It will not surprise you to hear that thrifting is just as much of a fun wildcard for my perfume collection as it is for my closet. You never know what you are going to find, but it will often throw pleasant surprises your way. I have slowed down my fragrance purchases a fair bit in the last few months, as my current line-up feels very satisfying and I want to enjoy it to its fullest extent, but I have made exceptions for some really special thrift finds. After all, it seems rude to turn down a gift from the thrift gods … and, I promise, you will understand what I mean in a moment.

Of all the stores in Edmonton, the one I visit the most often — because it’s the closest location to where I live — tends to have the biggest selection of fragrances on a regular basis. Is that fate or what? Hah! Anyway, this is reason why I always check the showcase first when I stop into the store. (Well, that and watches, which represent another one of my collecting passions at the moment.) Most of the time, the perfumes on display are overpriced and nothing too out of the ordinary … but, sometimes, there is a “start the car” moment. Or even two. On one occasion, the first thing I noticed was a very distinctive, familiar bottle:

If you grew up in the 90s like me, you will remember the ad for this perfume, featuring Daryl Hannah. I was OBSESSED with it.

I coveted Sun, Moon, and Stars as a teenager, but it was out of my budget and I never ended up getting the chance to wear it. When I started getting into fragrances again this year, it was one of the perfumes I started to think about again, because if you think nostalgia has a grip on my closet, I can tell you that’s nothing compared to the grip it has on my taste in fragrance. Of all the perfumes I’ve tried over the last nine months or so, the ones that have made the deepest impact have been, by and large, perfumes that were originally introduced in the 90s and early 00s. There is something in the DNA of that era’s fragrances that just speaks to me. And it’s not just in my head; as with fashion, the perfume industry has its trends. The 80s had their smell, and so did the 90s, and so do the 2020s. Some perfumes have their own unique alchemy that allows them to transcend a specific era and become “classics”, but they still retain their associations with the past for people who experienced them at different times. My pet theory is that people who refer to something as an “old lady perfume” or “dated”, do so because it smells to them like something one of their older relatives wore when they were young. Many in the fraghead community push back against this type of description for its ageist connotations, and I don’t disagree with that; but, above all, I find it a really unhelpful way to describe perfumes. It’s like saying bell bottoms are granny-coded because they were popular in the 70s. You might call them retro, but always bearing in mind that what’s “old” has a tendency to become “new” again in the world of fashion … and one might expect the same to start holding true in the world of scent as well.

Anyway, back to my thrift story. I lucked out that the bottle of Sun, Moon, and Stars didn’t end up being massively overpriced. It was originally marked $40, which was higher than I would have liked, but I ended up chatting a bit with the sales associate who was helping me (and may have been the store manager, in fact) and after looking up the perfume online, she offered to knock the price down to $25. Sold! This, by the way, confirms that thrift stores do use internet listings to set their own prices. In this case, I got lucky. Sun, Moon, and Stars is still available for purchase, and Walmart has it listed for $90. However … the current Sun, Moon, and Stars is not the same one that was sold in the 90s. The company who makes it now (Prestige Beauty) bought the rights to the name from Karl Lagerfeld, and the formula, while similar, isn’t exactly the same (at least according to online reviews). My bottle is a vintage one, and those sell on eBay for quite a bit more money. So yeah, it was a lucky score.

As for how it smells — well, it was love at first sniff. The smell is definitely a nostalgic one, an olfactory memory of the 90s. Sun, Moon, and Stars was created by Sophia Grojsman, who also created Calyx, another one of my fave perfumes. Like the latter, Sun, Moon, and Stars is a beautifully blended mix of floral and fruity notes, though in this case, the fruity notes are not very prominent to my nose; rather, they lend a sweetness to the florals, which have an unexpected edge to them thanks to the carnation note. At least, I think it’s the carnation that gives the fragrance a dry, slightly sharp kick — similar to the pepper notes used in more recent perfumes, but less spicy. To me, Sun, Moon, and Stars is like flower meadow on a warm, sunny day, but it also trails a kind of cool, dry powderiness that makes me think of an arid lunar landscape. There is a dichotomy at the heart of the fragrance that makes me want to keep smelling my wrists every time I wear it. But it is definitely not a perfume that everyone will love — especially anyone who enjoys contemporary fruity-florals and gourmand fragrances.

The second bottle that caught my attention the day I found Sun, Moon, and Stars was another throwback:

There are few fragrances more iconic than Poison. Strangely, though, it’s not one that had a strong nostalgic pull for me. I never wore it when I was younger, nor did anyone else I knew growing up. A few months ago, I got a bottle of the current version of Hypnotic Poison, but that has a completely different profile from the OG Poison … which is also a completely different animal from this: the real OG. As is the case with most perfumes that have been around for 40 years, Poison has gone through a few reformulations. Based on the research I’ve done, the bottle I found at the thrift is mostly likely from the late 80s, aka the original version of the perfume. The bottle was priced at $30, and after giving it a quick spray on the wrist (I always like to test on skin, if possible), I was not inclined to buy it. I put it back, and went off to browse the rest of the store. But after a while, the scent trail started to pull me in. I kept sniffing my wrist as I walked around, and eventually I decided this was a sign that I should go back and grab the bottle. I knew this was the kind of find that I would not come across twice; if I didn’t buy it now, I would not get the chance again. Thirty dollars was, on balance, worth it — not just because the scent intrigued me, but also because this is a little piece of perfume history.

How can I describe 80s Poison? It is unlike anything else I’ve smelled before. First of all, that quick spray from the store lasted on me for the rest of the day, and we are not talking about a skin scent here. When people talk about “beast mode” fragrances (i.e. perfumes that project strongly and last for a long time), they should be using Poison as the benchmark. It’s the kind of perfume that will not go unnoticed, and should only be used with a great deal of moderation. Its profile is unusual and intoxicating: it smells like sweet incense with notes of plum and honey. There is a carnation note in there as well, so there is a dryness that undercuts the sweetness a bit. To me, Poison smells like the scent that a Byzantine empress would have worn. It’s heady and seductive and very, very potent. It’s not a perfume I would wear every day, but for a special occasion, it’s a memorable choice.

A few weeks after the double-header event, the thrift gods blessed me again. This time, it was not my nostalgia that was peaked, but my curiosity. Since joining the fraghead community, I’ve read a lot about various niche perfume houses, but I have not had the opportunity to experience their offerings firsthand. Niche perfumes are not easily accessible to me locally and getting into the decant business doesn’t appeal to me, both from a cost and a convenience perspective. Meanwhile, even the smallest bottles of most niche perfumes are far, far above my price ceiling for blind buying. So imagine my excitement when I found a bottle of Italica Casamorati from Xerjoff for $25:

The retail cost of this 30 ml bottle is somewhere around $140USD, though it’s only available in a few places now; I don’t love the fragrance enough to pay that much for it, but I like it enough to pay the VV price. To be honest, I’m surprised they didn’t charge more for it. But, hey, I’m not complaining! Italica smells exactly like its note pyramid suggests it would — which is not always the case with perfumes! It has top notes of almond, milk and saffron; middle notes are toffee and bourbon vanilla; and base notes of sandalwood and white musk. And it smells like an almond and vanilla biscuit dipped in milk. The definition of a gourmand fragrance, though it’s not sugary sweet. I generally prefer amber-floral and woody fragrances over gourmand ones, but I can imagine Italica being a comforting fragrance choice for cold winter days. I’m glad I got the chance to try it and take it home, since I have nothing with a similar profile in my collection.

That’s all my tasty thrift finds for now, but who knows what fragrance encounters are still waiting for me at the thrift store. Stay tuned!

Details: Tommy Hilfiger shirt, Ralph Lauren sweater, Fossil belt, Coach bag (all secondhand), Banana Republic jeans (retail)

Thoughts: With fall approaching, I feel a shift in aesthetic coming — Prairie Ralph to Preppy Ralph. And I am here for it!! I think this year’s version of the Historian is going to be a mix of 70s and 90s, Ivy/collegiate, Annie Hall, and the usual RL influences mixed in. Men’s shirts, sweaters, sweater vests and waistcoats, midi skirts, and a lot of wide leg, pleated pants. Oh, and corduroy, of course! Sorry, getting carried away here a bit. Anyway, this is a transitional outfit for a rainy late-summer day. Loving navy and dark blue lately, especially with cream and different shades of brown. So simple and satisfying!

Details: Zara top, Grass Rags dress, vintage cowboy boots, turquoise accessories (all secondhand), Ricki’s skirt (retail)

Thoughts: But I’m not letting go of summer just yet! This skirt has been one of my fave purchases this year; it’s such a great addition to my summer wardrobe. It works both as a focal piece in outfits, and as a blank canvas. Here, it’s a bit of both. Denim and white with turquoise accessories is my total jam.

Details: No label dress, Prairie Trail goods jacket, Brixton hat, Hondo boots (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Can you believe that I thrifted this cotton dress specifically for this jacket and these boots? I mean, I think it makes sense, no? The colour is a perfect match for the jacket, and the length is perfect for showcasing the boots. I’ve been loving short, swing dresses this summer even though the length is a big departure from my usual style. For me, short + voluminous is the way to go — I would not feel like “me” if the dress was short and very form-fitting. I think part of it has to do with my torso-to-legs ratio (which favours the former); swing dresses make it seem like I have longer legs than I actually do, because they don’t let you see where my waist actually is, and I do enjoy feeling like a gazelle every now and then, LOL!

Details: H&M top, Only & Sons shirt, Mexx skirt, Napoleoni shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: A little Disco Southwest moment. I thought it would be fun to layer a sparkly crop top under this SW patterned shirt … and I was right. I kept the colour palette very simple, so the textures could be the focal point. It’s minimalism, Adina style 😉

Details: Uniqlo top, Prairie Trail Goods jacket & bag, Ralph Lauren skirt, Old Navy shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I just threw a bunch of my fave floral summer pieces together, and called it an outfit. And it was a good one! I’m surprised I’d never thought to pair this skirt and jacket before; the colours go together so well, and despite the fact that there are a million different patterns involved, the result is very harmonious and pleasing to my eyes. And you’ll notice that I added a new, solid-colour tee to my cropped top rotation; I think the soft lilac colour will be versatile for my wardrobe. Crop tops are one of my closet staples these days, since I wear so many high-waisted skirts and pants. They eliminate the need for tucking, and still let me show off my waist (and belts).

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt & pants & scarf, Fossil belt, Ferragamo shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: One last, basic outfit — but there is something satisfying in its simplicity, isn’t it?

It’s been donkey’s years since I last did a wardrobe analytics post, but the mood struck me the other day, and once my hyper-fixation kicks in … well, one can only ride it out. And you must also come for the ride! This time around, my brain got fixated on a question that I hadn’t considered before when running analytics on my closet: what proportion of my purchases this year (so far) have been vintage?

Going off anecdotal evidence vibes, it feels accurate to call 2024 my Year of Vintage. I have consciously focused my attention on buying older pieces, mostly from the 90s and 00s, both for the aesthetic and for the quality. The former aligns well with my current style, which has remained consistent over the last 18 months or so (and which I don’t see changing any time soon). As for the quality of that era, it was simply and inarguably better than anything sold in the last 5 years by most brands that are easily accessible to me (either retail or secondhand). So vintage is a win-win. It is also one of the few categories where thrifting can still deliver fantastic (bargain) finds. Designer clothing has been practically MIA at my local thrifts in the last 2 years, which is likely a combination of several factors – fewer donations as a result of changing macroeconomic conditions and/or competition from resale platforms, more resellers, etc. Contemporary fashion, on the other hand, is prone to arbitrary overpricing (and, as noted, the quality is trending down). Vintage is also getting rarer, and also starting to become subject to #thriftgrift, but it’s still the best value proposition going at the moment … in my personal opinion, of course.

So, was my impression correct? Is 2024 Adina’s Year of Vintage?

If we adopt a common definition of “vintage” — meaning clothing that is at least 20 years old — any items from 2004 or earlier would qualify. Obviously, most clothing does not come with a date stamp. [Gap and Banana Republic are 2 exceptions; they include an inside tag that lists the release month and year. It’s small and hidden usually, but a typical one might say something like “07/14” meaning July 2014 or “HOL/20” meaning Holiday 2020. I have seen these going back to about 1999. I am not sure if they had a different system before that, but any piece without that date tag can reasonably be assumed to be pre-2000.] So, I have to make my best guesses about the vintage of each piece I buy, based on the style, the look of the brand label (some 80s and 90s labels are very easy to spot from the font style used), the presence of union tags (super handy for dating), and the country of manufacture (ditto). I have written about the latter before, but it’s my #1 “easy tell” for vintage. For clothing made in the Y2K era or earlier, I’m looking for labels that say made in Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines. [Along with the US and Canada for some smaller brands. Ralph Lauren also did a bunch of its manufacturing in the Marianna Islands at one point in the last couple of decades.]

Anyway, based on these criteria, I have calculated that … drumroll, please … 48.5% of my clothing purchases this year have been vintage. I did not include accessories in that calculation because it’s harder for me to accurately date them, but I do think the percentage would be similar there. While, technically, the majority of my purchases this year have not been vintage, I still feel the Year of Vintage title is warranted because I am absolutely positive that this year’s percentage is much greater than in any previous year. I am very interested to see how this trend evolves in the future; I will definitely be keeping an eye on it. To make the process easier going forward, I think I will add a category to my purchase tracking sheet where I will note whether an item is vintage, so it’s tracked from the moment of purchase when the information is fresh in my mind. [I research every piece I add to my closet, including its likely vintage, as well as brand information if it’s a label I have not seen before.]

OK, moving on.

Here are some other stats I was curious about, and thought you might appreciate as well.

Where did I buy most of my clothing and accessories this year?

Unsurprisingly, the vast majority was thrifted: 84%. Poshmark and eBay accounted for 10%. Retail made up only 3% of my purchases, which I feel happy about. [The missing percentage points represent other various secondhand purchases, from consignment to garage sales.]

Did I make good choices?

This is always the question that haunts me, as a thrifter. It’s hard to make on-the-spot judgments, even with years of experience, and thrifting requires a lot of them. I try to be very, very discerning about what I buy, but I still do make the wrong choices from time to time – things that don’t end up being a good fit for me (or for my daughter, who sometimes takes my hand-me-downs if they suit her style). To date, about 4% of my purchases this year have been “misses” – i.e. things I bought and later chose to re-home. We are talking about a handful of things here, so it’s not too bad overall.

What kinds of fabrics am I buying?

I thought this would be another interesting thing to track. As I started to pay more attention to actual garment quality (as opposed to relying on brand names as a signifier of good quality) over the last few years, I have been thinking a lot more about fabrics and different types of materials. So what have I been buying in 2024?

Of clothing purchases alone, not including accessories, 28% were made of cotton, 20% were made of wool, 4% were made of silk, and 4% were made of leather. The remainder 42% were made of polyester or blends (meaning fabrics made from a blend of different fibers, which might include both synthetic and natural ones). I feel pretty good about these numbers, and I think they track with the percentage split for vintage/contemporary purchases. Most contemporary clothing is made from some sort of blend, if not 100% poly. For example, it’s not even that common to find 100% cotton garments anymore, outside of basic tees; it’s often, like, 90% cotton, 10% something else.

I am not a material snob or anything. Clearly, I still buy polyester and other synthetics. My current view is that most fibers have their ideal purposes or specific benefits, and it’s about knowing what to expect from their performance and then matching it to my own preferences and lifestyle needs. Sometimes polyester fabric is fine (and it’s a hard-wearing material, so you don’t need to baby it which makes clothing care easier). But I have to admit that I prefer cotton and wool, especially for things I wear close to the skin, like tops. Yes, this is another opportunity for me to remind you about how much I love cotton sweaters and lightweight cashmere base layers, LOL!

What am I paying for my clothes?

On average, $16.50 per item. This is, of course, a reflection of the fact that 97% of my purchases are secondhand. Estimating MSRP for the clothes I buy, especially vintage ones, is more of an art than a science; but I would ballpark my out-of-pocket cost at around 12-15% of the estimated retail value of the clothing. Again, that’s the kind of discount you can only get by shopping secondhand.

Interestingly, but anecdotally, I would say that this percentage is a bit higher than, say, 5 or 6 years ago. For example, in 2019, my actual cost was about 8.5% of the estimated retail value. I think the increase primarily correlates to two factors. One, I started shopping on Poshmark in 2020. Prices on Poshmark are always higher than at local thrift stores – at a minimum, due to the shipping costs. Two, thrift prices have absolutely gone up since 2019. There are many reasons for that, but inflation is probably first and foremost.

For fun, here are my top 5 most expensive items purchased in 2024 (so far):

Ralph Lauren vintage wool wrap skirt – $230 (eBay)

Vintage Coach bag — $138 (Poshmark)

Ralph Lauren vintage cotton floral skirt — $110 (eBay)

Jean Howell vintage wool cardigan — $81 (Poshmark)

Turquoise and silver ring — $80 (Poshmark)

As you can see, all of these were non-thrifted secondhand items. The quality and curation of items available on resale platforms comes at a price, but it’s worth it, IMO, in some cases. These are all pieces I love and plan to keep for a long time. Hopefully, forever.

And there you have it: another (mind-numbingly? I hope not) exhaustive wardrobe analytics post in the bag. I hope you found some ideas in it that might be relevant to your own clothes-buying experience, and if you have your own practices or suggestions for wardrobe tracking, please share in the comments.