the beginning of a new month

The Business of Fashion / Searching for Style event at OPUS in Yaletown.

Definitely my favorite place in town. This place is better than Holt Renfrew!

Partners in crime! I was clearly over-dressed today, I thought it was going to be cold so I whipped on a shirt and a knitted cricket vest, I was sweating MAD.

Find of the day - FENDI bomber jacket with tacky/flashy lining. It was only $10, so it was a steal. And it looks brand new too, it's in pristine condition. It's discreet and flashy at the same time. I believe it is reversible too. Perfect jacket for fall, I'd wear it with straight leg denim and a white t-shirt?

So there it is, I am now a proud owner of something Balenciaga. This polo is amazing. I love the colors, and it's in my size!

The final find of the day, a Versace Jean Couture polo in black. I love the zipper treatment instead of the traditional button fly front. 

 

work that

Work that! Strutted down the aisle of Hastings Value Village yesterday with Douglas. It was my first time checking out the store, and I was just casually looking because after my YSL/ERMENEGILDOZEGNA/MISSONI haul a few weeks back at the Burnaby Value Village, I thought I would never have that luck to hit the jackpot again. But boy was I wrong, I spotted this Burberry trench coat in navy hanging among the usual London Fogs/Aquascutum/NONAMEbrands. I was like ZOMG LOOK WHAT I JUST FOUND. And I immediately picked it up and examined the label. Made in England. Check. Authentic Material/Wash Tag. Check. Serial Number. Check. Nicely tailored lining and self. Check. Its AUTHENTIC. Then along with the Nina Ricci black shirt and the Christian Dior Scarlette/Black shirt I found, I took these items to the counter with a huge ass smile showcasing my new braces ala BERRY SUAREZ (speaking of which, totally misses the bitches Amanda et Marc) The trench coat I found happened to not have a tag on there, which is really common in the store. So I asked the clerk how much it was, she picked up the phone and asked the manager to do a price check. The manager came and took a look at this soon-to-be-my-baby and said "BURRR- BERRY? That sounds pretty nice, how about $12.99?"

Seriously. God bless fashionably uneducated naive managers at Value Village. You just made my year!

Yves Saint Laurent

Found this vintage YSL blazer at Value Village on Saturday. This was the ultimate jackpot of the year so far. I am so afriad that my luck in thrifting will be gone after these finds. I also found a YSL trench in military green, two Paul Smith striped shirts, a Givenchy shirt, and a Ermenegildo Zegna shirt, also some Dior ties. Like, this was the ultimate jackpot. The Jackpot of the jackpots. I walked out of the store paying $75 for the above, like seriously? I saw a trench at gap for $79.50. Money well spent. Dry cleaned everything today and I could not contain the smile on my face. 

So much was missing

Look - H&M Blue/White Gingham Shirt // H&M Grey Organic Cotton Cardigan // Gap 1969 Washed Jeans // Urban Outfitters Creme Boat Shoes // Thrifted Caramel Briefcase

That thrifted caramel briefcase is one of my most amazing finds ever. 

It is the perfect used leather briefcase that everyone needs. Perfect stains, perfect whitened parts, perfect scratches. I loved it the second I saw it. 

Smile like a child

Look - 2% Grey Hoodie with Yellow Stars // Stage Patrick Tee // BBC Spaceman Jeans // Pink Backpack from Taiwan // Timberland Boots // Cheshire Cat Pin

Dinner full of laughter tonight with Ariel and Sarah at the House of Wings. The burger was amazing! But it makes me feel so fat after and so full too!

Made a quick stop at Value Village to "check it out," kind of like a doctor doing rounds. I found this amazing vintage briefcase/bag thing. It is the perfect "used" condition, with a few scratches here and there, and the best thing is that the lining is PLAID!

I nearly screamed when I saw it. I am afraid that I might be using up all my luck with thrifting... I hope not!!

DIY Day

Look - DIY thrifted Rodarte-inspired sweater // DIY studded-collar Zara shirt // DIY Kazumi Bleached Jeans // Adidas Green Sneakers // Gap Socks // White-rimmed glasses from Nightmarket in Taipei

Progressive day. I finished the Velvet Room design contest things, got it all "done up" in a portfolio. Going to hand it in on Friday. DIY'ed a lot of stuffs today. Ripped up this sweater that I found at Value Village. I was inspired by Rodarte, and I clearly cannot afford the Rodarte for men collection with Opening Ceremony, so I might as well just make some myself. Fake, but whatever! It's authentic denier & manera! Also studded the collars of my white Zara shirt. Simple, took me 15 minutes. Also cut off a pair of Kazumi jeans that I no longer wear. I might've made it too short, and it is too cold in Vancouver to wear that. I wore it today, and I was shivering. Shivering!

The original state of the sweater before I did anything to it.  

I’ve come too far to forget

Look - Alexander Wang Oversized Knitted Sweater // H&M Grey Cardigan with Zigzag detailings // BDG black deep-v tshirt // Moschino LOVE black skinny jeans // Worn in Black Boots from Urban Outfitters // Gold Diamond Trump Card Necklace // Versace Glasses

I went thrifting today. Found some bad-ass stuffs. As usual, I just quickly schemed through the guys' suits and shirts section but did not really find anything interesting. Then I moved on to the outerwear section, and there it was, a Christian Dior Summer Overcoat. I died. It was amazing, beige, under $30, looks brand new, and CHRISTIAN DIOR! I've found my Spring coat! Also bought two other cardis, one is deep beige with leather trims and the other is a double-breasted inspired cardigan with a black/white folk-ish print. Also picked up this awesome belt.

 

The Christian Dior Spring Overcoat. It is 100% cotton and the lining is this gorgeous plaid in 100% cotton as well. Its a size 40, which fits me perfectly. My heart literally stopped when I found this among the usual London Fogs and crappy thrifty clothes. Gem in the stone, anyone?

The greyish-black cardigan with a folklore-ish pattern on the lapel. I love the double breasted details. This was $5 CDN, couldn't pass on it!

 

The other cardigan that I got today. I love the treatment of the trims playing with a striped effect. I also love the suede front panels. This was $6.49 CDN.

The belt that I got today. At first, I thought it was just a really worn old belt, so I just kind of looked at it. I picked it up and saw the brand, Claudio Orcani, I had no clue who this was, but I quickly google the name on my iPhone and discovered that this was actually a luxury brand from Italy. Like wow, then I looked at the belt again, and it was done like that deliberately, and it was hand-made in Italy, and it was my size! The belt was $5.99 CDN.

and the story begins

Thrifting was never anything I was accustomed to, nor was it anything anyone in my family was accustomed to. Growing up in a conservative Asian family, using other people's used and old stuffs was generally not tolerated. So I've grew up splurging my allowance and paycheque (when I started working in ninth grade) on overly priced clothes and other stuffs. I still do now, I admit, but only for the items that are actually worth it, such as an everlasting designer sweater that will never go out of style. 

I don't really remember how it happened, but one day, I just decided to take my first step into a Salvation Army. I have to admit, when I was younger (and more naive) I thought that thrifting was only for the people that were struggling economically, and I also thought that only junks, like really crappy stuffs are available in thrift stores. And boy, I was wrong. On my first trip into the Salvation Army, I found a United Colors of Benetton plaid blazer for only $7. I was overwhelmed. Before this, all my blazers costed at least $70 and they went up to $200. So naturally, I did not own a lot of blazers. From that point on, I popped into the thrift stores occassionally hoping to score up some designer items. And on another trip to the Salvation Army again, I found a Oscar de la Renta tie and a Yves Saint Laurent tie, they were both like new, and look a million times better than the ones I see at Holt Renfrew for $125 each. I got those two for $6 altogether. Like seriously, the only difference is that there is no tag on the ones I bought, but so what? I cut it off before I wear them anyways.

So over the past 3 months, I've been hitting up local thrift stores, more specifically Salvation Army and Value Village. There are not a lot of independently owned thrift stores in Vancouver. I also went to a couple antique barns but found that their prices are usually really high. It is really strange. I have this "price limit" for items in thrift stores. Under $15 for a blazer, unless it is really nice, under $10 for a shirt, under $5 for small accesories, and under $5 for other knick-knacks. That's pretty much what I buy at thrift stores. Clothes, accesories, some prints and pictures, occasional vintage suitcase and dining wares. And over all these times, I have broadened my closet a lot, I mean, a lot.

I've bought Givenchy, Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Geoffrey Beene, Emanuel Ungaro, and Balmain shirts for under $10 each. Normally, these would cost over $100 at least when they are brand new, and even if I had the money, I can't buy them in Vancouver, because there are no places that sell these brands here in Vancouver, it is pathetic. I've bought blazers and jackets from Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, United Colors of Benetton, Emporio Armani, and other brands for under $15 each. My best finds are definitely the ties, I've got YSL, Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Balmain, and Nina Ricci for all under $5 each. I also found a whole bunch of sweaters and cardigans of all sorts of colors and some of them are even pure cashmere, and none of them were over the price of $10. Also found some brooches and pins that are totally unique and make a bold statement for $5 each. It is really amazing how I can get these designer items that are pretty much brand new after a round of dry-cleaning for the price of probably not even ONE brand-new designer shirt which is usually around $400-$600. 

However, there are some exceptions as to what I get at the thrift stores, I will never get personal products at thrift stores. Underwears and pajamas are off limits to me. Also, I am kind of afraid to purchase pants/trousers/shorts at thrift stores because I don't know if they are dirty and I can't just dry-clean them and forget that someone might've peed in it.

Recently, I bought a few pieces of framed artworks and prints from Value Village that I completely adore. I cleared one wall in my tiny room and filled that wall with frames. I am loving it so far, I found a framed artwork of sailor's knots, some shells and The Beatle's album art print. There was also this vintage black and white photograph print that I found today. I adore the "c'est la vie" in the print.  I bought frames for some of my favorite Takashi Murakami prints that I've bought in Japan. 

The framed sailor's knots art piece - $4.99

Framed The Beatles "Let it Be...Naked. Fly on the Wall" print - $1.99

Black and White Photography Print - $1.99 

F

Framed artwork of shells and a poem - $1.99

 A vintage plate with a gorgeous fashionable lady ala 1920s - $8.00

These are the "decor" items that I've bought lately, and I am planning to purchase more. I will also take pictures of all the garments and accesories that I've purchased all along eventually, when I stop procastinating. I am proud to say that thrifting is my new hobby. It is retail therapy, and I will not be spending too much money, therefore, I can save money, instead of splurging all my money on consumer goods like before. Also, I am helping the community and the environment, now that's like two new reasons to go shopping again. 

I am sure this had been said a million times, but honestly, "A man's junk is another man's treasure." And although I am relatively new and a noob to thrifting, but I am loving it. It's totally the new cool thing to do, and I love when people shoot me stares of envy when they find out that I got my DKNY scarf for $1.99. 

Like seriously?

direction

Lately I have a lot of alone time, because I will not be going back to school until September and my work schedule is very loose. So I have been doing a lot of thinking, a lot. Thinking as to what directions I want to take in life. I have been inspired by numerous things this few months, noticably vintage clothes, vintage items and the whole art of thrifting, which is good for the environment and the wallet, it is satisfying my shopping needs while not having to spend a fortune. I have been looking up thrifting blogs and vintage blogs, and I found that most people are selling vintage items and handmade items on etsy. It just makes me feel like I want to be a part of that. But I lack in experience. How am I supposed to know whether or not someone will want an item or whether or not an item is really worth something or if it is simply just a piece of junk like 98% of things in the Salvation Army or Value Village. Lately, I thrifted a lot, but mostly are clothes and accesories for myself. I probably spent around $300.00 Cdn on 10 jackets, 15+ shirts, 5 cardigans, 5 ties and a few miscellaneous items. But the way I bought these things are based on brands. Yes, I only bought vintage luxury brand items. It is so surprising how Vancouver has such a sufficient amount of luxury brands in their thrift stores in counter to the minmal amount of luxury brands readily available in retail stores, there is perhaps only two places that sell luxury brand clothings in Vancouver. (Holt Renfrew & Sinclair Center) A Givenchy shirt for $5.99, all I had to do was to dry clean it, and press it nicely, and it looks good as new. Unbelievable, now my wardrobe is half full with designer luxury items, with only a couple that I bought in retail (my Alexander Wang sweater that costed a fortune was the ONLY luxury garment item I have ever bought in retail) Speaking of luxury, I do not count Tommy Hilfiger or RW&CO or Banana Republic as luxury brands. Luxury brands are in the realms of Burberry, Givenchy, Balmain, and Christian Dior, and these four brands happen to be the most common brands I see in thrift stores around Vancouver. Probably every time I go thrifting, I would see one of these brands. I always have the urge to buy every single one of these luxury items I see, but I only need so much clothes. So I was thinking, maybe I should just start a mini business like this, thrift as a hobby, and re-sell them online to people who do not have access to luxurious vintage items. Today, I made a trip, once again, to the Value Village that is 10 minutes drive away from my house. I found three bowls that have the looks of the 60s Art, they are yellow, orange and black, totally gorgeous. I also found a pure virigin wool deep purple jacket that fits me like a glove. A thing that I noticed with my local thrift stores is that they have a sufficient amount of vintage books, all at very low price, so I picked up a few today, and am thinking of what to do with them. Should I use them for decor, or should I really start my own mini-business?