Time flies – let’s recap some not-so-recent-anymore thrifting finds and some general thrifting-related musings.

Lately, I have been focusing more on shopping for others. I have started offering “curated mystery boxes” – basically, I select 4 items (3 pieces of clothing plus an accessory) based the client’s style preferences, size, etc. I wouldn’t call this a side hustle, because profit margins are very slim thanks to increasing thrift prices, but it’s a hobby that pays for itself. I love it because (a) it gives me a chance to enjoy the “hunt” for special pieces without adding to my own overstuffed closet, and (b) there is something incredibly satisfying about finding pieces that the other person loves. So far, so good! In another life, I would have loved to be a personal shopper/stylist.

Things are not looking so great in Edmonton, pandemic-wise, and while I personally feel that thrifting is a fairly low risk activity here (99% of people wear masks, and stores are large enough to accommodate a good amount of physical distance), I am not sure how much longer I will feel comfortable continuing to go. I am trying to make the most of it while I can; soon, we may have to hunker down for the winter.

Thrifting has been pretty good, in general. I have been getting frustrated at times because I can’t find exactly what I want for a client, and I’ve had to remind myself that thrifting has its own flow. Gotta trust that process. I have a story to share later which is such a good example of that. I will note, again, that prices are going up and up. At Value Village, most dresses are now $15 and up, and anything that looks nicer is $20 and up. It’s still possible to find great deals, but it takes more work. Racks are as packed as ever, at least when it comes to clothing. One random thing I’ve noticed has suddenly become scarce? Brass candle holders. I used to see tons, now I can’t remember the last time I saw even one.

Okay, let’s have a look at some recent purchases.

Gap strip sweater (Poshmark)

I finally caved and bought this version of the holiday stripe sweater (from 2014!), after I thrifted the same version for my daughter. We can match this Christmas! I can’t wait.

Barbara Bui blazer

A very cool, older (don’t think vintage, though) piece from a French designer. Bui is not as well known as, say, Isabel Marant, but her designs have a similar “effortless cool” vibe to them. I like the long line of this blazer, and the contrast detailing of the lining and collar.

& Other Stories earrings (Poshmark)

Impulse buy! But I like how unusual this design is, and it looks more luxe than it is.

Oak & Fort coat

It’s been a while since I’ve thrifted any outerwear, but I couldn’t resist this cocoon-like teddy bear coat. It’s oversized, which I love for layering, but still has an interesting line/silhouette so it doesn’t make you look like a walking mountain of clothing. I don’t plan on being out-and-about much this winter (apart from walks in the neighbourhood, which is parka time) but this coat will serve me well for the occasionally family visit or thrift jaunt.

Monica Vinader ring (Poshmark)

This was a super lucky score on Poshmark; I paid $33 all in, and her rings retail for hundreds of dollars (with relatively high resale prices). I love the aesthetic – it straddles the line between minimalist and statement piece – and the beautiful lapis stone. I am not sure if the quality will stand up; my experience with gold vermeil pieces has been so-so, and a few people have told me that their experiences with Vinader specifically was so-so as well.

Marc Cain top

I love Marc Cain; the quality is usually excellent, and the brand often does cool prints and other interesting or unique details. I adore the almost-but-not-quite-abstract city skyline print here. The colours are beautiful and it provides an interesting pairing for other prints.

Wilfred Free graphic tank (Poshmark)

I don’t usually mess with Wilfred on Poshmark because priced are stupid high. But! I loved how unusual and random this design is, so I paid up for it ($30). Graphic tees and sweatshirts are my current jam. Speaking of which…

Kenzo sweatshirt (Poshmark)

I finally managed to get my hands on an “evil eye” Kenzo sweatshirt. My first Poshmark purchase was a bust; the seller sent me the wrong item so I returned it and (eventually) got a refund. Something fishy happened there, I think. I later saw the same item I had purchase, re-listed by the same seller but at a much lower price and with a note about authenticity. I think I may have dodged a bullet. Anyway, I was eventually able to find a similar sweatshirt (this one) for a price within my budget, and I am very happy with it.

Stella & Dot necklace

Funny story: I first saw this necklace on Poshmark and made an offer on it. It was a lowball-ish offer, admittedly, but I made it assuming that the seller would negotiate me up. They didn’t. For the first and only time (so far) in my Poshmark experience, they just declined the offer – no counter. Fair enough. I moved on because I wasn’t sure I wanted the necklace badly enough to pay $50. Well, lo and behold: about a month later, guess what I find at Value Village? Yep, the necklace. And you know what, it’s gorgeous in person. And I paid $5.

Zara pleated top

This top reminded me of Issey Miyake’s stuff, so I had to get it and play around with it. I love the volume and shape, and the pleating is chef’s kiss. Quality isn’t great (it’s kinda scratchy polyester) but c’est la vie. I’m still waiting to thrift that perfect Miyake Pleats Please top.

Per Se top

Remember the leopard print Dries Van Noten skirt I thrifted a while back? I had started looking online for the matching top – because I can’t help myself – but no dice. I found some listings but they were all $200+ (before shipping). I like being matchy-matchy, but not that much. And then, twist of fate: I found this silk top from a brand called Per Se, which is a perfect match. I mean, it’s uncanny. Other than missing the chartreuse, it’s identical.

Moschino tee-shirt

Speaking of graphic tees, this one really tickled my fancy. It’s not something I would normally wear, but in this most surrealist year, it seems like a good fit. Plus, it was dirt cheap at Value Village. It has some fading, but no stains or yellowing (a real hazard with white tees) so I will happily take it.

Jean Claude Poitras wrap

This was a very cool vintage find. Poitras was a famous Quebecois designer, and this is one of those pieces that, in my opinion, is pretty timeless. I am obsessed with the silk-wool fabric – it feels so luxe.

COS cotton poplin dress

COS is one of my fave mass market brands right now, and I love the silhouette of this dress. I am not crazy about the colour. We shall see; if I don’t end up wearing it come next summer, I will look into dyeing it a different shade. Maybe purple or teal? I have no experience with dyes, so that should be a fun experiment.

Pink Tartan dress

I saved my favourite for last, mostly because it comes with one of my fave thrifting stories of all time. Long story short, I almost brought this dress at retail back in 2015. I have regretted not, in fact, buying it ever since, but have never been able to find it anywhere again. Until now. I spotted THE dress exactly at the moment when it was being pulled from the rack by another shopper. I watched her look it over, debate it … and finally place it in her cart. Honestly, I was pretty gutted. I figured I had missed my (second) chance at it. A week later, I was at the same store again (the one closest to my house). I’m mindlessly browsing the dresses again, thinking about the one who got away, when what do I spot? Yes. THE DRESS. The other person must have either put it back or returned it, and it was still there a week later. I cannot explain how unlikely and lucky of a thing that is. You best believe it that I grabbed and never let go. Here’s to third chances!

(the necklaces in the photo are also thrifted but this post is already too long so … see above, haha!)

What you found anything cool at the thrift store/Poshmark/other secondhand? Tell me all about it!

Second Chances

I first saw this Pink Tartan dress at Holt Renfrew in December 2015. I know, because I have a couple of posts saved in my IG feed from when I was trying to decide whether to buy it. It was on sale for $200, and I had a gift card. But somehow, I couldn’t pull the trigger. I think this dress was a 2020 Adina dress, not a 2015 Adina dress … but 2015 Adina had an inkling about it. And regretted not buying it ever since. I’ve spent the intervening years hunting down this dress, on and off, on various platforms without success. I’ll save the story of how I found it for my next thrifting update, but needless to say: sometimes we do get a second change. And I grabbed it with both hands! This dress is so incredibly cool and photos don’t do it justice. It’s almost designed like a skirt and top, connected in a very cool way (the back has a concealed air-vent-like gap!). It has a slinky flapper-esque energy that I love, and though I wish it was a touch longer, I am so in love with it.

Bubble Chic

I love the cocoon-y shape of this COS skirt, and decided it would pair well with this bubble-shaped Zara top. Perhaps not the most figure-flattering, but I love its architectural lines. I especially love the micro-pleating on the top; it reminds me of Issey Miyake. I also appreciate the celadon-and-navy-blue combination, with teal as an accent colour. A muted but unexpectedly lovely palette.

Snowmageddon, Part 1 (?)

We had an unusually warm fall, all the way into the first week of November. I knew we would be paying for that, somehow, and sure enough, it happened sooner rather than later. A week after Halloween, BAM: over a foot of snow dumped on us in less than 24 hours. We shoveled FIVE times that day, and still couldn’t keep up. Did I mention we live on a corner lot? And that our ancient snow-blower hasn’t worked since 2018? Ugh. Weather aside, I did manage a cute outfit that day – including the inaugural run of the Oak & Fort cocoon, teddy bear coat I thrifted recently. It’s huge and warm and I love it. It makes this time of year slightly more bearable, weather-wise.

I don’t quite know how, but recently I became a skirt person. I bought a couple of amazing ones online (eBay and Poshmark) and then the next think you know, it’s ALL I’m buying. I haven’t worn real pants to work (from home) in 8 months, but for some reason, skirt are just dandy. So I decided to turn October into skirt month. All skirts, all the time. Lest you think I would run out of material on a month with 31 days … hah! I actually had a few left over that I never got the chance to wear. So, umm, yeah: my skirt collection is all set. And I had a blast picking outfits last month.

Should I be bringing back monthly capsules? Hmmm.

For now, let’s have a look at the month in review:

Somehow, I managed to miss my favourite skirt (and outfit) in these collages. D’oh!

It’s always hard for me to pick favourites but IF I absolutely had to, they would be: the Dries Van Noten with the train; the aqua blue Acne; the muted ombre rainbow; the red tartan Saint Laurent skirt; the blue/green plaid Ralph Lauren; and the micro-pleated Issey Miyake maxi skirt. But, gah, I love them all.

As you can probably tell, I am very fond of midi and maxi length skirts at the moment. I don’t have many knee-length ones anymore; the few that I have, I keep because I love the print or the design. In the collages above, I tried to group together the skirts to show some of the outfit “formulas” I like to use. One of my faves is the sweater+skirt combo. Easy, cozy and chic. I do still try to incorporate layers and texture as much as I can, but working from home has influenced me to simplify my outfits a lot. It’s probably why I am gravitating back towards colour, away from monochrome black outfits – it’s a way to inject some creativity into my outfits, which I crave even when I’m purely dressing for myself. This shift also had me wondering if black is the colour I feel most comfortable wearing around other people, whereas when I am alone, I reach for brighter colours and prints. Or maybe this is just 2020 energy – chaotic all around.