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By Jack Beresford
Senior Reporter
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A mom of two is still reeling after discovering the true value of an eye-catching dress she thrifted from her local Goodwill for just $14.99.
"I grew up thrifting because that's what my mom did," Ruth Kornatz told Newsweek. "She taught me the thrill of the hunt, but also that buying secondhand is a smart idea. You learn quickly that one person's trash is another person's treasure."
Kornatz is not alone in her appreciation for secondhand goods. According to statistics compiled by Capital One Shopping that was published earlier this year, around a third of apparel purchases in the U.S. are secondhand.
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"I live in a great area with a lot of consignment and thrift stores, so there's never a shortage of items," Kornatz said. "I've gotten my kids into it as well. They score great finds in the toy and book sections."
Spotting the Butterflies
Yet in all her years of thrifting, Kornatz had never come across an item quite like the one rolled onto the sales floor at her local Goodwill, buried among an assortment of other dresses.
Something of a thrifting pro, Kornatz immediately gravitated toward the newly arrived rack.
"The store doesn't mind people shopping from racks that haven't been moved to their designated sections yet, so it's common for shoppers to flip through them," she said. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and noticed the butterflies."
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A Designer Discovery
The dress, orange in color and adorned with butterflies, was striking to say the least. Kornatz pulled it from the rack and checked the tag.
"I thought it was a costume at first and immediately thought of my daughter," Kornatz said. "I recognized the designer's name right away and did a quick Google search, not expecting it to be one of her couture pieces."
The dress bore the name Carolina Herrera, the Venezuelan-American fashion designer known for dressing numerous high-profile figures, including several U.S. first ladies, and widely regarded as one of the most influential designers in modern fashion.
Kornatz quickly realized she had stumbled upon something very special.
"This dress retailed for $4,900 when it was new, and my sticker price was $14.99, so you can imagine," she said. "I was in utter disbelief. I found out it was from the 2025 Resort collection, so it isn't even an older piece."
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Theories on How it Got There
Normally, a dress of this quality would fetch hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on the resale market.
So how did it end up for sale at Goodwill for just $15?
Kornatz has a few theories.
"Maybe it was gifted to someone who didn't really like it, or someone wore it once and that was that for them," she said.
Kornatz said that when she posted about the dress on her Instagram account, @ruthkornatz, some of her followers came up with their own explanations.
"Some of my followers believe it was an ex situation. Maybe a boyfriend or husband bought it and things didn't end well," she added.
What Comes Next
Whatever the truth, Kornatz must now decide whether she wants to keep the dress or cash in.
"It's such a unique piece that I'd love to pass down to my daughter someday," she said. "Or maybe I'll have it tailored to fit me better. Maybe I'll sell it! For now, it just feels incredibly special to have. The little girl in me is beaming with excitement."
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Rebecca Flood and Anthony Murray.
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