Phantasmagoria in Rags: Thursdays are for Thrifters

A few weeks ago a new Salvation Army store popped up in my neighborhood. It looked huge and I couldn't wait to stop in. In an area dominated by Goodwills (which I love shopping at), a big, new, thrift store was pretty exciting for me. Unfortunately, when I finally got to visit, the place was kind of a thrifting desert. I checked the whole store for finds and was just about to leave empty handed (and bummed out) when I found this piece of absolute magic on the very last rack. This poncho cape set me back $7, which is normally more than I like to pay in thrift stores but I was in love with it the minute I saw the butterflies on the sides, and in spite of the fact that it's red, which is the worst color on me. What really sold me on it was the fact that it reminds me so much of an Avon Aztec motif poncho from the '70s I found at an estate sale a couple years ago. Except this one has butterflies and fringe.

I've worn this poncho basically non-stop since I bought it, but here's a look at how I styled it a few weeks ago. I wore it for a movie date with low (for me) heeled black suede boots, then threw on my Litas to wear it out at night. This outfit in particular was worn when a few bands I'm crazy about, Blinds, Carey, and Creature Comfort, were playing at Mad Donna's but I've worn it about a million times since that show. I've been hanging onto this post for a while. Check out the bands and see my outfit details below.