Remember my full confession of why I stopped posting my Frugal Fashionista series? All the doubts and never perfect pictures? Well, yes, this is one of those.
It’s a “I’ve been running around all day and now it’s 7:30 at night” kind of post, but I don’t want you to miss out on this amazing game day opportunity. My camera girl daughter happened to mention, “Mom, you’re not having me take a picture with your hair like that, are you?”
Why yes, yes, I am. 🙂
Because this is a game day post and I am a total sports mom. With that comes a total rite of passage.
Well, quite a few actually, but let’s start with the essentials: acquiring an incredibly large amount of sports paraphernalia in all the right sports colors, plus having to sit through outdoor sporting events in 90 degree humidity, as well as freezing temps.
So yes, this is more than likely what my hair looks like on game day. Nothing to write home about. 🙂
I do like to look cute on game day, though.
Yes, I accessorize to the fullest and you may even find me with football earrings or a basketball hoop necklace now and then, but most likely you’ll see me decked out in team colors and quite possibly my $2 yard sale wedges above because they are so comfortable.
But I do have a secret to frugal fashion game wear.
My secret?
Hit up your local thrift store and JUST look for items in your favorite team colors.
Can you guess what color I’m on the hunt for now?
This has been a fun new challenge, but you know I’m up for it.
Years ago, our first football team and then basketball teams were both red and white. Since thrift stores are often organized by color, it’s so easy to spend a few minutes searching for your team color.
You will find shirt, sweaters, blankets, vests, coats, pretty much anything you need to sport your team colors each and every time you take the stands, watch the practices or hit the field.
When the kids became avid Tar Heel fans, I searched the racks for Tar Heel gear and wow, did I rack up through the years. With everything from clothing, towels, decorative pillows and flags. Every Tar Heel fan’s dreams can come true for pennies on the dollar. I even got an authentic warm up for our son which retailed for $150. My cost? $5. Yes, it still had tags on it and he got it for Christmas one year.
I’ve been using this strategy for so many years and have gone through so many team colors that I can’t even keep up, but now we’ve reached a whole new level – COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!
Purple is our new color and I’ll be wearing it proudly for the next four or five years.
Let’s envision the scenario.
Last spring, our son verbally committed to a full Division 1 football scholarship at Furman University (SOCON) and while we were there for our official visit, I hit up two of their local Goodwills looking for any kind of Furman shirts, sweatshirts, shorts etc. I knew the only place we’d find those items second hand was locally. I crack up just thinking about it because here he is visiting a school that costs $58,000 a year and I’m taking our hour break to check out the thrift stores.
Guess what? Every time we visit now, my husband wants to pop in with me. We ONLY look for Furman items and we’ve hit the jackpot many times. I found our 17 year old golfer son, two Ralph Lauren Furman golf shirts that sell in their bookstore for around $80. Yep, I scored them for under $5 and he was thrilled. We’ve found lots of t-shirts and a few sweatshirts, but now I’m on the hunt for a jacket.
Lest you think we don’t support their bookstore as well, think again. Once our son made the official decision, my hubby let everyone pick out an item.
Drum roll…..for five kids, the bill came to $200. Yes, I know that is typical, but when have I been typical? That is why I pop into the thrift store. It’s hit or miss, but when we hit it, it’s so worth it since I do not want to have to wear the same one bookstore shirt every week. 😉
Since football season weather in the South begins in the 90s and ends in the 30’s, it’s vital that I purchase an entire summer and fall wardrobe in my purples. 🙂
I can’t wait to wear this super comfy purple sweater that I got at Goodwill for $4. I’ll have to get a real picture of it when I’m actually attempting to impress you with my fashion prowess because it’s really cute. The jacket is a long time yard sale find.
I love when I find really flattering T-shirts like the purple cotton one I’m holding or the Game Day tshirt I’m wearing. They are perfect for layering and this one will be adorable with my 7 strand beaded necklace that you see me wearing above.
(PSSST: OH MY WORD!!! PACKER COLOR NECKLACE)
Anyone who has read me for a long time, know that we are HUGE PACKER FANS!!! WOOT! Yes, born and raised in WI, but my hubby is actually from Green Bay, so it’s in the blood….deep. My heart pretty much skipped a beat when I saw this Packer color necklace. You do know that most people do not make green and gold necklaces, right?
Yes, this made my day.
Anyhow, implement my strategy of shopping for your team colors second hand and you will never be shy of team spirit. 🙂
: Fashion Friday- Game Day Accessories
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Oh my gracious Jen….you just made my day!!!!! I’m a proud football mom who has been doing the same at my local Salvation Army!! I hope I can follow in your footsteps with a scholarship for my football playing son!! (Btw…my boys were cracking up at your sons ‘haircut’ you posted on Instagram!)
Like you, we now live out of our home state, but we haven’t stopped bleeding Eagles green. You can take the family out of Philly, but you can’t take the Philly out of the family!!
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Jen Reply:
September 19th, 2014 at 12:42 pm
Ha – I LOVE That!! Agreeing on all points, except maybe the Eagles green. Too funny that your sons saw the haircut picture. It was even worse in real life with the full effect. I never thought I was the superficial kind of mom, but I must say that I’m glad it’s growing back. 🙂 haha
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Melissa Mulvaney Reply:
September 19th, 2014 at 1:20 pm
@Jen,
You could be the least superficial mom on the planet…and STILL have a hard time getting over that hair!! Glad to hear it’s growing back. He’s too handsome to have bad hair!
The best part of it to me was that the coaches let him cut it before it’s time.
After all the stories I’ve heard about college coaches from my husbands days of playing college ball, compassion isn’t always a top trait.
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Jen Reply:
September 20th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
Yes, his coaches are amazing and quite frankly a HUGE reason he choose that offer. We feel very thankful to have quality men at the helm.
Just discovered this blog this week and it’s my new favorite thing–all of the topics! You are my people! Keep up the good, encouraging work! From game day accessories to parenting with faith to berry bread I love it all!
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Jen Reply:
September 19th, 2014 at 12:40 pm
OH Linsey – if you can handle a little bedlam amidst the beauty, we are your peeps!! So glad you found my little spot in the blogosphere. The more the merrier.
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go Pack!!! Born and raised in WI but living in MN for the past 30 years among Viking fans has not been easy LOL! Stay strong!
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Jen Reply:
September 19th, 2014 at 12:39 pm
OH DEE – I am pausing now in a moment of prayer for you. 😉 We have aunts, uncles, cousins who live there too, so I know exactly what you mean. Don’t even get me started about Farve going there that one year. I’ve gotten over it, really, I have. 🙂
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Can I just tell you that my kids’ school here in NC has Packers colors?!? I walked in to that green and gold and felt right at home the first time we visited! So, I think that necklace will be perfect!
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Jen Reply:
September 19th, 2014 at 12:38 pm
NO WAY?? Green and gold in NC? Now that truly is the best of all worlds. 🙂
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Good point on the thrift stores!
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GO PACK GO!
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Jen Reply:
September 19th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
WOOT!! Cheese heads unite! 🙂
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Jen, you just make me smile. I love when the family pet(s) are in the fashion photo series.
I’m not a big sports girl, but I like the idea of team colors instead of team logos.
Just keep ’em coming – we love this series!
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Jen Reply:
September 19th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
🙂 Those darn dogs. I can’t get any pics without them nosing their way in. 🙂
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You know, I used to read your blog all the time — the frugal fashionista series was my favorite one. But over the past couple years, I’ve pretty much stopped — the FF posts were few and far between and it started to seem like every post of yours contained some kind of shill for your sponsor of the day. I happened to notice that you had a new frugal fashionista post in the sidebar of another blog I read and clicked over. I was really enjoying the post and thinking that it was just like the FF posts of yore, but then suddenly WHAM, another awkward sponsor mention for the 15% off sale and it’s suddenly clear that the ONLY reason you wrote a FF post was to hawk the gameday jewelry. I know you have to make a living, but when every single post seems like a hard-sell, it kind of ruins the fun. Just my two cents from a longtime and now former reader.
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Jen Reply:
September 21st, 2014 at 4:26 pm
So sorry that you feel that. I wrote about why I stopped my series here.http://jenschmidt.life/frugal-fashionista-back-stopped/ and honestly, I didn’t get paid anything to post that. I do just love Cents of Style and their deals. It’s a perfect fit with my frugal fashionista series and the necklace because I’ve never seen anything in team colors. I had that post in my drafts since last year with the tip about looking for team colors and never posted it because I had stopped my series, so when this sale came up which i make a few cents off a sale, I thought it was a perfect fit.
If you stopped reading my blog over the last year or so, I can understand how you might not realize that I’ve stopped a lot of sponsored posts. In fact, I went two months with only one sponsored post and during my month of October, I might have two total. In fact, I just went over my last 45 post and only a handful were sponsored but often, I am a poor time manager and might have a few scheduled in a row because I didn’t plan better and the nothing for a month. I respect your opinion, but I’m very glad to say as I look over my last many months of posts, it’s not a sponsor of the day. I have purposely been turning down many just to avoid that thought, so if you’re popping in again, I apologize if that’s what greeted you.
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I’m so glad you’re back to doing Frugal Fashionista; your blog was one of the first I discovered years back, and I always enjoy these posts. No football players over here, but I am a Furman grad a long (long!) time ago! I hope your son has a great experience there!
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we live in Purdue country and this is my favorite way to get Purdue wear…. oh, and at our Walmart!
keeping it real on Frugal Fashionista posts is AWESOME!!! I enjoy the high styled photos on other blogs, the way I enjoy a magazine– awesome, but not realistic!
when I look at you and your clothes– I think— cute, affordable, and DO-ABLE!!
thank you for starting them again!!
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Jen Reply:
September 22nd, 2014 at 7:11 pm
I went to college just an hour and a half from Purdue and got off at that exit every time I went home. 🙂 I lived in WI at the time and went to school in Indiana. 🙂
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