/Style/ Thrift Store Finds

I have no shame admitting I frequent thrift/secondhand stores. I remember going to them as a young girl and reveling in the mountains of used toys. The only thing I really dislike about these type of stores, though, is that they can smell rather musty...But the thrill of shopping at thrift stores lies in the hidden treasures to be found with careful foraging. If you're lucky, there can be YSL, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Tod's waiting for you (pending it's your size and if you're willing to pay for some fixing-up) for cheap. There are also a slew of high quality leather shoes made in places like Italy, Spain, and Brazil.
I went to a Salvation Army earlier today, there was already a line of people waiting for the store to open. On Fridays, this location has 50% off everything (except mattresses and coffee). I was able to find these shoes:


They are Bally green and black suede shoes. I adore the little bow accent on the cap toe. I did not buy these, perhaps they'd fetch a nice price on ebay, because they were much too small being size five and all.




I saw these shirts and I instantly thought Urban Outfitters. One might see these exact shirts on clothing racks at UO for 10x the price. I have nothing against Urban Outfitters; I actually shopped there all the time in my high school/early college years, but its appeal is lost on my now. If you're looking for UO-ish clothes and on a budget, seriously check out a thrift store (or your mother's closet). Even though thrift stores aren't blaring "indie", experimental, or old-skool hip-hop while you shop and everything kind of smells awful, with patience you'll most likely find exactly what you've been looking for. Case in point, here is an outfit I was able to come up with rummaging through the store.


I'm not sure if you can see (sorry as all these pictures were taken with my phone and all the individual elements are difficult to discern in this particular one), but I put together a floral shirt, brown shorts, a purse, and sandals. I find this ensemble very summery, it's something I would definitely wear. The purse and sandals were real leather, too, so they'll last a while longer and be genuine vintage. I loved those sandals (made in Brazil), yet they, too, were size five...The only thing I came home with were a pair of shorts (not seen above) and a bunny toy.
Thrift stores can be fun to look through. You could find something great that you'll end up treasuring. It's lot better for the environment as clothes get recycled and the clothes there won't support foreign sweatshop as the clothes aren't (directly) made in them. Granted, it's not a very glamorous place to shop nor is it organized, but check them out once in a while for vintage things or to get stuff for cheap.