Lessons from my purple-haired, teenaged self @ Saver Queen

Lessons from my purple-haired, teenaged self

Posted on December 4th, 2009 Saver Queen 10 comments

I’ve been thinking a little bit lately about how much creativity I employed in my teenage fashions. When I was a teenager I dressed in very unconventional ways. First it was the grunge phase, inspired by Kurt Cobain. Thrift stores and vintage consignment stores were my favourite places to find cardigan sweaters, velour shirts, torn jeans and anything strange or interesting. Quickly this morphed into a punk phase, which sparked tremendous creativity on my part. I never, ever, shopped at malls or traditional clothing stores. Instead, I relied on thrift stores, hardware stores, pet stores, army surplus stores, flea markets, costume stores, and dollarstores. Here’s what I would buy:

Thrift stores: My favourite was the discount thrift store warehouse, that charged $1 for every garbage bag you could fill with clothes. These were the items that had been cast off from all other thrift stores. Luckily, what was considered unfashionable by most people was perfect for a 15 year old punk. I still remember the fake silk, avocado green, ruffled shirt my sister found. We both thought it was David Bowie-like and fabulous for 5 cents. Tacky old mens’ vests were perfect for decorating with patches and buttons. Another great find was a canary yellow, big puffy Cindy Lauper-esque skirt and and old pair of police uniform pants. Perhaps the best finds of all were old vintage t-shirts, with rare prints of Billy Idol or The Who.

Hardware stores: I made my old wallet chains using interesting types of chains that were intended for hanging lamps. They were more fun than traditional wallet chains, and made good necklaces, too.

Pet stores: Leather collars for pets with studs on them made suitable wrist cuffs.

Army surplus stores: My favourite army jackets and combat boots were found here, but that’s not surprising. What is surprising is that the army surplus also had a flea market like component, where I found Billy Idol sweat bands from the 80s.

Flea markets: These yielded all kinds of interesting finds - not just clothes, but things that could be repurposed into jewellery, like a great big bag of wooden beads I bought. This was also the perfect place for finding cheap, original Star Trek memorabilia.

Costume stores: Stockings with skulls or bones on them made perfect pantyhose when paired with my Cindy Lauper skirt. They also sold things like handcuffs, wrist cuffs and faux-leather gloves. These were intended as costume accessories, but I wore them as real accessories.

Dollarstores: My sister and I bought children’s jewelry , like big chunky rings, plastic bracelets or necklaces, and wore them with playful irony. Anything weird, tacky, interesting, vintage or ironic, I loved.

Obviously times have changed dramatically, and although my punk phase has forever influenced some of my musical tastes and socio-political values, I now dress in a much more conservative way. But I find myself remembering the zest and creativity I put into a simple thing like fashion with wave of nostalgia and some degree of awe. I believe that living creatively is important, and I want to harness some of that energy and enthusiasm I had as a 15 year old, and apply it to my life today. It’s easy to follow the herd, and it’s easy to resort to the most obvious solutions when it comes to meeting our needs for things like clothing. It’s an easy choice to head out to a mall and participate in traditional retail activities. But isn’t it more fun, more fulfilling, to think differently about our lives? To think differently when it comes to solving daily problems or challenges?

Only now do I realize that my unconventional approach set the stage for a fulfilling, frugal lifestyle. I love to shop at thrift stores, consignment stores, antique stores, flea markets, Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores, and garage sales. I love doing swaps with friends and exchanging handmedowns. I love making my own gifts and cards. I love repurposing items and I love using a “DIY” ethic to repair or modify something I already have and make it into something new. Who would have guessed that as a punk teenager, sifting through boxes of unwanted clothing, that I would be setting the stage for financially frugal, environmentally-sound, sustainable living? Granted that now I’m shopping for antique tea cups instead of Billy Idol memorabilia, but the essential message stays the same: employ creativity and abundance you will find!

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10 responses to “Lessons from my purple-haired, teenaged self”
1. Sam December 4th, 2009 at 10:01
  
  Thanks for sharing. Glad you mentioned Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores. My husband is a Restore Director, and its always great to hear them mentioned. They are a great resource that helps an even greater caus.
2. psychsarah December 4th, 2009 at 11:17
  
  Good points SQ! Some people thought it was funny that I was making gifts for my friends this year, as I now have a “real job” and can afford to shop, but I thought they’d appreciate something personally made for them and it was more fun than crawling around the mall to find something that would “do”, rather than be perfect for them.
  
  I need to get back into searcihng some of these other sources you mentioned-like thrfit stores, etc. We have found treasures at the Re-Store in the past. It was necessary to be frgual as a broke grad student (probably like you as a teen), but now it can be conscious choice for both the environment and my financial well-being. Great reminder!
3. Amber December 4th, 2009 at 15:59
  
  I love the purple hair. I have never dyed my hair, bit there is some part of me that seriously wants to get creative with the colour now, and I’m a 33-year-old suburban mom. Think it would fly at play group?
4. This Thrifted Life December 4th, 2009 at 18:37
  
  I just love the last line of this post: such a wonderful, succinct way to phrase the secondhander’s philosophy.
5. Saver Queen December 4th, 2009 at 19:16
  
  Sam - The hab re-stores are great! I blogged about them here as well: http://saverqueen.com/2009/02/22/a-frugal-discovery-cheap-finds-for-the-home-garden-and-workshop/ where I described turning an old door into a large canvas.
  
  Psychsara - I agree about your comment regarding Christmas. I’m going to do a whole separate entry on this. Even when money is not an issue, putting extra thought and personalization into gifts by making them yourself is a wonderful thing and it makes a present more meaningful.
  
  Amber - Go for it! Although, your hair is beautiful! And you might just find that your daughter wants to follow suit, haha!
  
  TTL - Thanks so much! Lovely to connect with a fellow thrifter.
6. The Witch December 6th, 2009 at 17:22
  
  I’ve been lurking for a long time.
  Just thought I should tell you I love your post’s
  
  Love those old picture shots.
7. Money Funk December 7th, 2009 at 17:52
  
  Oh how I miss those days! Purple hair, red hair, peach or white. LOL! And you’re right - those gothic/punk days cost us pennies. And the rush from dressing like that was sooooo fun! It’s funny you mention the hardware store. LOL. *ahhh* How times change when growing up.
  
  I miss the avocado green button up sweaters I used to find at the thrift stores - the kind grandpa used to wear - but went so dang cool with my punk rock tshirts!
  
  Thanks for the memories. Great post!
8. Saver Queen December 8th, 2009 at 00:44
  
  I love that everytime I mention punk rock or straight edge someone else reveals that they too used to be involved in that scene! I wonder how many frugal bloggers out there used to be into punk to some degree or another. Must have been all those anti-consumerism, anti-authority messages from Minor Threat and the like!
9. Rachel January 9th, 2010 at 02:06
  
  Flash back!
  
  I loved thrifting as a teen. I had long purple hair for a little while my senior year.
  
  I never was punk. I kinda did my own thing. My favorite thing to wear was a men’s suit from the thrift store that fit me perfectly! I even had my dad show me how to tie a neck tie.
  
  *memories*
10. Deviled January 12th, 2010 at 21:18
  
  When I was a teen there was no way I’d wear anything from a thrift store. I wish I had been more of a free spirit instead of always trying to fit in.
  
  Love the old pic and the purple hair!
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Lessons from my purple-haired, teenaged self

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