A Surprising Shopping Destination for Black Friday

Tina, here.

Games I like to play: Name that designer on TV shows. I am really good at this on Scandal and The Good Wife (they wear lots of Armani and Akris). Another one of my favorite games is shopping at Goodwill. I hunt for five fabulous items I can purchase and actually wear. It's a challenge, not for the faint of heart. If you hate shopping, you're throwing up right now; if you love the hunt, you have a brand new game to play! The Goodwill Five.

In honor of Black Friday and crazy shopping behaviors, I thought I'd share with you my most recent unexpected shopping excursion to Goodwill and my five findings.

Look at this wool camel cape! It is by far the best score of the day, at $14.99. Ok so it's wrinkled. Big deal. Easy fix.

I mean, capes are like really IN right now. I'm patting myself on the back for this find.

I bet she didn't buy her camel cape at Goodwill. Image.

Next up, I found these real suede pants. They are soft, and perfectly cut - hard to tell on the hanger, but they are fitted through the thighs and ever so slightly boot cut from the knee down. And they cost....wait for it...

Oh. My. Groceries. $4.49 for the perfect suede pants. Can you stand it?

Yep, these Ralph Lauren luxe suede pants are pretty identical to the ones I just scored for under five bucks. Image.

I love a grey v-neck. This cashmere one by Tommy Hilfiger is in great shape. Not pilled, not stretched out or shrunk. And only $5.99.

Yeah, I think I can recreate this Ralph Lauren Black Label look for less. Image.

Then I found this Banana Republic blazer, kind of a chambray with a slight sheen. It needs a good ironing, too, but then will perk right up and be great with white jeans come spring.

Here's a better view of the fabric and color. Why this jacket costs more than the suede pants is beyond me, but I think I can swing $7.99.

This will work just fine for Spring. My new $7.99 chambray blazer with white jeans. Perfect. Image.

Ok, so I do not need this, and did not buy it, but if you need a really beautiful heavy satin Vera Wang one-shoulder gown, here it is. It has that Zac Posen look - you know how it mermaids from the waist down, and anything cut on a diagonal is quite flattering. It's hanging in the back at the Goodwill in Melrose. $19.99. Vera Wang, people.

Here is the exact gown in a champagne color. It is still available in many colors online for $168. Image.

Things to buy at Goodwill:

Coats, especially vintage suede, shearling and leather if you can find it. I've bought some of the coolest men's shearling coats in the past at Goodwill. Denim work shirts. I've been buying my Western denim shirts at Goodwill for over ten years, and having them tailored for a more modern fit. Thick cashmere sweaters. Old cashmere, and I mean old, was a lot thicker and pilled much less. I've bought men's cashmere sweaters at Goodwill over the years that were soooo soft and used them for at-home sweatshirts. The t-shirt that proves you went to Harvard Law or ran the Boston Marathon.

You can find a t-shirt for pretty much anything at Goodwill.

Things not to buy at Goodwill:

Running shoes. There are plenty of them. Don't even look. Walk away.

There's no support left in them. Which is why they got tossed by their original owner.

Lingerie. Do we even need to discuss this?

Just eww.

So while you're out and about fighting the yuppy crowds in the malls (remember it's Small Business Saturday and shop local this weekend!), I'll be lollygagging down to my neighborhood Goodwill to drop off some donations and do some Black Friday shopping of my own. Oh, I don't buy gifts at Goodwill, unless they're gag gifts. I already did all my holiday shopping. Yes, you can shoot me now.

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Best,

Tina