Cheap JAP » cheap thrills http://cheapjap.com shop cheap. look loaded. Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:38:41 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Retro Plus Retail Equals An Oxymoron http://cheapjap.com/thrift/retro-style-spring-trends http://cheapjap.com/thrift/retro-style-spring-trends#comments Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:14:17 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=10584 Retro Trend shall heretofore commence. Clarifying the meaning of “retro” as it relates to style is probs a good place to start. Let’s jack some knowledge from Wikipedia: Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from

...keep reading Retro Plus Retail Equals An Oxymoron

]]> Retro Trend shall heretofore commence. Clarifying the meaning of “retro” as it relates to style is probs a good place to start. Let’s jack some knowledge from Wikipedia:
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of “retro” style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc. It generally implies a vintage of at least 15 or 20 years.
You hear that, chickadees? Old shiznat is In. So In that Topshop sent two chicks from its design team over to AuH2O yesterday to spy on us, which was half-flattering and half-absurd. (What’s wrong, Topshop? Is the shitstorm of sparkles and feathers and other overpriced barely-wearables not going as well as you’d hoped?)

Retro basically means stolen from the past. This makes it the easiest trend in the history of trends to thrift, should you choose to incorporate elements of it into your wardrobe. Tie-front blouses, long skirts, printed button down shirts – there’s about nine kajillion of all the above in every shape, size and color in every Salvation Army Family Store and every Goodwill Outlet Center on the planet. For serious.

The tops below were snagged on a stock run earlier this week… before I’d even browsed Shopbop’s latest trend schmend lookbooks. The extent of the Retro sham eventually became clear. Swearsies, my vintage striped blouse is 100% silk too. Nothing’s wrong with it, aside from the fact that it’s been duplicated, coined the “Clean Sheer Striped Shirt” and perverted by Madewell‘s $95.00 pricetag. Grossness.Am I on glue here, or does the earth-toned, Safari-inspired trend thing happen EVERY SINGLE SPRING and just rotate what it calls itself? I guess this year it’s masquerading as Retro; next year it’ll be Natural or something equally vague. Whatever.

A few small differences between my thrift find and its retail copy, err, inspiration (also by Madewell – someone on that design team def digs Goodwill.) One: Mine is linen – a fabric of equal caliber to silk, IMHO. Two: Mine is olive, as opposed to poop brown. Onto the prints!Okay, okay, I’m aware that the Tommy Bahama number at left isn’t objectively attractive. It could possibly be deemed ugly as sin. Guess what? I don’t give a RAT’S ASS. I think it’s AMAZING. I think it’s my favorite top I own right now, and I think I’m going to wear it all spring and summer, possibly to family events, where it will undoubtedly embarrass my mother.

My feeling is, if you’re gonna go tie-front, go big or go home, and if you’re gonna go print, go loud while you’re at it. I wore it to work yesterday, assuming it’d be slow because it was a weekday and the weather was absolute shite. We ended up getting slammed for the bulk of the afternoon, which obvs means that in addition to being awesome, the Tommy Bahama is also lucky.

For today’s version of the aforementioned lucky top, see the Adhan Sleeveless Blouse by Equipment. It’s a little less loud and little more modern… I might even call it cute. Oh, except it’s effing two hundred and forty two dollars.

I’m sorry, but a top costing more than two Benjamins better take ten pounds off, make my boobs look perkier, go with every thing I own, and have a lifespan of approximately 75 years. If it doesn’t do any of the above, it’s not a top at all. It’s a FELONY.

Peacey outtie and a big fat MWAH.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/thrift/retro-style-spring-trends/feed 6 Marc Jacobs’ Vintage-Inspired Dress vs. The Real Deal http://cheapjap.com/vintage/marc-jacobs-vintage-inspired-dress http://cheapjap.com/vintage/marc-jacobs-vintage-inspired-dress#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:14:18 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=10532 Marc by Marc Jacobs‘ latest runway show.

The technical term for a dress like this is vintage-inspired. Horseshit. This is highbrow copycatting at its most uncreative.
I mean, if you’re going to highjack a design from a previous era, at least DO SOMETHING to it to

...keep reading Marc Jacobs’ Vintage-Inspired Dress vs. The Real Deal

]]> Marc by Marc Jacobs‘ latest runway show.


The technical term for a dress like this is vintage-inspired. Horseshit. This is highbrow copycatting at its most uncreative.

I mean, if you’re going to highjack a design from a previous era, at least DO SOMETHING to it to make it your own. Why buy a pricey, vintage-inspired dress if we can snag an authentic vintage one for hundreds of dollars less?
Why, indeed.

I found this gem of a dress in the back bins at Green Village Junk Shop.

The clothes there cost $2.00 a pound. So this dress cost me approximately 15 cents.

I WIN.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/vintage/marc-jacobs-vintage-inspired-dress/feed 1 Spring Stock Preview! http://cheapjap.com/thrift/spring-stock-preview http://cheapjap.com/thrift/spring-stock-preview#comments Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:01:08 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=10462 Goodwill Outlet Center isn’t just challenging: It is a trying test of spirit and will. I’ve been at it for two years now, and it knocks me on my ass EVERY SINGLE TIME.
High volume thrift is a dangerous journey. Here’s how the clothes-by-the-pound game is played: Approach massive bin of

...keep reading Spring Stock Preview!

]]> Goodwill Outlet Center isn’t just challenging: It is a trying test of spirit and will. I’ve been at it for two years now, and it knocks me on my ass EVERY SINGLE TIME.

High volume thrift is a dangerous journey. Here’s how the clothes-by-the-pound game is played:
  1. Approach massive bin of donated crap.
  2. Plunge arms into bottom of bin; grab as much clothing as wingspan/bicep strength allows; yank in upward direction.
  3. Sift through first pull; put promising items into cart.
  4. Repeat 4-5 times for current bin.
  5. Repeat steps 2-4 for every subsequent bin.
How large is a massive bin of donated crap? Five feet wide, nine feet long, four feet deep – and that’s a conservative guess.

How many massive bins of donated crap exist at Goodwill Outlet Center? Forty or so – enough to scare the shit out of me.

Why do I continue to frequent a place that leaves me battered and brain-fried? Because it’s the biggest payoff in the history of thrift. (Also, because I need stock for my thriftique: We bust our asses to find it cheap so we can price it cheap. You’re welcome. :P )

Sifting through mountains of damages, stains, dated fugliness and suspicious odors isn’t fun by a long shot; trying the stuff on when you’re done sure as hell is, but it’s not the ultimate reward. The best part of all the work that goes in to foraging kickass stock? Watching someone fall in love with something it took me hours to find. Sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I guess I’m in the right business.

A few finds from my latest AuH2O stock run.
More laters. Mwah!

P.S. Dig the polaroid frames?! Picnik, I LOVE YOU. :P
]]> http://cheapjap.com/thrift/spring-stock-preview/feed 2 Dry Shampoo on the Uber Cheap http://cheapjap.com/style/dry-shampoo-uber-cheap http://cheapjap.com/style/dry-shampoo-uber-cheap#comments Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:41:50 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=10270 work on time. I could have done both at ludicrous speed, but I was low on

...keep reading Dry Shampoo on the Uber Cheap

]]> work on time. I could have done both at ludicrous speed, but I was low on energy that morning; the thirty-minute time suck that is the wash/blow dry cycle was more than I could reasonably handle. Was it possible to omit the exercise and still have a good hair day? Maybe. A half-ass blow dry (i.e. what happens when you dampen your dry, unwashed hair, dab on some straightening serum and dry it in sections) never lasts more than a few hours. An up-do was an option, but I effing hate wearing my hair up. Ditto for au natural – my strands are too thin for that shiznat. I was about to resign myself to a wash/blow dry cycle at ludicrous speed, when it dawned on me: Dry Shampoo! I hopped off the train and hauled ass to CVS in pursuit.

Many beauty magazines will tell you dry shampoo is available in your local drugstore. They are lying. After scanning the appropriate aisles and coming up dry-shampoo-less, I remembered my mother’s penchant for baby powder.
Mom is a baby powder fanatic. She uses it in place of deodorant, she sprinkles it in shoes, her make-up area’s covered with the stuff. I’ve even seen it on her shoulders a few times… does that mean she uses it in her hair??? I hightailed it to the diapers aisle, found the baby powder, and got my answer.

What’s in dry shampoo that makes it suck up the oil and grease so effectively? Cornstarch. Also a key ingredient in any good baby powder. Booyah!

I sped home to my apartment, giddy with anticipation. The baby powder did exactly what I’d hoped, and then some: I went from greasy flat mess to Brazilian blowout in approximately ten seconds. Hello AWESOME.

Baby powder isn’t just my newfound alternative to the wash/blow dry cycle; since that morning, it’s become one of my favorite styling products EVER. A good dry shampoo will run you anywhere from $15.00 – $35.00. What’d I pay for my Johnson & Johnson? $3.49. Loves it!
]]> http://cheapjap.com/style/dry-shampoo-uber-cheap/feed 13 Salvation Army Family Day: Dresses http://cheapjap.com/thrift/dresses-salvation-arm http://cheapjap.com/thrift/dresses-salvation-arm#comments Thu, 30 Dec 2010 18:48:02 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=10187 Salvation Army and Goodwill: Both chains tend to use their upper crust locations as grounds for ripping people off. There is, however, one exception to the marked-up donations trend, and it happens once a week at Salvation Army’s Hell’s

...keep reading Salvation Army Family Day: Dresses

]]> Salvation Army and Goodwill: Both chains tend to use their upper crust locations as grounds for ripping people off. There is, however, one exception to the marked-up donations trend, and it happens once a week at Salvation Army’s Hell’s Kitchen location.

FAMILY DAY.

For six days a week, one color tag gets highlighted on the 2nd floor’s big red board. Everything tagged in that color is 50% off. But every Wednesday without fail, something magical happens: Salvation Army pulls a switcheroo. On Wednesdays, the merch tagged in the color highlighted is the only merch that isn’t on sale. Everything else – i.e. over 75% of the store – is 50% off. Happy hump day to us all!

A few dresses from my latest haul, snagged at 50% off their original Salvation Army price:
For shirt dresses like the above, Banana Republic charges around $120 a pop, and that is a travesty of epic proportions. Paying $3.49 for one isn’t reasonable: It’s robbery.
DAMN it feels good to be a GANGSTA. Bah!

An uber versatile, 90s era Candies trench dress for $2.99?! Can’t beat that shiznat.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/thrift/dresses-salvation-arm/feed 2 Vintage on the Uber Cheap:Green Village Junk Shop http://cheapjap.com/vintage/cheap-vintage-green-village http://cheapjap.com/vintage/cheap-vintage-green-village#comments Fri, 17 Dec 2010 22:40:05 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=10152 ...keep reading Vintage on the Uber Cheap:
Green Village Junk Shop

]]> Goodwill Outlet Center has afforded me my fair share of cheap thrills in the past, the act of tackling it in earnest is exhaustifying. Also occasionally nauseating. The responsibility of stocking a vintage/thrift boutique means I’ve recently found myself in dire need of GOC alternatives.

You’re probs thinking “Hang the eff on. You mean you stock stuff you buy by the pound, and sell it individually for a higher price?” You bet your ass I do, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. When you’re stocking a vintage/thrift boutique, and you want to keep your price points reasonable – cheap, even – you’ve gotta go off the grid to find the goods. Our stock costs are lower than most because a shit ton of time and energy goes into finding what we eventually sell. This enables us to tack on a small convenience charge for our efforts in lieu of the offensive mark-ups often seen at other vintage/thrift stores – a fair trade off, methinks.

Revealing where I get some of my stock could, perhaps, result in a loss of business, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. My feeling is, if you’ve got the cojones to go where I go and shop how I shop, I’m not about to deprive you of the opportunity to do so; inclusion begets positive shopping karma. On that note, let’s talk about Green Village Junk Shop.

There’s two apparel options at Green Village: Priced per piece and priced per pound ($2.00 per lb). The per-pound option has one small catch: You gotta buy ten pounds or more to get the deal. Ten pounds of clothing might sound like a lot, but believe you me, it adds up fast. The back bins at Green Village aren’t just a more manageable, pared-down version of those at Goodwill Outlet Center. They’re a vintage fiend’s dream: Retro fabulosity lurks beneath the donated muck. Dig hard, hunt enthusiastically, and here’s a preview of what you might find:




The thriftastic awesomeness above obvs didn’t magically reveal itself to me at the get-go; two to three hours of aerobic foraging is the standard for a haul of this caliber.

My shopping stamina mirrors that of a European tourist at Century 21 these days: I had enough energy at the end of my apparel browse to dig for accessories, which proved equally enthralling.


There was, of course, the issue of travel; first to the laundromat to sanitize, then home to my apartment. Hauling thirty pounds of stock around on foot isn’t fun by a long shot, but trying everything on when it’s still warm from the dryer sure as hell is. A warm and fuzzy end to a job well done.

Green Village, I love you. Viva la thrift.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/vintage/cheap-vintage-green-village/feed 4 AuH2O Holiday Party TONIGHT! http://cheapjap.com/thrift/auh2o-holiday-party-tonight http://cheapjap.com/thrift/auh2o-holiday-party-tonight#comments Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:25:00 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=10146 AuH2O, and you’re all cordially invited to partake in the festivities!

That’s right. For two and a half blissful hours, our ENTIRE STORE is 15% OFF! Swing by, sip some cocktails, catch a sugar buzz and snag some kickass,

...keep reading AuH2O Holiday Party TONIGHT!

]]> AuH2O, and you’re all cordially invited to partake in the festivities!

That’s right. For two and a half blissful hours, our ENTIRE STORE is 15% OFF! Swing by, sip some cocktails, catch a sugar buzz and snag some kickass, unique, sustainable gifts for your loved ones (and for yourself, obvs). Cheers! 8C5SRCYDU6KT
]]> http://cheapjap.com/thrift/auh2o-holiday-party-tonight/feed 0 How To: Repair Damaged Fur http://cheapjap.com/diy-fashion/damaged-fur-repair http://cheapjap.com/diy-fashion/damaged-fur-repair#comments Sun, 12 Dec 2010 17:09:45 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=10107 ...keep reading How To: Repair Damaged Fur

]]> $10 bunny-tastic jacket from Green Village Junk Shop. Actually, “torn” is an understatement. Gaping hole is more accurate. Remedying the damage required far more than a needle and thread; it needed to be masked entirely; transformed by outside forces. The hole had to be filled, but with what? This wasn’t a typical patchwork job – it’s not like we’re talking about an effing pair of jeans here. Luckily, once I realized the material used to salvage the jacket had to be as fluff-errific as the jacket itself, the answer became abundantly clear.

MORE FUR.

I don’t own mink blankets or bearskin rugs; I’m not rich enough to be that ostentatious. Yet. I do, however, own a vintage fur scarf. At least I did, until I cut it up in the name of the greater score.

THE TOOLS:
- Extra Fur in Complementary Color
- Industrial Strength Scissors
- Thick, Durable, Dangerously Sharp Needle
- Cream Colored Thread
- This American Life Podcast (Because stabbing into fur sans finger injury over and over again requires full visual focus, i.e. NO TV. A thimble probs would have been a good idea – Dear Hindsight, I hate you. Moving on.)

THE PROCESS:
(1) Place extra fur on top of hole. Shift until piece of extra fur covers hole in its entirety. Trim extra fur into appropriate shape. Fur patch accomplished.

(2) Measure a piece of thread using the length of your arm as a guide. Snip. Thread needle. Use needle threader to avoid added frustration/aggression.

(3) Smart, patient people pin fabric into place before sewing it onto other fabric. I hail from the DIY school of thought that says imperfections/flaws are beautiful (Just like people! You can gag now). This gives me a stellar excuse to skip tedious steps a la pre-stitch pinning; to each her own.

(4) Sewing time! I started from the interior of the jacket and pierced through both fur pieces for two stitches to secure the patch to the jacket (this may or may not be called a basting stitch), then I realized going from the inside to the outside and back again was – on account of the thickness of the material – a massive beotch and a half. The remaining stitching was done exclusively on the exterior, on a diagonal of sorts.

Can I give you a more technical explanation? Eff no – this is sewing for the domestically challenged, 101. Just make it your biznass to secure the patch to the fur sans excessive heinousness, and you’ll be fine.
A big fat bonus of working with fur? It’s voluminous enough to hide mistakes.

My sewing skills are well below average, but I was still able to make sweet citrus juice out of this lemon of a coat. I actually dig the slight contrast of the cream patch against the white coat – looks like a badass back pocket, methinks.

$10.00 + 1 hour of DIY time = 1 fluffy dream of a coat. A worthy purchase and allocation of energy indeed. Loves it!
]]> http://cheapjap.com/diy-fashion/damaged-fur-repair/feed 6 Thrift Collective Clothes Swap Alert http://cheapjap.com/thrift/thrift-collective-clothes-swap http://cheapjap.com/thrift/thrift-collective-clothes-swap#comments Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:25:11 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=5799 ...keep reading Thrift Collective Clothes Swap Alert

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Thrift Collective is hosting a clothes swap @ the uber-hip Gallery Bar this Saturday evening, from 6:00 – 8:30p.m. Tix are $15 a pop, and buy you access to fab music, drink specials, complimentary noshes and most importantly, FREE CLOTHES. Hit the online invite to register (see Thrift Collective Clothes Swapping Event @ eventbrite), and check out these guidelines re: swap-appropriate items:
Bring ONLY 5 -10 items to donate, folded in bags. Bring your own bags. Bags will not be distributed. No hangers.

ITEMS TO SWAP INCLUDE: Clothing (gently worn or new):
Coats
Pants
Dresses
Jeans
Sweaters
T-Shirts
Blouses
Skirts
Blouses
Jackets
**Shoes – Limited to bringing 2 pairs ONLY**

Accessories:
Bags
Scarves
Hats
Belts
Purses
Gowns
Jewelry
Watches


* At the end of the event (8:30pm) all Clothing, Accessories and shoes that have not found a new home will be donated to local charities.

* Items should be clean and cannot be submitted dirty, torn or with broken zippers.

By registering and participating in this event all members/participants have agreed to the rules of participation as listed above.

Email fabienne@thriftcollective.com if you have any questions.


Loves it!
]]> http://cheapjap.com/thrift/thrift-collective-clothes-swap/feed 0 Bag Sale Style http://cheapjap.com/thrift/bag-sale-style http://cheapjap.com/thrift/bag-sale-style#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:49:19 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=5788 ...keep reading Bag Sale Style

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I’m not a bonafide bag sale fanatic because I’ve mastered the exercise – my personal margin of error’s around 50%, meaning half of my take-home ends up getting donated to another thrift after the fact. Why, then, do I continually participate in this extreme form of budget shopping? Because when you shop in a way that has little to no impact on your budget, it inevitably opens your mind. You notice styles and materials you’d otherwise ignore. You’re intrigued by an uber-eighties blazer, and figure, what the hell? I’d never buy this as an individual item, but if it’s one thing in a ten-piece lot, I’ll give it a whirl. You’re not really a skirt person (or an Urban Outfitters person, for that matter), but the print on that Lux skirt’s cute enough to make you reconsider.

You get them home, you try them on (after a wash/dry cycle, obvs), and you realize: Wait, maybe I DO like eighties blazers! Maybe I AM a skirt person! Maybe I totally heart wearing them together! And that’s that.

Thank you, Cure Thrift, for throwing an annual bag sale, and for indirectly prompting the above realizations. If I don’t look as psyched as I am in the above pic, it’s only because those hot black pumps hurt like a bitch and a half.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/thrift/bag-sale-style/feed 5 Outcasts Resurrectible Goods http://cheapjap.com/thrift/outcasts-thrift http://cheapjap.com/thrift/outcasts-thrift#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:12:47 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=5688 ...keep reading Outcasts Resurrectible Goods

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For scarves, gloves, hats, bags, wallets, necklaces, earrings, and mystery kitsch (i.e. two-dollar brown bags filled with unknown somethings, stapled shut – it’s like giving yourself a gift!) hit Outcasts Resurrectible Goods in Hell’s Kitchen. Truly a gem of a store.

Outcasts Resurrectible Goods/666 Tenth Ave (near 46th St)/Monday-Saturday 10:30 – 6/Cash Only.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/thrift/outcasts-thrift/feed 0 Suburban Secondhand http://cheapjap.com/thrift/suburban-secondhand http://cheapjap.com/thrift/suburban-secondhand#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:03:46 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=5155 ...keep reading Suburban Secondhand

]]>
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 of what is thrift in NYC is more like consignment, but donated.
KD makes an important distinction here. The beast of thrift is the time spent sifting the fab from the fugly. Once the fab gets found, it’s cheaper than you ever thought possible. Therein lies the beauty.

Resale (a.k.a. the practice of Buy-Sell-Trade) tells a slightly different story. That shopping resale’s a lot less frustrating than shopping thrift is no accident. With BSTs, the bulk of the sifting has already been done for you. Resale buyers neg a lot more than they take, and the pared-down selection makes for a more efficient browsing experience.

Give me an hour at Salvation Army, and I might leave empty-handed. Give me an hour at a resale shop like Beacon’s Closet, and I’m bound to find something sensational. The trade-off with the latter is its slightly higher price point. Glad we got that cleared up.

KD’s assertion that shopping thrift means paying less than $15.00 per item is right on… unless you live in NYC, where Upper East Side charity-related thrift stores charge twice that for damaged GAP crap. Everything costs more in major urban hubs and thrift is no exception. Go beyond the city, and things get a whole lot cheaper.



Case in point: The Alcove in Northfield, New Jersey. All of the tags pictured are under $10.00. The $6.00 one was attached to the below Zara shift dress:

Note: Zara dresses usually retail for upwards of $100.00. BAH!

For the full score report, stay tuned. Shit was reDONKulous.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/thrift/suburban-secondhand/feed 2 Clothes by the Pound at Queens Goodwill Outlet Center http://cheapjap.com/thrift/queens-goodwill-outlet-center http://cheapjap.com/thrift/queens-goodwill-outlet-center#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:48:10 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=3810 Thrifty Fashionista‘s stellar Vintage Pop-Up Sales last week, which will henceforth be announced here as they happen. The Thrifty Fashionista and I obvs bonded over our collective love of thrift and our similar notions of what constitutes cheap; I was impressed by both her sifting abilities and the

...keep reading Clothes by the Pound at Queens Goodwill Outlet Center

]]> Thrifty Fashionista‘s stellar Vintage Pop-Up Sales last week, which will henceforth be announced here as they happen. The Thrifty Fashionista and I obvs bonded over our collective love of thrift and our similar notions of what constitutes cheap; I was impressed by both her sifting abilities and the way in which her merch was priced. Girl’s got a fab eye, fo sho. I bought two uber versatile wrap tops and spent under twenty bucks, but that’s another post for another day.

Today’s subject matter deals with the most epic thrifting tip I’ve ever received. Thrifty Fashionista gave me permission to share it with you, but it comes with a catch: It’s for thrifting pros ONLY. I’m not saying this to exclude you newbies out there – I’m saying it to protect you. For to embark on a quest of this magnitude unarmed with extensive thrifting experience is to throw yourself to the secondhand shopping wolves. Unless you’ve clocked at least 50 or so hours of down-and-dirty digging, don’t even think about it. You will traumatize yourself, and possibly never thrift again. It’s an overwhelming test designed to break you – the LSAT of thrift stores, if you will.

It’s the Goodwill Outlet Center in Queens.

Thrifty Fashionista sums it up as “like the Housing Works All-You-Can-Stuff Bag Sale, but calm” – agreed. The lack of people-related insanity’s a plus, but the act of sifting through the astronomical amount of material castoffs will drive you crazy regardless. It’s just a matter of when.

So. Why put yourself through the hell of hauling ass to Queens and digging through bin after bin after bin of crappy castoffs? This is the place where donated clothing goes to die. What could possibly make the experience of shopping the most unwanted of the castoffs worth your time and energy?

Pop Quiz time:



Eight pounds, exactly. Do I know this because I personally weighed it and/or have a knack for guestimating numbers? Nope. I know this because the Goodwill Outlet Center prices ALL of their merch BY THE POUND.



I didn’t just find an almost-new American Apparel top, a J.Crew seersucker blazer and a seventies-era Bloomingdales fitted polo tee; I found mind-bending wares from decades back, the kind of things that masquerade as “vintage” and get marked up 900% by greedy Manhattan vendors.

All told, I got eight pounds worth of kickass, original stuff for less than the price of one Forever 21 top. Marinate on THAT for a hot sec.

Stay tuned for an extensive list of Goodwill Outlet Center survival tactics; also, a photographic barrage of all the fab stuff I found. One woman’s trash…

(Okay fine, I won’t subject you to another cliche. But it’s true! Eeek!)
]]> http://cheapjap.com/thrift/queens-goodwill-outlet-center/feed 18 What Five Dollar Denim Looks Like http://cheapjap.com/thrift/five-dollar-denim http://cheapjap.com/thrift/five-dollar-denim#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:23:50 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=3557 April 77 Denim is one of those reasonably priced alternatives to $200 designer jeans. The line’s super cute, and retails for around $95 a pop.
Reasonably priced is good; cheap is better. Cheap like these April 77s pictured below, which I found on the 23rd Street Goodwill’s FIVE DOLLAR DENIM RACK.

...keep reading What Five Dollar Denim Looks Like

]]> April 77 Denim is one of those reasonably priced alternatives to $200 designer jeans. The line’s super cute, and retails for around $95 a pop.

Reasonably priced is good; cheap is better. Cheap like these April 77s pictured below, which I found on the 23rd Street Goodwill’s FIVE DOLLAR DENIM RACK.



Booyah.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/thrift/five-dollar-denim/feed 0 The Post Where I Retract My Previous Position On Secondhand Leggings http://cheapjap.com/resale/secondhand-leggings http://cheapjap.com/resale/secondhand-leggings#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:16:39 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=3443 In the past, I’ve described leggings as too close to underwear to be thrifted in good conscience. I’d like to retract my position, as I’ve recently come to the conclusion that the sketch-factor of secondhand items has more to do with what they’re made of than with what they’re classified as.
Per esempio,

...keep reading The Post Where I Retract My Previous Position On Secondhand Leggings

]]> In the past, I’ve described leggings as too close to underwear to be thrifted in good conscience. I’d like to retract my position, as I’ve recently come to the conclusion that the sketch-factor of secondhand items has more to do with what they’re made of than with what they’re classified as.

Per esempio, cotton absorbs 25 times its weight in water. This means a secondhand cotton tee can be questionable, depending on who’s sweated in it before you. If it has pitstains, it’s probs not something you want to wear. Or touch, for that matter. Just use your head. That’s that lump that’s three feet above your ass.

Synthetic fabrics a la nylon, polyester and spandex are more water-repellent; that means moisture, odors, etc. are a lot less likely to stick around. This is me, rationalizing the below purchase.

If these absurd/amazing Cloud Print American Apparel Leggings were cotton or jersey knit, I’d have left them on the rack at Beacon’s Closet. The fact that they’re crafted from a AA’s uber synthetic Elastane blend meant they were fair game. Also a stellar deal, seeing as the same style/material retails in store for forty buckaroos.

Yippity skippity.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/resale/secondhand-leggings/feed 1 The Fourteen Dollar Difference Between Vintage and Thrifted Tees http://cheapjap.com/thrift/vintage-thrift-tees http://cheapjap.com/thrift/vintage-thrift-tees#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:37:37 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=3354 Hamlet’s Vintage on Bleecker multiple times a day, as it’s a hop, skip and a jump away from my apartment. The store pimps itself out to locals and tourists alike via a $15 T-Shirt Rack on the sidewalk. The tees are standard secondhand fare i.e. something Urban Outfitters would

...keep reading The Fourteen Dollar Difference Between Vintage and Thrifted Tees

]]> Hamlet’s Vintage on Bleecker multiple times a day, as it’s a hop, skip and a jump away from my apartment. The store pimps itself out to locals and tourists alike via a $15 T-Shirt Rack on the sidewalk. The tees are standard secondhand fare i.e. something Urban Outfitters would copy and sell for ten bucks more; admittedly, I’ve been tempted by them on more than one occasion. Why then, have I never purchased one? Because I suspected I could find something similar at a thrift store for a whole lot less.

Said suspicion was confirmed when I snagged these puppies at Salvation army for ninety-nine cents each. Two shirts for two bucks? Yes please.

A big fat shout out to the Hell’s Kitchen Salvation Army for affirming my hunch, and for imbuing me with high school nostalgia via Can’t Hardly Wait‘s fictitious band.

An authentic Loveburger shirt?!

My life is officially complete.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/thrift/vintage-thrift-tees/feed 5 Burlington Coat Factory A Hosiery Haven http://cheapjap.com/retail-fare/discount-hosiery http://cheapjap.com/retail-fare/discount-hosiery#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:22:50 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=3269 Is Burlington Coat Factory a place where you can buy a season’s worth of hosiery and socks for under forty bucks? Also yes.
Back in June, I made the mistake of cutting the feet off of every single pair of tights I

...keep reading Burlington Coat Factory A Hosiery Haven

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Is Burlington Coat Factory a place where you can buy a season’s worth of hosiery and socks for under forty bucks? Also yes.

Back in June, I made the mistake of cutting the feet off of every single pair of tights I owned. I wore them with wedges all summer, but I’m not about to pair them with boots. The inch of bare leg between a calf-length boot and a footless tight is a serious leg-shortener, and a risk I’m not willing to take. I needed to cheaply re-stock my closet with basic, full-leg tights for winter, so to Burlington Coat Factory I went.

The amount of hosiery I snagged in comparison with what I paid is simply astounding.

What I bought:
2 pairs HUE Opaque Control-Top Tights (navy blue and heather grey)
1 pair Nine West Black Crochet Tights
1 pair Guilty Black Opaque Diamond Tights (footless, but long enough to cover my ankles)
1 pair Anne Klein Body Shaper Shorts (for smoothing purposes)
6 pairs Eco-Fx Socks

HUE tights retail from $8.00 to $15.00; mine were $4.99 each. BFC also had a deal on the Eco-Fx socks – 3 pairs for $6.00.

All told, my total came to $39.95. Probs half of what I would have paid anywhere else.

For me, the uber-cheap price points negate the sketch-factor of BFC. Even if you’re not in the market for new hosiery, I highly recommend giving Burlington a try anyway: Bee-line for the shoe section, and you’ll see an abundance of L.A.M.B. pumps for way, way less. Eek!
]]> http://cheapjap.com/retail-fare/discount-hosiery/feed 2 Five Cheap Ways to Scratch a Fall Shopping Itch http://cheapjap.com/style/fall-shopping-itch http://cheapjap.com/style/fall-shopping-itch#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:20:59 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=3237 Disclaimer: I wrote this piece for Huff Po a few weeks ago, hence the lack of naughty language and the slightly more formal tone. Huff Po responded by not publishing it. Pfft. I’m attributing this to the fact that I waxed poetic on practical impulse buys during Fashion Week which, in hindsight, was probs

...keep reading Five Cheap Ways to Scratch a Fall Shopping Itch

]]> Disclaimer: I wrote this piece for Huff Po a few weeks ago, hence the lack of naughty language and the slightly more formal tone. Huff Po responded by not publishing it. Pfft. I’m attributing this to the fact that I waxed poetic on practical impulse buys during Fashion Week which, in hindsight, was probs a bad move. But riddle me this: What’s more relevant for the average shopper – a bevy of cost-friendly product suggestions, or an editrix’s ode to Alexander Wang’s $190 beanie?

That wasn’t a question. Anyhoo, I’m not about to let this puppy go to waste, so I’m obvs publishing it myself. You’re welcome.

“Don’t you just love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies.” Heck yeah, Joe Fox. It doesn’t make me wanna craft a bouquet of sharpened pencils a la You’ve Got Mail, but it certainly makes me wanna buy something. Anything. Maybe it’s post-college nostalgia for Back to School shopping; maybe it’s all the hooplah surrounding Fashion Week & Fashion’s Night Out (insert big fat OY here).

Maybes aside, one thing’s fo sho: Most of us are too broke to afford the latest and greatest, and re-wiring our material-crazed brains into *needing* less is harder than we thought.

Fret not, chickadees. There’s more than one way to scratch a September shopping itch without effing up your credit score. Read on for five fiscally responsible fall fashion fixes (and pardon the alliteration).

Five Ways to Scratch a September Shopping Itch
1. Non-Boring Tights
An exciting pair of tights is a fab way to dabble in trends sans serious monetary commitment. I’m a fan of the ridiculous, so I get mine at the The Sock Man, which has the legwear version of every look Elle.com’s currently gushing over. Neons, Eighties or British Equestrian = hot pink opaques, sparkly metallic capris and houndstooth print hosiery. Doneskies. If you’re forced to contend with an office dress code, see Bare Necessities for more subtle options. Hue’s Luster Herringbone Control Top Tights or DKNY’s Croco Tights are my personal faves.

2. Edgy Nail Polish
I recently took a chance on OPI’s Russian Navy; the color was so unconventional (for me) that it put a smirk on my face every time I looked down at my hands. Change your polish, change your mood – it sounds nutso, but hey, it works.
Manglaze’s Fuggen Ugly is my latest means to feeling like a total badass. Instead of paying $200 for ripped jeans, treat yourself to a $20 manicure with a polish outside of your comfort zone. Mini material risks can be uber empowering.

3. Your Perfect Tee in a Different Color
When I’m in the field, I always overhear the following question exchanged between shopping buddies:
Don’t you have something just like that?
This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. If you wear something 24/7, it follows that you’ll wear something similar to it 24/7 too, thus increasing the instance of things in your closet you actually like. Owning “something just like that” shouldn’t be a deterrent; it should be a reinforcement of what works for YOU. This is why you always buy more than one of your perfect tee.

I’m having a love affair with American Apparel’s Unisex See Thru Short Sleeve T-Shirt ($32), but I toe the line with revealing clothing, so take that suggestion with nine grains of salt.

4. An Uber Adjustable Belt
Why? Because the right belt can transform an old Men’s undershirt into a killer tunic. I highly recommend thrifting your way to torso adornment. Vintage and re-sale shops always have about nine thousand belts to choose from; enjoy the browse and you’ll find something original AND well-priced.
The ideal belt is adjustable enough to cinch high on your waist or low on your hips. I snagged the grommet number pictured for three dollars (no joke) at Housing Works, Tribeca and saw its doppelganger on MTV’s Alexa Chung not a week later. I wonder what she paid. Muhaha.

5. Red Lipstick
Red Lips happen to be In right now (because that matters…), but I think they’re exempt from In/Out status. I don’t want to hear any gaff about skin tones and coloring: Red lipstick looks fab on any woman, anywhere, at any time of day. It’s often the sole difference between looking put together and looking like a total schlep, in part because it always makes you feel like a hottie.
The question isn’t whether or not there’s a shade out there for you (there is). The question is whether or not you’re brave enough to rock it (you are, I promise). I didn’t convert until I splurged on a nice tube, because a drug store can’t fully illuminate the power of red. Yes, a $24 lipstick is irritating. But it comes with a free side of sexy, so it’s worth it in the grand scheme of things.
My shade is Valentine, from Shiseido’s Perfect Rouge Collection. Find yours, and your mojo will follow.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/style/fall-shopping-itch/feed 4 The Glorious Versatility of the Cropped Schmata Tee http://cheapjap.com/style/glorious-cropped-tee http://cheapjap.com/style/glorious-cropped-tee#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:05:11 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=3113
This uber soft, unstructured cropped tee toes the line between shawl and shirt – wearing it feels

...keep reading The Glorious Versatility of the Cropped Schmata Tee

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This uber soft, unstructured cropped tee toes the line between shawl and shirt – wearing it feels a bit like donning a blankie. Its shapelessness makes it a bonafide schmata; the cropped cut makes it a perfect counterpart to fitted shorts or leggings.



Bonus: It’s simple enough to wear with my handgun tights without overwhelming their fabulosity.



Additional bonus: I found it on one of Urban Outfitters’ many sale racks for $9.99.

Yessssss.
]]> http://cheapjap.com/style/glorious-cropped-tee/feed 4 Hate Urban Outfitters, Love a UO Sale http://cheapjap.com/retail-fare/urban-outfitters-sale http://cheapjap.com/retail-fare/urban-outfitters-sale#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:31:11 +0000 Cheap JAP http://cheapjap.com/?p=3105 ...keep reading Hate Urban Outfitters, Love a UO Sale

]]> 30% OFF, 50% OFF and 75% OFF, until you move in for a closer look and read the fine print inevitably preceding each percentage. There’s a big fat difference between something that’s half off and something that’s up to half off, and that’s annoying as shit. Almost as annoying as a store that hawks $600 “Limited Edition” leather coats and still gets away with marketing itself as reasonably priced. But I digress.

Let’s move on to the more consumer-friendly kind of sale sign, the kind that doesn’t need to mask the numbers with percentages, the kind that uses the much more palatable descriptor “or less” in lieu of “up to.” Case-in-point: Urban Outfitters. On a recent trip to Sixth’s Avenue’s UO, I didn’t happen upon racks of merch reduced to $9.99; I found the “or less” component of the signage to be more than accurate. Over half of the $14.99 or less racks were reduced to $9.99 too. Now THAT’s a pretty number!

Those unable to deal with the inherent undergrad-esque insanity characteristic of UO stores should check out the equally impressive online sale scenario. Below, a few of my fave price-slashed goodies, all of which are obvs reduced to $9.99.





So cute, and a whole cent less than ten bucks to boot. Exciting, no?
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