Megan is our February Discover Goodwill fashion makeover contest winner and before I even get to the clothes, let me just say, Megan has the most incredible skin and complexion. I tried not to stare at her too much so she wouldn’t think I was weird, but it’s creamy, seemingly pore-less and just beautiful. As I’ve said before, these makeovers are one of my favorite parts of our site, showing women of all ages and body types that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great outfit. And when you shop at Goodwill, not only do you get a good bargain, you’re being “green” and helping those in our community who need a helping hand. To me, it’s always a win-win situation when I walk through their doors.
Like several of our previous winners, Megan’s a stay at home mom (she has two sons, 4 months and 2 years old) who wanted to find something casual and comfortable, yet fashionable. Before having children, Megan and her husband were in Macedonia for the Peace Corps. She taught English as a second language in an Albanian village close to the border with Kosovo. She was also a junior high English teacher.
My dear friend (and unpaid 719Woman.com contributor) Ashley joined us and as usual, we were able to find some amazing deals and an outfit for Megan that we all loved.
This FDJ French Dressing denim skirt looked great on Megan and was in perfect condition ($3.99). The Self Esteem leopard tank was $3.99 and both of these items would work with a lot of what Megan already owns.
One thing we try to show with these makeovers is how to choose pieces that are versatile and can be worn in numerous ways, which gives you more bang for your buck and allows you to have lots of different options without needing a huge closet. This sweater is actually Ashley’s, which we took off her to show Megan, how by adding a layer, she changes up the look and makes this an outfit that can be worn year round. The blue tassel flats (GC Shoes) were $4.99 and had they been in my size, they would have been going home with me!
Another comfortable but fashionable denim skirt (which Megan ended up buying) that was only $3.99 (St. Johns Bay). Megan also bought this black and white Monamie top that was $3.99. And again, she can wear both of these pieces with other items too. The strappy wedges are Gianni Bini (sold at Dillard’s) that were priced at $5.99 and looked new. Even though Megan liked the shoes, she decided they didn’t quite fit in to her lifestyle right now so we passed on those.
Megan also works from home for a couple of organizations doing odd writing jobs. In her free time (and we all know how much free time a mom of two young ones has!), she enjoys reading and writing but said she would “drop all my free time activities in a heartbeat to meet a friend for coffee and just hang out and chat, which is probably my favorite thing to do when I have free time.”
I think Ashley is giving Megan some “posing” tips!
This was our “winning” outfit! Look how beautiful these colors are on Megan! This dress was actually the first dress that she tried on and the sweater was the last item found (Ashley was searching the racks for just the right touch after we saw how great the dress looked). The two together are perfect. The boots were $7.99 but a bit too big for Megan but we wanted to show how once again, one item could be taken from one season to the next.
Need shoes? An outfit? Accessories?……Purse? Goodwill has it all. This makes me think of “fashion week” and Ashley’s putting the final touches on Megan!
The final outfit we bought for Megan cost $23.96 and consisted of a necklace, dress, sweater and shoes! She can wear layers like this for the cooler months and in the warmer months, this dress will look cute with a pair of sandals.
WHAT DID HER HUSBAND THINK?
Megan sent me a note that said (in part)….. “I had a blast today, so thank you again. I showed my husband the clothes, and his first response was, “Whoa. What in the world?!” (because I really don’t wear many patterns or exciting looking clothes.) When I tried it on, however, he changed his tune and thought it looked great!”
*Like most of our winners, I had never met Megan before our shopping trip. I love meeting new women and hearing their stories and just sharing as we women can, even with perfect strangers. When I asked Megan what her husband did, I thought it sounded so interesting, I had to look it up. Her husband Keith works for “One Child Matters” (formerly Mission of Mercy.) He is the vision trip coordinator, organizing overseas trips for sponsors to meet their children, and for projects to be done such as building schools, working in medical facilities, etc. One Child Matters is a child sponsorship organization helping to meet the physical and spiritual needs of children in poverty-stricken areas of the world. (Neither Megan or her husband asked me to include this but it sounds like a great organization!) www.onechildmatters.org
Mossimo dress $7.99, Express sweater (in one of this season’s hottest colors) $4.99, American Eagle flats $3.99 and a Lia Sophia necklace for only $6.99……Megan, you look FABULOUS!
I always hope that our winners have a good time and have fun with looks they might not otherwise try. We all deserve to have some time for ourself and to look great, even if we’re on a budget. When I asked Megan what she enjoyed most about today she wrote, “Hmmm….I enjoyed so much about today, it’s hard to narrow it down. I liked how fun and easygoing the whole process was. I liked how lots of different clothes and styles could be tossed into the cart and that a really cool outfit came out of it all; one that I don’t think I would have ever put together for myself in a million years. I also liked how engaged you and Ashley were. When I was in the dressing room, you guys were still scouring the racks for another piece that would make an outfit perfect.”
Well Megan, thank you! Ashley and I so enjoy doing this and it makes us happy to help women find great deals. We always enjoy meeting our winners and making new friends.
And as always, thanks to the staff at Goodwill (we were at the Circle location)…we tend to “take over” the dressing room (even though we try hard not to disturb the other shoppers!)….the staff is always helpful and very accommodating!
I Love these looks on Megan! As always, Ashley did a fantastic job and Megan wore all the styles flawlessly! How fun!
It was a fun day….And Megan does look fabulous!
Well, I’ve been telling everyone I know about my new outfit and even reposted this article on my Facebook page. You might have a lot more people entering this contest next month, Tammy. Everyone has commented about how cute the outfits are and how impressed they are with the prices. 🙂
Great!! Love that you love it….and I always like it when we have lots of people enter the contest…again, you look beautiful!