I was going to call this the “slim pickings” edition, but that might be a bit unfair. Even during a slow period, thrift stores can deliver. I haven’t come across any truly major finds in the last few weeks, but I still picked up quite a few fun pieces. And I spotted plenty more that didn’t quite make the cut.
Like, say, these Italian made shoes. Would have bought them in a heartbeat if they had been my size.
I almost bought these, but they were too similar to another pair I thrifted just before (see below).
Not all vintage Ferragamos are exciting.
The patent tortoiseshell looked familiar, but the previous owner of these shoes had added an insert which obscured the label. I turned them over out of curiosity and, sure enough, they were Stuart Weitzman. I love SW shoes and I love tortoishell, but these were sadly too small.
More cute shoes for the tinier of foot.
Very Dynasty-esque, non? These look too new to be vintage, but do people still make poofy pom-pom shoes in the 21st century?
Red pumps are always a good wardrobe addition. I don’t know much about John Lewis — UK peeps, care to weigh in? This pair was too small for me, but I’m sure they found a good home.
I think this was the first time I’ve seen Rebecca Taylor at a local thrift store, but it was sadly a few sizes too large. I thought about getting this for a friend, but I didn’t think it was special enough. The dark plum/black combo was a little blah.
My second spotted-not-thrifted eShakti dress. Too big for me, but very cute.
I so wish I was young enough or hip enough to wear this. How freaking cute is it?
This was another super adorable dress, which I *almost* got but ultimately decided to leave behind. The style was ok — not too twee, but my hesitation was two-fold. One, the fabric was a bit sheer (I would have needed to wear the dress with leggings) and two, it was pricey ($18). I hesitated, so I passed. See, I’m getting better.
I want to wear green more. I really do. I just don’t feel wowed when I put it on. Too bad, because this Vince Camuto top was pretty cute.
Another almost-buy. I would love to add a cool graphic tee to my closet, but this one was a little too worn and a little too expensive. ($10 for used H&M? No thanks.) I also felt like I’d be a bit of a fraud if I bought this — can’t say I’m particularly into the Ramones.
Oof, look at those sleeves! The rest of the jacket was super cute and fit great but, man, those mutton sleeves were rough.
I got excited for a minute when I spotted this Ted Baker men’s shirt, but quickly realized I’d never sell my husband on it. It had a lot more, ahem, flair than he’s looking for.
But don’t worry … I did manage to find a few keepers. Like this Ted Baker top for myself. Love the print, and I think I can dress it down enough to count as minimalist-adjacent.
Made in China, 100% polyester (and not the good kind of poly either — tsk tsk, Ted Baker).
This blazer was a great find — I’m very excited about its remixing possibilities.
Made in China, 53% linen + 47% cotton (100% acetate lining).
I rarely find good bags when I thrift, but this was an exception. Since I already have a burgundy bag I love, I picked this up for a friend.
Here are the black kitten heels I mentioned earlier. I like the chain detail — very witchy. I think they’re made in China, 100% leather.
I did end up finding a pair of tortoishell Stuart Weitzmans, and even though they’re peep toes, I’m pretty happy. They’ve proven to be quite comfy.
Made in Spain, 100% leather.
With this dress, I fell for the beautiful orchid purple colour and the draping. I think it looks better/more intentionally slouchy in real life. “Made in” tag is missing, but I assume China, 95% polyester + 5% spandex.
Impulse buy. I like the other Maggy London dress I bought recently, so I thought I’d take a chance on this one. Made in Sri Lanka, 97% cotton + 3% spandex (lace overlay is 100% nylon, lining is 100% acetate).
I had every intention of leaving this dress behind, until I tried it on. The fabric is *so* soft, comfortable and figure-flattering — it’s like wearing pyjamas in dress form. It probably won’t be a closet staple for me, but it’s the sort of dress I can see coming in handy during certain times of the month, ahem.
Made in China, 95% polyester + 5% spandex (100% poly lining).
This was utterly ridiculous, and for $10, I had to have it. No regrets. Made in Indonesia, 100% polyester.
Yeah, I feel like this is more representative of my thrifting experiences – pom-pom shoes, ridiculous floral jackets and mutton sleeves. :/
Heeey, now! Don’t be casting aspersions on my *awesome sauce* floral jacket 😉
Yeah, it’s not always Burberry trenches and Manolo Blahniks, for sure. I get spoiled, which makes regular thrifting seem less exciting by comparison. But I love the hunt regardless — and I know I have it good.
I would never! Besides, I’m sure you’ll find some totally amazing way to style it that will make me start thinking, “hmm, maybe I *do* need a floral jacket.”
I’m in the same situation as Chi below- I live in NYC, so there’s a really well-informed, dedicated class of thrifters who would almost certainly scoop anything really good before an amateur like me found it, and the things left certainly wouldn’t go for the prices you get. Plus, bedbugs are a real thing. I compromise by doing most of my shopping online at sites like poshmark and thredup, which is certainly more expensive but can also help keep me a little more focused. Definitely envious, though!
I hear ya on the bedbug thing. I shudder every time I read about a case. I’m such a insent-phobe, and that’s pretty much my worst nightmare.
You’re lucky to have Poshmark and ThredUp — I wish we did here in Canada. I’ve seen some great deals there!
Hahah I totally get the totm clothes. Nothing scratchy, tight, stiff or that won’t accommodate bloat. Do men have clothes like that?! Do they save them for the Super Bowl or major sporting events where many nachos will be consumed? I love the thrifting posts btw. I live in NYC and anything in the northeast is super expensive. You would never find a single pair of nice condition shoes at less than $30. Designer shoes? $100. Used. You are so lucky!
Sweat pants? Hole-y t-shirts? Ahem. Not that I speak from any sort of personal experience…
That sucks re NYC — I always drool thinking about the awesome things one must be able to find in huge metropolitan cities like that, but I just tend to assume that prices would be similar to here. There are all those stories of people finding Hermes scarves for $2. (Where do people find those, anyway?!) But you guys have great sample sales in NYC, no?
The places to find the odd “treasure” would be an estate sale where the seller doesn’t know what anything is nor can they be bothered. Sample sales only run about 50% off full retail, which one can approach during special sales at the department store plus coupon. Nothing close to approaching what you score. The last sample sale I attended? A paltry 20% off. Los Angeles has much better sample sales. Perhaps because of the fashion industry there.
Really? That’s disappointing. I follow a blogger who lives in NYC and is always finding amazing deals at sample sales (not always $5 kind of deals, mind you, but 80-90% off).
I also follow some thrifters’ IGs, and the ones in LA score *amazing* finds all the time. Major envy.
(Good tip about estate sales. I should look into that.)
there are consignment places here in the Midwest US but they are overpriced a bit… I am newbie on thrifting. my pre-owned things are from fashionphile, trendlee, and some instagram handles and thredUp. ha. not really the real thrifting… what would you suggest for a newbie like me? start at Goodwill? thanks
It’s really hard for me to say without knowing your thrift scene — it can vary SO much from city to city. Generally speaking, Goodwill and Savers (Value Village) are the easiest ones to start with, because they tend to be big and well-stocked (and most towns have at least one of them). Both have “outlet” centres in some places, where I understand the prices are even lower, but the competition is fierce and you really need patience to dig around. We don’t have those here, so I can’t tell you much about the experience other than what I’ve read online. Thrift outlets are not for the faint of heart!
There are other, US-specific chain thrift stores (as well as small, local thrift stores) which I don’t really know but if you Google “thrift store” + your town name, they should all pop up. Smaller thrift stores tend to have less selection but better prices, but that is also not always the case — some thrift stores are “curated” which makes them more like antique stores or secondhand boutiques. If someone has done the “work” of narrowing down the selection, they’ll likely charge more.
Sorry I can’t be more help!
Great items! Any recommendations for good thrift stores (other than Goodwill) in Calgary?
Unfortunately, I am not as familiar with Calgary thrift stores as I am with Edmonton’s. Based on my limited experience, the Value Villages near Chinook Mall and on Midlake Blvd (I think? Just off McCloud Trail, far south) are OK. I think the Goodwill near Chinook Mall has the best selection of the ones I’ve seen (esp for shoes) but it’s the priciest too.
There is a Salvation Army and another thrift just across the street from the VV near Chinook — those might be worth checking out, though I ran out of time. Generally, SA is a good option too.
You always find such great things, especially shoes! I never see nice shoes or shoes in such good condition where I live.
Do you find your purses behind counters or do you just find them out on the racks? I don’t see many bags behind counters where I’m at and the bags on the racks are usually falling apart. I once found a Coach (outlet) bag in really nice condition on the racks. I bought it even though it was on the high side ($60!). I still consider myself a newbie thrifter and probably buy things too quickly when I think it’s a better price than what I can get for retail.
How is your linen blend blazer? Does it wrinkle easily?
Thanks for sharing your finds!
Love the bright Ted Baker blouse and the two dresses! You have a great eye for beautiful prints.
Thanks, Laura!
I can’t believe you don’t wear more green. With your beautiful red hair? That emerald Vince Camuto top would’ve looked stunning on you.