Seriously? The average American spends around $600 per student on Back to School supplies and clothing, according to a National Retail Assoc. survey. Times that by three, and if I wasn’t so thrifty, that would cost my family $1800!!!! Shut the thrift up!
After reading that disturbing article, I decided to put my thrifty skills to the test on my live Good Day Sacramento Thrifty Thursday segment. I grabbed some school aged kids from my neighborhood; let me rephrase that as it sounds a bit creepy. I aked my kids and some of their neighborhood friends if they wanted to be my TV models for a Back to School fashion segment. They said yes. I got their sizes and a hundred bucks and headed to Thrift Town.
A lot of people choose not to shop thrift for clothing because they fear they won’t have current fashionable items available. Though there are many “vintage” options. I have personally been successful at finding items that look like they just came off this season’s runway. However, when it comes to kids, especially hormonal (written lovingly!) junior high, and high school kids, I thought it be best to bring in back up in case my fashion sense wouldn’t hold up under teen and tween judgement. I scoured my ample supply of mailers, email ads, and catalogs the over priced, yet fashionable big box retailers were bombarding me with all vying for my business, and decided to choose six looks to recreate using thrifted items. This is a great tip for those newbie thrifters.
See for yourself how I did and how adorable my models were.
Watch the live Good Day Sacramento Segments here:
http://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/video/9154750-thrifty-thursday-back-to-school-fashion-part-1/
http://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/video/9154762-thrifty-thursday-back-to-school-part-2/
Here’s a breakdown of cost per model:
Girls:
Sydney, Jr. High: total cost of outfit: $9.96 (dress, leggings, bag, sweater)
Gianna, Jr. High: total cost of outfit: $13.95 (skirt, crop shirt, cami, boots, & book bag)
Shelby, High School, Total cost of outfit: $19.94 (to die for booties, jeans, sweater, shirt, bag)
Boys:
Nico, upper elementary, total cost of outfit: $12.34 (belt, gap jeans, sweater, shirt, hat, binder)
Joey, lower elementary, total cost of outfit: $13.34 (abercrombie sweater, converse high tops, levi jeans, t-shirt, belt, firetruck lunchbox)
Kyle, Jr. High. Total cost of outfit: $9.96
TOTAL SPENT: $79.49. Boom.
Gina Doglione-Nielsen is featured every week on Good Day Sacramento’s Thrifty Thursdays, and owns GNJ Consulting which handles Public, Social, and Media Relations for Thrift Town Stores. Gina lives in Northern California with her amazing husband Josh, and is constantly on the go with three “very active” and “strong personality” bambinos; aka Team Nielsen, and loves every minute of it.
