Always on the hunt for great consignment shops {remember Peonies?}, I was very happy when a friend tipped me off about Uptown Consignment on Queen Street in Southington, CT. Located in the same plaza as El Sombrero, Uptown Consignment has something for the whole family.

Uptown carries big designer names like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, etc., for women, but they also have great selections for men, kids, toddlers, and teens. I raided their juniors’ section looking for basics and I found some great tees, tanks, and this cute green Forever 21 sweater for super cheap. If you like Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, Hollister, etc., they have tons at Uptown.

I also love their shoe section. They have probably around 50 pairs of shoes on any given day. I bought two pairs of cute ankle boots for less than $5 each! The Mary Janes pictured in the first image were also around $5 or $6.

Not content with just carrying your typical clothes, shoes and jewelry, Uptown also has a nice selection of home furnishings and decorations. I found this unique coffee/tea cup set there {pictured above}. The cups don’t have handles, so they get a little hot, but the set came with these crazy spoons that are bent so that they can rest on top of the cup. Have you ever seen spoons like this before? I haven’t!

Visit Uptown Consignment, “where recycling is always in style,” in Southington at 151 Queen St, Rocky Hill at 781 Cromwell Ave, or South Windsor at 1735 Ellington Rd. Check out their blog for updates on new additions to the stores or contests.

1. Truck Jeans Essential Skinny {Alloy}. My boss wore a pair of white skinny jeans a few days ago and I realized that I need to get a pair of these for my spring/summer wardrobe. Summer is all about light colors and what’s lighter than white? White jeans are great to wear when it’s not quite hot enough to wear skirts or shorts, but definitely don’t wear them on rainy days; you don’t want to get mud on them!

2. Solid Layered Cowl Neck {Charlotte Russe}. I’ve really gotten into cowl necks lately; I think the “cowl” part just adds a little extra something to an outfit. They also fit well and can be worn casually or dressy.

3. Chimbley Sweep Shorts {ModCloth}. Simple and not too short, these are perfect for those crazy hot days when you just can’t justify wearing pants or tights and a skirt.

4. Winnie Pleat-Back Tunic {Urban Outfitters}. Boyfriend-style Button-ups are a must-have for every working woman’s wardrobe. They’re great because they can be worn dressy or casual, and I love the pleats on the back of this one. The description reads, “business in the front, party in the back.” It’s also available in mauve {which I think looks more lavender}.

5. Susina Crochet Trim Cardigan {Nordstrom}. I love wearing cardigans year-round, but you can’t always wear your winter favorites in the summer. This cardigan is cute, classy, and light. The crocheted lace makes it romantic and a nice addition to your outfit if you’re wearing a white shirt or tank top underneath.

6. Black Flats & White Sandals {Shoes.com}. If you don’t already have a pair of simplistic black flats and semi-dressy white sandals, hit your favorite shoe store now! These are another must-have, especially since you’ll want to wear them outside of work as well. The black flats shown are Hot Kiss Women’s Hours and the white sandals are Carlos by Carlos Santana Women’s Shimmer. Though I found these both at Shoes.com, I do the majority of my shoe-shopping at Marshalls and TJ Maxx.

7. Tank Tops/Camis {Old Navy}. Tank tops are a summer essential — yes, even for work! I love grabbing a few from Old Navy; their V-Neck Layering Camis and Lace-Trim Camis are my favorites. Wear them underneath a light cardigan or button-up shirt for a more professional look.

Of course, it’s important to know your job’s dress code. You may not have a manual that explicitly says there is one, but there’s always a dress code. Ask your boss or co-worker if you have questions about what you can wear. Also keep in mind that you don’t have to spring for big name-brand clothing just to look great in the office. As I mentioned with the shoes, I find a lot of my clothes at Marshalls and TJ Maxx, too, as well as at consignment shops like Peonies and Uptown Consignment. Now go ahead and work it, girl! :)

We’re super excited to post this today, because it’s something we’ve been wanting to do for a while, even before we started Poor & Pretty. We love consignment shops. Why? Well, we’ll get into that in a bit {think brand names at super affordable prices}. First, we want to give you some background before you check out our sweet video. Last week, we went to Peonies, a high end consignment boutique in Centerbrook, CT. Because Sami knows one of the owners, we were able to roam around the store and pick out some sweet outfits to show you some of the amazing fashion finds just waiting for you at consignment shops {especially Peonies, where each item is hand picked by co-owners, fashionistas, and lovely ladies, Pam and Laurel}. The background music is “I’ve Got Your Number” by Passion Pit.

Why Consign?

Because we’re broke, but we still like to keep up with the latest fashions, consignment shops are the best place to find really great clothing and accessories at prices we can afford. Being a consignor {bringing your clothes into consignment shops to sell them and make a percentage of the money} is a good way to make a few dollars, and selling and buying pre-loved clothing is also super sustainable, because you’re essentially recycling clothes rather than participating in a demand to create new clothes. More on this in the future.

Why Peonies?

Because it carries designer labels like BCBG, Chanel, Gucci, Isaac Mizrahi, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang {the list goes on and on!}, Peonies is the perfect place for girls like us {i.e., chicks on a budget} to stay in style without breaking our banks. Also, we just love Pam & Laurel, and their sense of design. As Mish says in the video, Peonies {named after Pam and Laurel’s favorite flower} looks nothing like your traditional consignment shop. “Most consignment shops visually assault you with clothing,” said Pam, and she’s right. But the first things we noticed at Peonies were the soft lights and pastel colors, the antique mirrors, rustic doors and furniture, and the beautiful faux flowers bursting from all corners of the store. It reminded us of a garden… a garden of peonies!

“We’re not most consignment shops,” continued Pam. “We think of ourselves as a high end boutique, and most of our clothing and accessories originate from high end boutiques. As such, we needed to bring design and order to the store. We’ve organized everything by article type then color, like many women organize their closet. We did this so that when you walk in, you feel a sense of place right away.” We think they were incredibly successful.

Another thing that makes Peonies so unique is their social outreach. They are one of very, very few consignment shops that delivers weekly e-mails {”what’s in store for you”} with photos of their latest consigns {they call them “blooms”}. You can subscribe to their weekly updates here. Additionally, you can become a fan of Peonies on Facebook or follow them on twitter.

We couldn’t resist going home with a few items, especially with their Winter clearance going on {tons of brand name clothing marked down to $5, $10, and $15!!! More on that here}:

P.S. If you’re curious about One Pearl, the jewelry company/charity organization Mish mentioned in the video, check out their website for more info and for gorgeous jewelry with a purpose. {We plan on writing more about One Pearl, too}

I had a lot of things I wanted to talk about today, but I was able to narrow it down to just four. Here goes!

1. “Aim and Ignite” album by fun. I’ve been gabbing about this nonstop on twitter and I mentioned it in my post on Monday. I love love love this album. Stan introduced me to the band The Format when we started dating, but they broke up in early 2008. A few weeks ago I was thinking, “hmm. I wonder if the lead singer {Nate Ruess} ever went on to do anything else. I should find out for Stan.” So, I did, and it turns out Nate Ruess is the lead singer of fun., which, as their name would suggest, is a pretty fun band to listen to. They combine classic styles of music {think Victorian era dance parties} with modern day beats and lyrics. Listen to them here.

2. My new Franco Sarto pumps I bought from Peonies. I bought these for $35 and they look like they’ve barely been worn. Judging from the current pricing of other Franco Sarto shoes, these babies were probably upwards of $80, and they’ve got that girlish Mary Jane look to them too!

3. Six Feet Under {HBO Series}. It’s not on TV anymore, the series ended in 2005, but it’s still, by far, the best TV series you will ever see. The characters and character development is amazing, as they would be under direction from Alan Ball {most well known for writing/producing American Beauty}, who has currently moved on to True Blood, another show I’m addicted to. Anyway, I have the entire DVD collection of Six Feet Under and I’ve been re-watching it with Stan. It’s about a family that owns a funeral home, and yes, it’s a little creepy, dark, and at times disturbing, but I love it. The series finale is the most beautiful end to a TV show I’ve ever seen, and it made me cry for hours. The series has won a ton of awards, including two 2002 Emmy’s for Outstanding Casting & Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series, a 2001 Golden Globe for Best Drama Series, and a few SGAs. Rent it if you can, it’s truly amazing.

4. Emily Pilloton on The Colbert Report. Emily Pilloton, founder of Project H Design, is tackling the issue of sustainability in the design world by creating products that have a positive social impact around the globe, especially in developing countries. She was on The Colbert Report on Monday. Check out the video: {if it doesn’t work for you, view it here.}