With cooler weather just around the corner, many women will be turning their minds towards snapping up a new outfit or two for the upcoming season.
But this can often be expensive, especially when you take into account here-today-gone-tomorrow fashion trends.
To combat this, FEMAIL headed to Salvos Store’s op shop in Sydney with thrifty celebrity stylist Faye De Lanty, who is a master of eco styling and upcycling, to see if we could put together five different occasion outfits from the op shop for just $30.
The pieces that were sourced included casual and smart casual outfits, as well as cocktail, formal and office appropriate looks.
Finding an on-trend and an affordable casual outfit is no mean feat. But Faye’s take on the look was both relaxed, fashion-forward and came in under $30 (pictured)
CASUAL
Finding an on-trend and an affordable casual outfit is no mean feat.
But Faye’s take on the look with Sydney-based model Emily Kate Symes was both relaxed and fashion-forward.
Pairing a vintage Louis Feraud men’s blazer – which Faye found on the rails for just $8 – with highly coveted J. Brand black skinny jeans for $8.50, the eco stylist finished off her $30 casual outfit with a $2 white T-shirt, $5 white shoes, $2 wallet and $2 belt.
‘I paired the wallet and the belt together to make a bum bag,’ Faye told FEMAIL.
‘The bum bag trend was huge in street style last year and New York Fashion Week proved it’s going nowhere this season.’
The outfit came in at an impressive $27.50 – a fraction of the price you might have paid in high fashion stores.
Faye explained that she was inspired by Australian fashion house Zimmermann when she was putting together the smart casual outfit (pictured) – she used a $2 beret and $2 scarf to finish off the look
SMART CASUAL
Faye explained that she was inspired by Australian fashion house Zimmermann when she was putting together the smart casual outfit.
‘The autumn/winter 2019 collection shown in New York was all about espionage and female spies,’ she explained.
To recreate this look from an op shop, Faye found a $2 beret and $2 scarf among the packed rails at Salvos.
She then scooped up a $5 black rollneck jumper, $10 grey stilettos and added a pair of classic Wrangler jeans for just $6.50 in order to keep the look casual.
‘I tucked in the jeans to the front of the shoes to recreate the ribbons tied around the models’ ankles at the Zimmermann show,’ Faye explained.
‘This outfit – which came to a total of $25.50 – is perfect for an autumnal Parisian chic look.’
For the cocktail look, Faye said she ‘paired an old Sheike dress I found on the floor at Salvos for $15 with the same bum bag clutch from the casual outfit for $2 and $8 shoes’ (pictured)
COCKTAIL
Cocktail dressing is that impossible thing. You want to look dressy, but not overly formal and therefore out of place.
Faye’s outfit tackles this perfectly, and was again inspired by the catwalks at New York Fashion Week.
‘I paired an old Sheike dress I found on the floor at Salvos for $15 with the same bum bag clutch from the casual outfit for $2 and $8 shoes,’ Faye said.
She completed the look with an old ribbon she found at home pinned alongside a $2 brooch and $2 tights.
‘We decided to put this look with opaque black tights,’ Faye said. ‘But you could skip the stockings and pair the dress with thigh high black boots.’
This cocktail outfit came to a total of just $29.
FORMAL
‘I was inspired by the iconic Carrie Bradshaw for this look,’ Faye told FEMAIL.
‘One of my biggest tips for op shop dressing is to think outside the square in what you’re buying. For instance, we used this old bridal skirt as a slightly different take on formal.
‘It’s all about finding new ways to wear old things. Let restriction be your reinvention,’ she added.
Faye paired the $15 pure silk bridal skirt with a $2 white T-shirt, $5 bag, three $2 brooches and $2 gloves.
This formal outfit came in bang on the target – at $30.
Amazingly, the eco stylist found a vintage Burberry trench coat for the office look (pictured), which she paired with a snakeskin set for $4, an on-trend corset belt for $2, a bag for $5 and $8 shoes
OFFICE
Lastly, Faye tackled a look many will be seeking to recreate – the perfect op shop office look for just $30.
Amazingly, the eco stylist found a vintage Burberry trench coat in Emily’s size for just $10.
To this, she added a snakeskin set for $4, an on-trend corset belt for $2, a bag for $5 and $8 shoes.
‘This is one of my favourite outfits from the selection,’ Faye said.
‘Office dressing needn’t mean boring. You can add elements of your own style and still tap into trends, as we did here with the corset belt.’
The office outfit came in at a total of $29.