Easy Elegance

When you were a child, did you ever imagine that the “adult you” would effortlessly stroll down a red carpet? Would she be one of those people who could throw on just about anything and still catch the eye of everyone she passed? Or, in your mind’s eye, did you picture yourself gliding around in sleek black heels, walking as comfortably as if you were barefoot? It’s easy to feel like those thoughts are far-fetched now, but I promise you that there are lots of ways to obtain an easy elegance. Here are just a few…

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Image via goodwillnynj.wordpress.com

Let’s talk fashion to start. The things you adorn yourself with are not just dressing your body, but they also dramatically affect your mood. What do all of those elegant movie stars have in common? Confidence. Seek out clothing and accessories that make you feel good about yourself then add simple touches, like this sleek leather clutch to dress an outfit up. If you’re feeling confident, you’ll be able to layer a few classically chic accessories (a clutch, pearls, etc.) on top of nearly any outfit and go instantly from drab to fab. Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey (Astoria) can tell you more about that in this blog post about classic gems and how to style them!

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Image via goodwillsp.wordpress.com

Your confidence is actually encouraged by your environment, too! Curate a home that is based around the same design ideas we just touched on – comfort plus a few elegant touches – and you will find a simple luxury to inspire your every day grace. Chandeliers are a wonderful option as they can quickly upgrade almost any space, but their beauty often comes at a very ugly price. Goodwill Industries of Southern Piedmont (Charlotte), however, managed to find this fantastic chandelier while thrifting, thus saving beaucoup bucks, and with just a quick bit of paint it was updated to blend seamlessly into its happy new home. Check out their blog post for more details on the DIY transformation!

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Image via designdininganddiapers.com

Who says these polished remakes won’t also translate to your work environment? Sure, it may be a little odd to bring a chandelier to work (so maybe skip that one), but something as ordinary as chairs can become fancy focal points with a little imagination. Taryn from the blog Design Dining and Diapers found a pair of outdated chairs at her local Goodwill for just $1.30 and with a new color for the frame and some new stuffing and fabric for the seats, she was able to create gorgeous new seating options for her home. Wouldn’t they look great at the office, too? I think they would!

Just shopping at and donating to Goodwill is an easy way for you to help other people find confidence, too. That’s because Goodwill provides job preparation, skills training, education assistance and support services to more than nine million people a year who are facing challenges to finding employment. Without a job it would be easy to feel hopeless and depressed about never being able to reach your childhood dreams (even if they’re far from walking the red carpet). Thankfully, because people like you support your local Goodwill, other community members get a second shot at pursuing their dreams and you develop an easy elegance.