My First Time Thrift Shopping
- re:form
- Mar 9, 2020
- 3 min read
Hello Thrifters! I’m Tracy and this is my experience thrift shopping for the first time!
I’ve always loved the idea of thrift shopping, and over the years I’ve bought a few items second-hand online (including a pair of 1980s green leather lace-up boots which are my favourite thing in my wardrobe) but I never had a proper thrift shopping experience before.
Before going shopping I had two expectations. The first being the typical idealization, that I would find the perfect vintage item: in my case I was hoping to find a pair of vintage-looking jeans. The second expectation being I wouldn’t find anything at all. Well, my first time was somewhere in between.
As a relatively new resident of Vancouver, I decided to use this opportunity as a way to explore the city a bit and stuck to local spots: My Sister’s Closet and The Wildlife Thrift Shop in the West End, and Aunt Leah’s Urban Thrift on East Broadway.
My first stop was My Sister’s Closet. Most of the items at this store cost around $25, so your money won’t go far but it’s going to a very good place. Revenue generated from the sale of clothing here goes toward the Battered Women's Support Services, an organization which helps to prevent and intervene in violence against women. (visit their website to learn more)
My overall experience at this store was very positive; the staff were friendly and the clothes were in great condition. After perusing the store I found two items to try on: a J Crew wool blazer and a pair of Sasson jeans. I was excited about the jeans as this was the kind of item I'd been hoping to find! They had that perfect vintage look, similar to the Levi’s Wedgie High-Rise Jeans, which I love.
The wool blazer fit great and I love all the little details (photos below). The jeans, alas, were nearly perfect but a bit too small around the waist. Disappointing, but of course finding the perfect pair of vintage jeans on my first try would have been far too easy! Sadly, I put the jeans back but I did buy the blazer, an essential item that's been missing from my wardrobe. Leaving the store with my first purchase, I was feeling good!
My next stop was The Wildlife Thrift Shop. Big and open with loud music, this store definitely has a very cool vibe. There are racks and racks of cloths, organized by size which was helpful. But unfortunately, I didn’t find anything at this store. Although the prices were low (most tops and jeans I looked at were under $20) and they had a huge selection of items for women and men, nothing really grabbed me. Better luck next time!
My final stop of the day was Aunt Leah’s Urban Thrift. The staff here were friendly, greeting me as I came in. This is a small store and doesn’t have a huge selection, but they did have some nice items. I nearly bought a chartreuse coloured sweater but ultimately decided against it, as the colour was quite bold and I wasn’t sure how often I would wear it, so I also left this store empty-handed (regret pending).
And that was my first thrift shopping experience. Although I only came home with one item, I’m happy with the purchase. Out of curiosity I decided to look on the J Crew website to see how much their wool blazers retail for. I actually found the same design of blazer, the Regent blazer, for $291 — needless to say, buying essentially the same blazer, in almost new condition for $26, feels pretty good!
Perhaps it was beginner’s luck to get such a great deal but I’m excited to go thrift shopping again. Still on the hunt for the perfect vintage jean!
And here's some photos of the blazer I bought
(daisy top: PegsVintageShop on Etsy)
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