previously blogged. A foolish notion, most visitors come via Google. Thanks to this post at Copyblogger, I'm encouraged to repeat the things which bear repeating.

Like these three ways to dress up for Christmas for almost nothing:

• Borrow: Last year I wore a long silver skirt with this top, one I picked up for $1 (new with the tags still on) at a thrift store. It has since gone to several upscale events with other ladies. Surely your friends would rather lend you their little-used formal and cocktail clothing than to have it collecting dust.
  
  
• Thrift: If I must buy a dress, for any occasion, I never pay "real money" for it. Just today, I saw literally dozens of really great dresses, each only $1 American, at my favorite thrift store. Obviously, not every area offers those kind of deals; just consider ebay your online thrift store.
  
  
• Separates: Many special occasion separates are downright frumpy! Some classics that I have mixed and matched with success include: metallic t-shirts such as the one pictured, or ones with sequins; velvet jeans, skirts, or blazers; fuller skirts, such as the red silk pictured or the silver one mentioned earlier; a black straight or pencil skirt, or wide-legged pants; silk or sateen blouses and blazers. A black tee-shirt and black skirt, under dimly lit conditions, easily fills in for a black dress.
  

One final thought: Set against an all-black outfit, even your pre-schoolers dress-up jewelry can look very festive. Why not try it?

(More on this topic at Frugal Mom Has a Social Life.)