OUR PROM WINNERS!

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Kari      1 Comment

We Have Our Winners!

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in our Best Dressed at the Prom contest this year! Every year we get more applicants as you all spread the word, making our decisions even tougher. We appreciate each and every one of you who sent in your photos and stories, and are excited to see such a big trend toward recycled prom attire.

Our awesome prizes are a big draw for all you thrift savvy prom-goers. It was some steep competition, but after much deliberation, here are our winners for Thrift Town’s 2013 Best Dressed at the Prom contest!

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1st Prize: NEW iPad 2 & $100 Thrift Town Gift Card!
2nd Prize: NEW Kindle Fire & $100 Thrift Town Gift Card!
3rd Prize: $100 Thrift Town gift card and a Go Pro Hero camera.

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FIRST PLACE: Abby T.
1st Prize: $100 thrift town gift card and an iPad 2.

Our first place winner won us over with her beautiful secondhand-dress and her submission decorated and written out in lovely prose. She also has the distinction of being our first winner to also be Prom royalty, as she claimed the title of Prom Queen in her Thrift Town prom dress. We’re a big fan of Abby - thanks for entering our contest!

“Twas a week before prom when all through Thrift Town, I searched to find the most beautiful gown. The dresses hung elegantly with the shoes nearby. In hopes that a bargain would soon catch my eye.

A pair of gold slippers twinkled ahead. While visions of prom now danced in my head. I snatched up those shoes for $13.99, and no stress, task number two was to secure a dress!

I could have bought new, but it didn’t seem right. To pay $300 for only one night. Department stores charge so much it’s a crime, for a fancy frock worn only one time.

My cousin is wise, and a thrift shopper too, so I sought her advice about what to do. To my luck her prom was just two years before, and she purchased her dress from a Thrift Town store.

The dress was covered in sequins and teal, the perfect dress for an incredible deal. My cousin paid seven dollars, a price far from large. And kindly loaned it to me, free of charge!

She lent me a bracelet to complete the look, and two golden earrings she insisted I took. My matching clutch was purchased secondhand, from Thrift Town…the most enchanting store in the land.

When I arrived at prom it was a magical night. Above the dance floor hung twinkling lights. I smiled as I knew this prom would be fun. But to my surprise the night had just begun.

At prom it was clear, my dress was a smash, it was elegant and classy for so little cash. For that dress, in all it’s glorious sheen, was now being worn by the new Haltom prom queen!

Prom was flawless, and the cost was not steep. I even hitched a ride in my best friend’s jeep. Paying full price will leave your wallet with a dent. So shopping at Thrift Town is time well spent!”

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SECOND PLACE: Annika M., Albequerque
2nd Prize: $100 TT gift card and a Kindle Fire HD.

Our second place winner was so crafty and creative! She truly fashioned a unique and stunning look for her prom night that stood out from the rest and was so very affordable. Congrats to Annika on second place!

“The theme for my prom was Masquerqade and I knew I wanted to do something special and decorate a dress. I decided to go with a “woodland flower fairy” idea and use flowers and leaves to decorate the dress instead of my original thought of covering a dress in feathers (which would have been pretty expensive).
Saving money is important and thrift stores had always been where my mom would take me for casual clothes and items for Halloween costumes, so I went to Thrift Town to find a prom dress, and found the dress in the perfect woodland green color. It looked brand new, fit like it was made for me and was even 50% off!
I got flowers, leaves and fern from the craft store and started attaching them to the dress with a glue gun. Next I needed a mask. I bought a mask from the craft store, cut most of it away and then covered the mask with the left over fern and flowers. I made additional pieces to add to the drama of the overall look, and attached them to my skin with theatrical spirit gum. My shoes were the foldable black flats you can find in drug stores to tuck in a handbag. The little gold bag that the flats came in became my purse.
I loved the finished results and I’m pretty sure no one else this prom season had a one shoulder flower dress like mine. It was a one of a kind masterpiece for not much more than the cost of a $15 thrift store dress. I love you Thrift Town – I couldn’t have done it without you! - Annika
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THIRD PLACE - Jacob A.
3rd Prize: $100 Thrift Town gift card and a Go Pro Hero camera.

Our third place winner wasn’t always a thrift fan, but has crafted his unique style after being inspired at Thrift Town a few years back. He has worn his winning look / piece for a number of important occasions, prom just being one. We love his funky style and resourceful spirit. Congrats, Jacob!

“I began thrifting when the recession hit, and I was in eighth grade. My family could not spend money on expensive or name brand clothing, but I still wanted to look good. My first time to Thrift Town, I had a difficult time finding Aeropostale and Abercrombie. As I walked out unsuccessful that day, I saw a confident man wearing crazy retro clothing walking in. I followed him back into the store thinking I might just give his funky style a try. I bought a neon paisley shirt. When I wore it to school on Friday the reaction was great! Soon, it seemed nearly all my clothing came from Thrift Town, and other thrift stores. Even as my family regained financial footing, I continued to shop at thrift stores. I am able to embrace a unique, fresh style, and save money.

In March I took two of my best friends thrifting (I make Thrift Town Thursday a social affair, including wearing my I love Thrift Town shirt to school). I found the funkiest, most amazing suit I have ever seen in my life- a tan three piece corduroy suit. Better yet, it fit a though it was tailored for me. Though I had no specific use for it at the time, I knew I would regret not buying it. I only had five dollars, and the suit cost $19.99, so I asked the cashier to hold it for me until the next day. I purchased the suit and found uses for it’s resplendent beauty almost immediately.

I wore the suit in my Student Body Officer election video (watch it HERE!) and to a debate captains’ dinner. Best of all was wearing the suit to my best friend’s Senior Prom. I needed to be cost effective, so I didn’t rent a tuxedo, but rather wore my beloved corduroy suit. I borrowed a black shirt from one of my friends on the Ensemble team, a bow tie from another friend, and shoes and a watch from my dad. My outfit was one-hundred percent secondhand. I will never stop thrifting.

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Thanks again to everyone for entering our Go Green for Prom Contest!
Talk to your friends about going green for next year’s prom & spread the green love!

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WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Which of our winners is your favorite?
Are you planning on going green for prom next year?
. . . . .

We LOVE your input – there are so many ways to stay connected:

Leave us comments here on the Blog,

Like Thrift Town on FB & post pics & comments there,
Click the FB Like or Tweet button on any of our Blog posts to share with friends,
add us on Twitter (@ThriftTown) & tag us in any pics or thrifty Tweets,
or
 Simply send pictures & stories to kariatthrifttown@gmail.com

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Kari Shipman is thrifty, eco-conscious, and knows the importance of supporting local charities. She has been our featured blogger since we started the blog in 2010, and has a serious passion for fashion. In addition to owning her own Fashion Consulting Business, Juniper James, Kari is the Co-Owner of Flywheel, a non-profit, all-local designer retail shop/art studio.

Kari lives out her passions in Northern California with her wonderful husband Charles, and their black lab, Gracie.

1 Comment

  1. Mari Vega July 30, 2013

    Those were great entries! What a neat-o thing, cool kids, and fab thrift store.

    Reply