Thrifting can often lead to finding hidden gems, and this was certainly true for Kansas Michalke, a content creator and mother of two living in Austin, Texas.
Known for her uncanny ability to find unexpected treasures during her shopping sprees, the thrifty mother’s latest find led her down a path of history, elegance, and a touch of presidential glamor.
Kansas was nearly wrapping up her shopping spree at a Goodwill store when a shiny, sequined evening gown caught her attention.
"I did my last lap and I saw the twinkle of the dress and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this will be so fun to play dress up with,’ and I just tossed it in the cart," Kansas told Fox News.
Kansas Michalke said she's known for her uncanny ability to find hidden gems at thrift stores
Image credits: Kansas Michalke
"I didn't look at the label. I didn't look at anything. I was like, 'My daughters will love this. I hope it fits,'" she added.
Kansas knew nothing about the last-minute addition to her shopping cart until she got inside the car.
"When I typed in [the designer's] name, Jackie Kennedy popped up and I thought, 'No way, this is crazy.' And then that's when I did start doing full research on Oleg Cassini, and [discovered] just how iconic he was," the mother said.
The mother spent just about $15 on the dress designed by Oleg Cassini, who was named by Jackie Kennedy as her principal fashion designer
Kansas only parted ways with $15 for the vintage dress designed by Oleg Cassini, who had connections with Hollywood stars like Grace Kelly and was reportedly called Jacqueline Kennedy’s “secretary of style” by the former first lady herself.
Jackie not only named Oleg her principal fashion designer but also wore his gown during her husband’s presidential inauguration in 1961.
"My four-year-old Memphis is obsessed with fashion, and her exact words were, 'Mom, this is iconic,'" Kansas said about the dress.
To her luck, the Oleg-designed dress fit perfectly.
Kansas said she is putting together a guide of tips for those hoping to amp up their thrift-shopping expertise
Image credits: Kansas Michalke
Kansas also spoke about how she has always loved thrift shopping, as it allowed her to take home “things that were different.”
"[My family] was not well off in any capacity," she said. "My mom was a single mom, my dad was a single dad, and we would do garage sales … and this was something I grew up with."
"We never really cared about designers or brand names or anything like that," she continued. "We were just simple little country people who [would] go straight to the clearance section or thrift shops. It wasn't anything that I was ever ashamed of. And I always liked having things that were different."
Driven by her passion for thrifting and her love for unexpected finds, Kansas said she is preparing a guide full of thrift-shopping tricks that will come in handy for people hoping to find treasures like the Oleg-designed gown.
"I'm convinced that there's not a bad thrift store," Kansas said. "I've never met one, and I go thrift shopping [at] second-hand estate sales, at least four times a week."