Feeding a Clothes Horse

When it comes to buying clothes, I’m not a shop-‘til-you-drop kinda’ girl. Matter of fact, when I was working, I bought most of my clothes online. It was a great time saver, and I could look forward to having presents on my doorstep after long days at the office.

After I stopped working, my wardrobe needs changed dramatically. There were few occasions that I needed to strap on stiletto heels and put together a full suit ensemble. And when we moved here? Well my “uniform” is generally a pair of shorts, T-shirt, and flip-flops.

But none of this means I don’t care about clothes (my over-stuffed dresser drawers are testaments to that) or that I don’t get the urge from time to time to remind myself what it means to get girlie. The challenge becomes where to buy the clothes. It’s not like we have big department stores here in Corozal.

Then I was introduced to The American Store in Orange Walk. This place is a bonanza for finding gently-used clothing, some by designer brands. Here’s a sample of some of my purchases:



Lined cotton skirt. During this particular shopping spree, I also found a red, cotton halter that exactly matches the color in the skirt.

 

Halter top by Ann Taylor - so comfy that I would wear it every single day

 

Floral cotton sun dress -- I love this. It's comfy, cool, and can be dressed up or down (with me it's mostly down)

Mesh tunic from White House/Black Market. This is one of those tops that seems to go with everything, including skinny jeans, casual skirts, and even shorts.

 

Embroidered linen skirt by Ann Taylor. The drape to this skirt is fun, providing just enough twirl, should you be a twirly type of girl (which I can sometimes be when my seven-year old self kicks in).

 

100% silk top by Alice & Trixie. This is just fun -- lots of colors and patterns

And get this: not one of these items cost more than $5 BZD. That’s $2.50 USD!!!! I kid you not. Seriously, who could pass these up?

And the thing is that I was never a big thrift shop shopper until we moved to Western North Carolina. There they have some amazing stores and my mother-in-law, always the fashion plate, clued me in on what treasures can be had for a fraction of the cost.

Having now discovered this place in Orange Walk, I duck in there whenever we happen to be in the area. Matter of fact, I’ll be there next week and can’t wait to see what the next items will be that I didn't know I couldn't live without. At this rate, our next home remodeling project may need to be expanding the closets.