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 [...]

Last week, the Financial Times explored Sustainable Fashion and actually had the cojones to ask “What does green mean?”
Green means eco chic! Green means good for the earth! Green means organic hemp cotton tees made from soda can tabs, which are like so hot right now for Spring! Or something.
At a Copenhagen conference designed to [...]

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 [...]

Featuring two outta three of yesterday’s Goodwill finds. WORD.

Splendid Tee ($6.99 @ Goodwill thankyouverymuch)
Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent Slip ($6.00 @ Monk. I know. Redonkulous.)
Ponyhair Belt ($3.00 @ NJ’s Alcove Thrift)
Thick-Rib Tights ($4.99 @ Duane Reade, yet more durable than a lot of my pricier hosiery. I AM OBSESSED. Weird.)
Melissa Plastic Dreams Wedges ($99.00 @ [...]

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 [...]

Vintage Vertigo Paris jeans; old school Radu workout tee; Melissa wedges.

Also: Many of you have asked after the origin of the stunning, buttery, over-the-knee boots pictured a few days ago.

The brand:Tashkent by Cheyenne
Retail value: $600.00+
What I paid: $145.00
For full deets on this epic score, see Why I’m Not Above Secondhand Shoes.

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 [...]

This outfit represents the Triad of Post-Recession Shopping:

When you’re on a tight budget, extraneous purchases often come with a side helping of guilt. If shopping is to be fun, we must get the guilt OUT. Ranked in accordance with the level of guilt our purchases are apt to make us feel, the Triad looks like [...]

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.

What makes New Jersey’s Designer Consignment noteworthy?
It’s a recent addition to one of the state’s many malls.
Weird. Also awesome.
The merch was ho-hum for the most part, but South Jersey’s new to the gently-worn thang. I have high hopes for the future, and I still scored an almost-new Free People cardigan.
At $20.00, it was slightly above [...]

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 [...]

A month or so ago, I decided this Old Navy dress (via Goodwill, OBVS) just wasn’t short enough. What? My birthday’s in a few weeks, i.e. I’ve got a few more years to toe the line between sexy and slutty sans crossing it completely. (Note: subjective statement.)
In lieu of scissoring, I ‘hemmed’ the aforementioned dress [...]

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 [...]