Another month, another round-up of thrift finds, with bonus Calgary stuff thrown into the mix. I had pretty good luck this month, and spotted a bunch of cute-but-not-for-me pieces as well. Vacation thrifting was a bit of a bust, but the hometown scene more than makes up for that. Plus, at the end of this month I’ll be heading to Vancouver again, so I’ll get another chance to treasure hunt in new grounds.

We have a lot to cover, so let’s get started!

I like doing these collages because it gives you a sense of the spectrum of brands you can find in our local thrift stores. Basically, it’s anything and everything.

Two cute dresses, both passes for me. I adored the colour of the Club Monaco dress on the left, but it fit very poorly around the hips. The colour of the dress on the left does nothing for me, and the style is not really my thing either, but it’s a dress that would be fantastic on the right person. The brand is made in Canada, and sells for $$$ at Blu’s, so keep an eye out for it, ladies.

I love the cut of the Talula Kent blazer, but this one was too tight in the shoulders.

I have been searching high and low for a particular Vanessa Virginia blouse, but no luck. This one was cute but no cigar.

A beautiful cut skirt suit, but sadly a couple of sizes too big for me. Also, my work dress code is about to become a lot more casual, so a full suit is not something I really need these days. For $8, I hope someone picked this up.

Cute pumps in like-new condition, but too small for me.

This is not my current style, but I loved all the details. Very old skool Anthro-esque.

Another too-small Talula Kent blazer. The colour, while beautiful, is also not within my colour palette.

Cute coat but too gamine a style for me.

I loved this sweater so, so much, but the colour – gah! It makes me look green around the gills.

This dress was NWT, if I recall correctly, and I can see why. The fit … oof. I have no idea what body type this would flatter, but it ain’t mine.

Cute dress, not my thang. Still had the tags on. $168 seems ridiculously high for this.

Another cute dress which did my hips no favours.

Cute dress, but that flounce is not my (current) cup of tea.

Does anyone else remember the outfits that Bob Mackie used to design for Cher? This might as well be a nun outfit by comparison, but it was cool to see this retro callback.

A couple of cute tops I passed on. See, I DO have some self-restraint.

Remember my old no-Anthro-left-behind motto? Those were the good old days of … um … 2016. I left this behind; too “girly” for my current style.

These tops were also cute but not memorable enough to make up for the fact they were polyester.

Snakeprint is a no-go for me; otherwise this Joie sweater would have been a winner. Can’t have too many sweaters.

Leopard print is another no-go for me. It’s always a sad day when I have to pass on a Cartonnier blazer.

This Rebecca Taylor jacket was a bit more worn than I like, plus I wasn’t sure I could easily incorporate it into my wardrobe so I passed.

I was intrigued by this top. It had interesting design details, some of which looked expensive, but the hand-feel wasn’t right. All the tags had been cut off, but I googled it out of curiosity. It’s a Zara piece. The quality makes a lot of sense, knowing that.

Oh, to be a few years younger and/or a lot cooler! I have nowhere to wear a dress this funky and short, so I left it behind. Someone else will give it a good time, I’m sure.

I passed on the J Brand skinnies on the right because, although the colour was perfect, I have enough. Yes, you read that right. I didn’t buy something because I decided I had enough of a particular thing. Mark this one down for the history books.

I did buy the Hei Hei pants because they’re technically *not* sweatpants but sure feel like it. I am sure they will come in very handy one of these weekends.

Gah, I loved this top so, so much. I had been wanting a “marigold” top for ages, and I would have bought this in a heartbeat (even with the sheer-ish back), but the neckline was too low in the front. I was pretty bummed out about it, but my restraint was ultimately rewarded … to be continued below.

A few Calgary thrift hits. The only thing I bought from the above was the ivory Cartonnier jacket.

Yep, my consolation prize. Same brand, but a slightly different style. It’s kind of annoying that you can see my bra in the back, but I can live with it; the sweater is quite lightweight, so I can layer it under blazers for work if need be. Also, with a nude bra, it’s not at all see-through, I promise.

I don’t normally bother with H&M, but this colour is hard to find, and I liked the plainness of the top, so I bought it. It will be a nice complement to some of my statement (print) pieces.

I also love the simplicity of this Oak & Fort coat, which you have already seen in action. It’s a nice grey, and it will be perfect for early fall (and cooler summer mornings).

The past few weeks have been more stressful than usual, so it should come as no surprise that this period coincided with an uptick in my thrifting trips. To be perfectly honest, I have come to enjoy the (solo) drive to and from the thrift store — on warm, sunny summer evenings, with the AC and the radio cranked high — almost as much as the visit itself. Sneaking in an hour here and there? Forget therapy; it’s my cardio these days.

And yeah, I have a ton of stuff to share in this recap. Grab a drink, pull up a chair, we`re gonna be a while.

I’ve started seeing more and more designer stuff again. Coincidence? I think not. I have said it before, and will repeat myself again: the more you go, the more stuff you find. So much so that I usually don’t have time to properly photograph all of my “misses”. But here is (lazy) proof of the abundant bounty to be found.

It’s always funny to run into a piece you already own … especially one you previously thrifted. I was tempted to buy and flip this pretty frock, but I reminded myself that I don’t have time to sell my own purged pieces, much less new stuff.

Go home, Value Village, you’re drunk. Fifty dollars for a pair of Nine West flats? I mean, yes, we’re talking Canadian dollars here (so, like, a step above Monopoly money, value-wise, for any Americans in the audience) but still. And this wasn’t the only over-priced pair that I’ve seen recently. There was another $40 pair at the same location, though at least that one had both shoes out on the rack. I have no idea what VV is thinking, but it’s beyond ridiculous.

Does anyone else remember Richard Tyler? Talk about 90s flashbacks. These sandals were quite pretty, but they were too small for me, and not something I’d get much use from.

I love Fossil bags, but not the VV prices on Fossil bags. Considering the condition, $40 was way too much to be asking.

I recognized this formerly mystery label (it’s Anthro, natch), and was very proud of myself. The style didn’t work for me, though, so I passed.

These things were adorable, but I wasn’t sure what they were supposed to be used for, and I am trying to be good about (not) buying tchotchkes. I am sure that my husband appreciates my restraint.

Very cute dress. terrible condition. I do wish places like VV, which charge as much as they do, would do a better job of weeding out clothes that are basically unwearable.

Another cute dress, but I don’t do wrap dresses anymore. I’m sure it found a good home.

I think these are the Stuart Weitzman Nudist lookalikes that were quite popular last year. I tried them on, and found them super uncomfortable. Passed, because I have no need for strappy sandals in my life, especially the uncomfortable variety.

Another dress I used to own. I’m pretty sure it’s not *my* actual dress, but it’s possible, because I recently purged mine.

Stuart Weitzman is usually an auto-buy brand in my books, but these pumps/booties were not my style so I passed.

I was tempted by the cashmere, but this style of cardigan is on my no-buy list. Decent condition, very decent price, because it was Goodwill. Goodwill is my jam these days.

Vintage Aquascutum.

Cute colour, cute pleat detail, too bad this Pleione top was several sizes too big. And why so sheer?

Similar idea, and non-sheer this time. I didn`t think I`d get a ton of wear out of it, so I passed.

Also passed on these pants. I liked the colour of these BDG skinnies (left), but there was a rip at one of the belt loops, which I took as a sign. The DVFs (right) were a nice weight and very good condition, but the style — nope. Wide-legged culottes are one thing, but full-length trousers are another. I am sure they`re someone`s cup of tea, just not mine.

Talk about fancy feet — these were quite the shoes. Since I don`t have anywhere to wear these, I didn`t even check the size, but I am sure they will grace some lovely thrifterella`s grad outfit.

These flats were so gorgeous — and my size! — but sadly had too much colour transfer on the side. Once it’s settled, colour transfer is impossible to get out of patent leather. Such a shame.

Not all DVF dresses are equal. This one definitely did me no favours, and the condition was not great either. I am surprised that it wasn’t priced at something ridiculous like $70, because this was Value Village, after all.

These dresses were cute — especially the Club Monaco black shift — but I passed. The Gabby Skye was too large, and also too cutesy for my current style. I hesitated a lot over the Club Monaco dress, but it needed some small fixes to the lace part, and would have required a strapless bra, so it was a no-go in the end. As it happens, I found another dress with a similar silhouette that worked much better. More on that in a moment.

First time spotting ALC in the wild, so to speak. Sadly, this dress was terrible on me.

Holy tweed overload, Batman! A few years ago, this dress would have so been my jam. Great quality, great condition, perfect for work. I`ve mostly moved away from this aesthetic, though, so I forced myself to leave it behind. Pat on the back for me. As for the jacket … well, it did not take nearly as much willpower to leave that one behind. Definitely not something I could ever have pulled off.

Ok, let’s talk about what I did buy.

First up, a tale of two dresses. I ended up getting the yellow Joie number on the left because it was cute and breezy, and I figured I could get some wear out of it in Palm Springs. With $7 for a silk dress, you can`t go wrong. It`s a little on the short `n junior section side of things, but those are things more easily forgiven in a vacation dress, yes?

The Tibi dress on the right had its original tags attached, and it was a gorgeous colour — one of my faves. The ruffle was more architectural than twee, so I could have lived with it. Sadly, the fit was all wonky. Pass.

These Miz Mooz booties will probably turn into a regret. I dig the vibe, but I am not sure it will actually work for me. Still, at $12, I figured I could consign them and recoup my money in the fall if need be. Not an ideal situation, but a not atypical downside of shopping when stressed.

These loafers on the other hand? Perfect. They are unbelievably cushiony — they make me feel like I’m walking on clouds. Also, they are perfect for driving, which I’ve been doing a lot lately. They were in perfect condition, too. A bit pricey at $35, but they should be worth it over the long run as long as the quality holds up. I’ve never owned Coach shoes before, so we shall see.

A chunky sweater with interesting details? Sign me up.

I’ve talked about this bag before, so all I need to say here is that I. Love. It.

You’ve also seen this blazer. It’s a good one.

Chunky knit? Slouchy, oversized style? Olive colour? Done and done and done.

Every summer, I end up having a potato sack of a dress I love and wear to death (on weekends, natch), and this summer, this Plenty by Tracy Reese number is going to be that potato sack. The bottom has a cool, slightly bell-like shape to it (with a subtle hi-low hemline) that keeps things interesting. The material is a rayon spandex blend, which means it`s soft, comfy, and lightweight — perfect for summer.

Now this is, admittedly, a whole lotta look, but for the price of a latte, I figured it was worth the risk.

I know what you`re thinking. Adina, I thought tweed was not your aesthetic anymore.

True, but! This is a kind of deconstructed tweed, with a definite jolie laide vibe (that length is borderline frumpy), which intrigues me. We`ll see what I can do with it come fall.

Value Village wants $50 for Nine West flats, but this Akris wool jacket was under $10. Ooookay. Don’t mind if I do. I think it’s going to look really nice with my fall “column of black” outfit formula.