Through one of my friends in the local resale community, I recently heard about a vintage warehouse sale and was immediately intrigued. My love of vintage (late 80s through early 00s, specifically) has grown a lot lately, and it’s nice to find new places to indulge my obsession. The thrifts are not bad, of course, but you have to sift through a lot of fast fashion and mall brands to find those vintage gems. The prospect of shopping at a vintage-only place was very attractive.

For Edmonton peeps, the warehouse sale is hosted by @97st.vintage (their handle on IG) once or twice a month at their southside location. It is a literal warehouse, so do not expect a curated or fancy shopping experience. There are large bins of clothing where each item is $5, as well as racks of stuff that is individually priced (mostly around $10-$30, although there are higher ticket items too). The bin experience was somewhat reminiscent to me of the Goodwill Impact centre, albeit much friendlier and less hectic. The warehouse isn’t very large, and they do have capacity limits, but there was a small crowd there when I shopped. However, everyone was nice and helpful — I got to talking to a few others who were digging through the same bins as me, and we even swapped some items and helped each other make decisions about pieces.

I would say that, based on what I saw during my visit, it’s worthwhile to go if you are on the smaller side, sizing wise (most skirts, for example, were too small for me and I wear size 4/6 in modern sizing), and if you like vintage styles from the 70s and onwards. There were some older pieces (40s and 50s), but they were mostly individually priced and more expensive.

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience despite being initially nervous about it (as I prefer to shop alone, without large crowds around), and I managed to score some great things. Wanna see?

Of course you do.

This vintage Eddie Bauer sweater was the only off-the-rack item I bought. It was $15, which is a good deal as it’s selling online for $50 and up. It’s giving me Jessica Fletcher vibes and I can’t wait to wear it this fall.

Okay, I know this vintage Tabi sweater has a similar vibe but I couldn’t resist it for $5. Plus, it’s a turtleneck, which is totally different.

This is a vintage TeenFlo corduroy skirt immediately caught my eye because it’s a style I adore. Plus, the colour is dreamy. I quickly tried it on over my clothes (there are no changing rooms) and realized that it was a very, very, very snug fit. I almost put it back … and then I have a brainwave. I will show you how I plan to wear it soon.

This Erika midi dress is such a sweet little piece – perfect to throw on for walks in the neighbourhood or even some gardening, when I want a little colourful pick-me-up.

I was kinda on the fence about this Jones New York shirt; the fabric is a heavy rayon, and I wasn’t sure how wearable it would be. However, I really liked the pattern and thought it had potential for fall outfits. For $5, I decided to take the risk.

The warehouse inventory is regularly replenished, so I am making plans to go to another sale in a month or two. Here’s hoping that some vintage RL pieces might find their way there soon.

Details: H&M top (Poshmark), Max&Co skirt (thrifted), Zara shoes (retail)

Thoughts: It must be obvious why I got this Max&Co vintage skirt. The colour is fabulous, it’s swishy and long, and high waisted. Extra high waisted because it’s so tiny and the only way it will fit is if I hike it up quite high. I’m not mad about that because I love skirts that show off my waist (and accommodate my ample behind), plus it gives me a chance to wear crop tops like this one. It’s a silhouette I really enjoy at the moment. By the way, don’t sleep on Max&Co — it’s a MaxMara line, and the quality is generally quite good (comparable, IMO, to MaxMara Weekend).

Details: Gai Mattiolo jacket (Poshmark), Roulee dress (thrifted), vintage belt (thrifted), Stuart Weitzman shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: I fell in love with this funky vintage jacket (by Italian designer ai Mattiolo) on Poshmark and decided that I had to have it for the eccentric, colour-loving side of my personality. The seller had a beautifully curated Poshmark closet with a lot of boho pieces that are are styled really well. We ended up chatting a bit and then connecting on Instagram as she lives in the same area as me. Long story short, I realized that I had seen her not that long before at a local thrift store! I recognized one of her jewelry pieces, which I had admired in person (and she had posted on her IG account). Isn’t it such a small world? This is the second person I’ve met through Poshmark whose style account I now follow for inspo — I love that.

Details: Kate Hewko top (gift), vintage belt (Poshmark), Madewell jeans (thrifted), Barbara Barbieri shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: I am always hesitant to wear white (hello, klutz here!) but I do love it for summer. Paired with jeans, what could be more classic?

Details: Denim & Supply dress (Poshmark), Ralph Lauren shirt (thrifted), Pelican Cove vest (thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail), metal belt (thrifted)

Thoughts: Still exploring layering options for this dress I love, but which has the worst bust fit. I’m quite proud of this double-plaid situation here. I think Papa Ralph would approve. [One of my online friends told me she has always called RL “Papa Ralph” to herself for decades, and now I’ve started saying the same, hehe.]

Details: Vince top (thrifted), One Hundred Stars duster (Poshmark), L’Agence jeans (thrifted), Ralph Lauren bag (Poshmark), Rafael Alfandary necklace (eBay), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I love duster-style coats, especially for summer. They are so light and airy, and if there’s a breeze, you can get some real cape action going. I snagged this particular duster on Poshmark, and I am quite happy with it. It’s very comfortable but looks fancy. The brand is from the UK and they have dusters in many, many beautiful prints. This was the only one I’ve been able to find on Posh (so far), and while it wouldn’t have been my first choice, bargain-hunters can’t be choosers — I paid less than a third of the retail price (not even including taxes, customs, and shipping!) and it came NWT. Anyway, this was a simple outfit for running errands and such, but I felt really good in it. Win!

One of my best recent finds was a large lot of vintage fashion magazines, mostly of them from the 1980s — Cosmo, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and many others, over 100 in total. I am slowly reading and leafing my way through them, trying to savour the experience as much as possible. Vintage magazines are getting shockingly hard to come by! Last time I found some older Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines at the thrift store (and, keep in mind, these were only from the mid-2000s), they were $5 each. Oof. To say that I regret giving away a large portion of my late 90s and early 2000s magazine collection is an understatement.

I enjoy looking at old magazines for many reasons. One, it’s a window on history … and before you protest, may I remind you that the early 80s are now 40 years go. I know, it took me a while to adjust to that reality too. It’s really interesting to see how society and culture was back then, versus now. Also, and this may be a niche interest on my part, I really like seeing mundane details of daily life back then: how much things cost, what jobs people had, etc.

Two, 80s and 90s magazines are a wealth of style inspo given my current fashion interest in that period. What has surprised me many times is how fresh and contemporary some of the styling still appears today, especially for certain designers in particular. I recently saw an 1983 ad for Calvin Klein that, honestly, would not look out of place in a magazine today. It’s definitely changed my perception of 80s and 90s fashion, even beyond my current interests.

One thing I will say is … interior design in the 80s? Hard pass.

Three, and on a related note, these magazines are providing me a whole education on vintage fashion. I’m discovering (or rediscovering) brands and designers that were popular back then, which informs my hunt for vintage pieces at the thrift stores (and on Poshmark). It’s interesting to see how some brands, which have since “come down” in the fashion world, used to be considered quite fancy — Anne Klein, for example. It’s also nostalgic to see names that I hadn’t thought about in years, like Byblos, Krizia and Agnes B.

Here are some of the images I have saved in my “inspiration” folder so far (all from Harper’s Bazaar):

To be continued …