A month or so ago, I popped into Hamlet’s Vintage – purveyor of the offensive $15 beat-up tee – on a mission: I needed tall, black, flat boots. Again.
In the past year alone, I have gone through not one, not two, but THREE PAIRS of tall flat black boots. When I say “gone through” I [...]

My extensive bitching last week re: astronomically overpriced vintage prompted the following anonymous comment:
You want THE BEST vintage in the city, I’ve got the place/s for you. Run, do not walk to Park Slope to visit a few places:
1. Odd Twin on the corner of Lincoln Place and 5th Avenue AND
2. Yona Lee Vintage store [...]

A reader recently asked why I don’t shop at Urban Outfitters.
I don’t know if it’s the music, the faux vintage and/or gimmicky tees, the uber-cute stuff at uber-offensive price points, or that my definition of SALE is rarely in sync with the stores’ reduced-price racks, but all of the above makes Urban Outfitters my personal [...]

Yesterday afternoon, in the spirit of amping up my knowledge of all-things-secondhand, I did a walking tour of the Lower East Side’s vintage shops. To say I was nonplussed would be putting it lightly – appalled is more like it. The excursion was so infuriating, it actually made me want to go to yoga. I [...]

Every three months or so, I suffer a crisis of faith re: my mission to get you gals shopping in the most fiscally, socially and environmentally responsible way there is (a.k.a. secondhand, obvs).
The inner monologue goes something like this: Resale’s an easy sell, but what about thrift? The notion of patience as the only [...]

I usually balk at $200 dresses, but if the garment in question amounts to twenty-four dresses in one, it makes the price infinitely more palatable (if not less perilous for your budget). Hence the awesomeness of Butter by Nadia.

Upon learning of the convertible wrap dress phenomenon last year, I heard a little voice in my [...]

Let’s play the Retail V. Resale numbers game with the below Marc Jacobs Sweater.

If ever you’re miffed at the difficulty of selling to Buffalo Exchange (East Village), look at it this way: High buying standards on their end ensure brandtastic scores on yours. Over and over and over again.
OBSESSED.

Welcome to Retail V. Resale, a new feature where we examine the cost differential between new and gently-worn. (Spoiler alert: Cheap always wins.)
The Three Dots Sheer Jersey Sculpted Tee with Pocket is the kind of top that almost makes me a believer in heinously overpriced basics – it’s that awesome.
Luckily, tissue-thin brandtastic tees can also [...]

Had a solid browse last week at the 23rd Street Goodwill.

Warm, versatile and most importantly, cropped. Eighties!

The pics don’t lie: That’s a tags-on-new $52.00 Splendid U-Neck Puff Sleeve Tee right there. (Originally $51.00 online – the Anthropologie tag attached to the one pictured makes it cost a dollar more. Jackholes.)

Another new retail goodie that ended [...]

Beats the hell outta Century 21. If you’re in the Union Square area at any point this weekend, do swing by. Designer goodies at redonkulously low prices abound.
Cure Thrift Bag Sale
Vintage & designer clutches, totes, hobos, satchels, wallets, purses, luggage and more!
Whether you’re looking for your next everyday carry-all, or just something fun to wear [...]

You want proof? You got it:

When I think of the Upper East’s crop of charity-related thrift stores, one term comes to mind: Identity Crisis.
In a vacuum, the average price point for worn-out wares of the J. Crew, GAP and Banana Republic ilk is about $7 per piece, max. Go north on the 4/5 line, exit at 86th street, and you’ll [...]

The Alcove Thrift Shop netted me the following:

-Zara shift dress
-pony hair belt
-skinny belt
-military-inspired pencil skirt
-versatile vintage blouse
The most expensive thing was the dress, at a whopping six bucks. Everything else was under $5.

If memory serves, all the above came to less than $20.00.

That is the smile of a happy shopper. More pics en route.

Yesterday, reader KD imparted the following wisdom:
Don’t get me wrong; this is a great find and I love your blog. But I thought Beacon’s Closet was supposed to be a thrift store. I realize that its in NYC and quite organized, but thrift is NOT a $35 dress! Thrift is $15 and below dresses! Most [...]

This is an Alice & Olivia Party Dress.

It has a lot of sequins. It gets worn once or twice a year. It costs $440.00.
It is, heretofore, an idiotic purchase.
A party dress is kinda like a going-out top that way: It sits in your closet, collecting guilt, reminding you of what a moron you were [...]

Spoiled children like myself are often raised on boutique shopping. This becomes a problem when they grow up and have to buy their own clothes.
I tend to abstain from browsing stores of this tempting ilk – I’m not about to risk a nostalgic episode that undoes my current budget shopping skillz. Unless the store in [...]

Theory cashmere sweaters have been on my If I Could I Would list for quite some time. Meaning if we entered dreamland and $250.00 suddenly wasn’t an absurd price to pay for un sweater de cashmere (no I don’t speak a second language), I’d go for it.
A Theory cashmere sweater equates to winter awesomeness. It’s [...]

Possibly still intoxicated. Also suffering foot cramps as a result of a last-minute decision to don impractical shoes last night. Dancing in sky-high boots is a surefire means to looking drunker than you actually are. Write that down.
I’m not sharp enough to pen anything else of note – luckily, I wrote the below a few [...]

When I think about holiday shopping, the term “fun” generally doesn’t come to mind. I mean fine, religion mandates my celebrating Chanukah over Christmas, which – regardless of what your Jewish friends tell you – stinks like poo once you’re past the age of ten. Perhaps there are a few presents; there sure as shit [...]

Three years ago, Mommy gifted me with what would become my fave transitional coat: A Twill Twenty Two tweed zip-up jacket, trimmed in faux fur. The thing was kickass. STELLAR. Two years of continuous wear resulted in an unraveling exterior and a torn interior, but I wasn’t yet ready to give it up: I snipped [...]