Who has been to Binghamton, New York? I know, super random, right? My grandpa and uncle moved there from Brooklyn when my grandpa got sick. Now, it is no Brooklyn, it's more of a rundown city that could be BEAUTIFUL if people opened more businesses. But I will say, they have AWESOME restaurants downtown which is really the only thing you can do. But you know what? I actually like going on trips to random places because most of the time you find hidden gems. Anyone else feel that way?
Overall, when we travel we always try to go to local wineries, breweries, speakeasies or distilleries along with the local hot spots for restaurants because they are always the best. With that being said, the first time we went to Binghamton (which was last November), we visited Galaxy Brewing. This place is so cool!!! Not only is it a brewery, but it's also an arcade. You guys!! I ❤️ the game Time Crisis for as long as I could remember. I mean, I asked my husband if we could even rent it for our wedding. Well, back in November I BEAT THE WHOLE GAME! I dominated it 💪 Anyways, long story short, you need to visit this brewery if you find yourself driving through Binghamton or actually visiting.
Another good place, specifically for brunch, is Craft. The atmosphere is super fun on the weekend, not too loud and not too quiet. It's just right (I sound like the Three Bears). The last trip we took there was over Valentine's Day so it was only necessary for my husband and I to go to another brewery so we went to Water Street Brewing. The food tho 😍 It was so good (and heavy) that we actually ended up going back to our place in a food coma and started the series Indiana Jones (by the way, am I the only one that has never seen them?).
Lastly, another restaurant we got food from for my uncle's birthday was The Colonial. By the time I went to the all the breweries and ate all the food from the week prior, I was ready for a salad....so good you guys!
I feel like when it comes to Binghamton, you can't go wrong with a restaurant in the downtown area. One place we REGRET, like seriously regret, is not checking out the only speakeasy there called 205 Dry. Not sure if we will make it back now that my grandpa is gone, but if we do, awesome! If not, if one of you go please let me know how it is!
Now that we got the travel portion of the blog out of the way, on to the best part....the thrifting! There are a few thrift stores in Binghamton, but my secret to finding a good thrift store is not only reading the reviews, but I actually look at the Google images. Some thrift stores can be grimy (and I know I am not the only thrifter that thinks this) so I like to look at the photos to see the overall aesthetics of the store. With that being said, we traveled about 15 minutes north from the downtown area to a store called Thrifty Shopper. OMG! I found so many good things, but because we travel a lot and I tend to over-pack anyways, I can never buy a ton of stuff. I usually try to stick with maybe 1-3 pieces (except for Ireland, that was a little different since we went to multiple cities) so this trip was a little hard. Even the husband found a bunch of stuff...which I should really take photos with him or of him, shouldn't I? Thrifting isn't just for ladies nor do I only style women. Hmmm, that's a thought 🤔. So here is what I found:
Gap Zip-up Hoodie Sweatshirt - $2.50 (50% off - red tag)
Vintage Blazer - $6.99
Okay, you guys know I love blazers and most of my clients end up liking them too because it's a more tailored piece compared to a typical cardigan. So with that, when I find a good blazer I just have to have it! I also realized that I am leaning more towards that business casual menswear look with a sporty flair. Sneakers with a blazer? Love it! Anywho, I bought this zip-up sweatshirt as well because I honestly haven't found a more fitted zip-up hoodie.
I've worn this blazer a million times already which one time I wore it with an ivory tee + I wore it with a black and white striped tee to change it up and do pattern on pattern. Pattern on pattern can really elevate a look and look more fashion forward. Typically my rule of thumb for pattern on pattern is there is always a pattern that is more of a square shape, including stripes. Then there are patterns that are more of a circle shape such as floral prints. Just imagine a striped shirt with a striped jacket, it would be a little much. But if you have 2 different looking "shapes", it looks balanced (as contradicting as that may sound).
I also have been wearing this blazer with a skinnier pant. Why? Because it's a boyfriend fit blazer which has a longer fit than your typical blazer which is basically the same thing as wearing a flowy shirt. You want to be balanced so you don't look too frumpy where you look larger than you really are (honestly, there is only 1 body shape that can pull off a flowy with flowy look: a slender woman with little to no hips). HINT: if you haven't switched to a boyfriend fit blazer, you should! If you don't believe me, try on a regular length blazer then try on the boyfriend fit right afterwards. You'll notice the difference, I promise. Now if you're a petite person, that's another story which I may save that chat for an IGtv episode.
For the sweatshirt, you could wear it under a puffer vest (be careful that you don't purchase one that's too big for you, meaning the "puff" isn't engulfing you) or even a denim jacket. If I have any men reading this, this goes for you too!
Totally off the thrifting topic, but did you notice the caption under the photo? We had to fly out of Scranton, PA since Binghamton airport is literally the smallest airport ever so it's like a million dollars $$$$$. I am a HUGE Office fan so I just had to stop at the clock tower that is in the beginning of The Office...as would any Office fan I would assume 💼
Lastly, can I just give a shout out to Thrifty Shopper? When I was trying on my treasures, I saw this in their fitting room:
Being someone that is a personal shopper for a non-profit thrift store in addition to my own personal styling business, I couldn't agree with this more!! You are stealing from people in need and God sees you! 😡 - 👀
Welp, that's it my friends. It's March which we were thinking about going to Arizona for Spring Training as I mentioned in the last blog post, but because my grandpa passed (which is why we went to Binghamton again), we had to pass. They were just going to be too close to one another. HOWEVER, you probably noticed I've been posting about Las Vegas...we'll be there April 12th - 15th. Sooooo...if there are any Vegas readers reading this blog right now, you can inquire about booking an appointment by emailing me. If you want to stay up to date with my latest Tours, visit https://www.mhstyleconsultants.com/tour-dates
Till next time everyone, xoxo
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