I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been very lucky in my thrifting. I’ve scored some amazing designer pieces for next to nothing, and I’d be hard pressed to pick favourites. There aren’t many things that still make me go “ooh” when I discover them on the racks of my local thrift stores; I’ve stopped being surprised at the things that people donate — because I’ve seen pretty much every major label you can imagine. There are, of course, a few exceptions. Some, you might say, unicorns. Hermes, Chanel, Dior — that sort of thing. In those cases, the best a thrifter can usually hope for is finding vintage pieces, and even those are truly rare.

I have a shortlist of “unicorns” that I would love to find, but near the top of the list are a few practical ones. For example, Manolo Blahnik Campari pumps. Saw a pair at Nordstrom last year and fell in love, but at $500 (on sale) it wasn’t a love destined for a happy ending. My black Stuart Weitzman pumps are reaching the end of their useful life, and I would like to replace them with another pair of pointy toe pumps … like the Campari. No luck so far, sadly. Another practical thing I need is a trench. I’ve been looking for one for at least 3 years, and have never found one I liked at an affordable price point. I mean, a girl can only dream about Burberry, right?

Well …

… it turns out that a girl can do more than dream, sometimes. To my utter and complete disbelief, I found this like-new Burberry trench at a local Goodwill. I don’t know the name of the style, but it looks like a contemporary one. All the hardware is in pristine condition, which leads me to believe it isn’t more than 5 years old (or was never worn). There isn’t a single flaw I could detect in this darn coat. And it cost me all of $8.

It’s such an unlikely, unbelievably lucky score, I can’t help but laugh every time I think about it. If only I was this lucky at playing the lottery, I could have been a multi-millionaire by now. On the plus side, who needs the lottery to look like a million bucks when you have a good thrift scene at your disposal?

Tell me: what was the biggest unicorn you have ever captured in the (thrifting) wild? What’s the biggest one you’d like to find?

I rarely buy clothes at retail, which is in part a function of (but also a reason for) never going to the mall anymore. But I still go grocery shopping, and since I shop at Superstore, I can’t help but have an occasional gander at Joe Fresh’s fresh new offerings. This dress somehow jumped into my cart one day. I don’t know how that happened, you guys. I blame the cute, vaguely 90s floral print. It’s quite comfy, drawstring waist notwithstanding, and I can see it becoming a summer weekend staple.

Here, I decided to pair it with my new (thrifted) BCBG faux suede waterfall jacket … mostly because I just wanted to take the jacket out for a “spin”. (Also, because the bluish/purplish grey colour matches one of the colours in the floral print, and my matchy heart can’t resist.) I love the draping in the front, and the hi-low situation. Here’s a better view:

I forgot to mention the dress has a side slit. Seriously, it’s a 90s revival up in here. Last I saw it, the dress was just over $20 after applying a 25% off promotion. Worth checking out if you’re feeling nostalgic about the decade that gave us THE best teen movies ever. Also, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I could go on, but I’ll stop because my old nerd is showing. But join me in the comments if you feel like reminiscing.

My bangs are so tragic in these photos that they’re totally throwing me off; I’m pretty sure this was a cute outfit, but I don’t know if I’m doing it justice. This (thrifted, natch) Maeve blouse did get me quite a few compliments at the office, and it’s very comfortable to boot. Rayon is usually dependable in that regard. These William Rast skinnies are also soft and comfy, with a good amount of stretch. Is WR still considered premium denim? What is Justin Timberlake up to these days anyway?

Sorry, got side-tracked there for a minute. I still haven’t managed to find a replacement for my red suede flats, but luckily they’re not quite dead yet. They always add a nice touch of colour. Because it was a chillier morning, I threw on my newly thrifted Ben Sherman peacoat and lookit: so great. Please excuse my Hulk pose, I wanted to show the fit.

One word: amazing. And it was only $8, you guys! This one was definitely a happy-dance kind of thrift find.