The second I walked into a thrift store, I flipped out my list: A knitted fabric, atop a canary-yellow long-sleeved dress; a navy blue polyester flower print tunic the attached sash loosely tied to the waist; a bright, lipstick-red leather purse; an ancient Elton John vinyl record that hasn't been played for decades; and a first edition of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.
I found all of these seemingly expensive items for bargain prices at a new breed of stores, which I'll call "thrifty vintage" stores.
Clothes are one of the first things that people see, and definitely the last thing they remember when you walk away. For me vintage is everlasting, the "new old" if you must.
I find it so painful that women spend thousands of dollars on designer bags, shredded jeans, and high-end, super-high stiletto shoes.
Whatever happened to the ideals on which America was founded?
Democracy: Check!
Freedom of the press: Check!
Thriftiness: Well, that's not our strongest suit anymore but it should be.
Fashion can be classy and cheap at the same time. In fact, "thrifty vintage" shops are not only found in rural towns with no malls. In fact, they are found all over the Bay Area… but where are all the good ones?
I've searched far and wide in search of the best "thrifty vintage" stores in town and around the area.
I'd have to say that one of my favorite destinations in this quest to find the best and finest thrift stores was right here in comfy San Jose.
Moon Zooom, on W. San Carlos Street, is a small "thrifty vintage" store that focuses on authentic era-related clothing, shoes, hats, and accessories for men and women.
The small store has an eccentric vibe with quirky rooms and sections that display décor of specific eras.
Underneath displays of posters of the original 70s television show Charlie's Angel, you can find go-go dresses in nearly every print imaginable, those dreaded bell-bottom jumpsuits, and woven hippie belts.
There are numerous racks that specialize in specific fashions, such as jumpers from the '40s, nightgowns and geometric dresses from the '60s, flapper dresses, and many, many, more.
The upstairs '80s boutique was completely adorable, and reminiscent of the '80s cult classic, "Pretty in Pink".
New merchandise is added weekly, sometimes even by sellers and traders. The best time to go is the last Saturday of the month . That is when items and racks are taken outside the store and sold for $1 a piece!
No matter how hard I tried, I simply could not part from a very adorable strappy black knitted fringe dress from the '70s that ended up costing $17. Though this burned a small hole in my wallet, I consider it bargain for the joy it brings to my wardrobe.
Tip #1: If you can't live without it- buy it!
If you are more into contemporary trends with brand-name tags, the local Crossroads Trading Co. in San Jose might just be your cup of tea.
Anyone can buy, sell, or trade clothing to and from the store so merchandise is added daily to already full racks.
Most of the racks have clothing in unused or good condition for very reasonable prices.
I was able to find a cute denim mini-skirt from American Eagle for $7.50, a flowy plaid print dress from Forever 21 for $16.50, and last season's unused western boots for $28.50.
Gentlemen are not left out of the loop. In my scavenger hunt I was able to spot Nike shoes in great condition for $18.50, Lacoste polos for $20, Kid Robot shirts for $16, and Gap jeans for $8.50.
The counter displayed various used bags and wallets from designer labels such as Juicy, Prada, and Dooney and Burke for a fraction of the original prices.
Tip #2: Purchasing accessories is typically a safe bet-. Just make sure they are washed before they are worn.
When thrift shopping, one cannot simply disregard the Mother Goose of thrift stores.
Goodwill, located on W San Carlos Street, is more of a store with jumbled household goods, knick-knacks, clothing, utter junk, and maybe a few "diamond in the ruff" finds for bargain prices.
On a recent Saturday, all items with orange tags were selling for $2! As I scoured the many racks of this Goodwill store, I was delighted to find an assorted collection of skirts, such as a funky bubble pink leather skirt and a magenta knee-high corduroy skirt.
Also a black-with-green-polka-dot Nicole Miller dress, a caramel tone v-neck dress, a billowy flower-patterned blouse, and many other items caught my eye. Though the Goodwill in San Jose had some good finds at win-win prices, I found that the Goodwill in San Francisco had a greater variety of eccentric pieces, but with greater price tags.
I was able to find a sequined top for $6 that I had to have. Perfect with skinny jeans!
The accessory corner had many quirky beaded necklaces, unused, from local stores.
I was instantly smitten.
Tip #3: Household items, novelties, books, furniture, and vinyl records are a steal at thrift stores; all you have to do is dig arfor $20, Kid Robot shirts for $16, and Gap jeans for $8.50.
The counter displayed various used bags and wallets from designer labels such as Juicy, Prada, and Dooney and Burke for a fraction of the original prices.
Tip #2: Purchasing accessories is typically a safe bet-. Just make sure they are washed before they are worn.
When thrift shopping, one cannot simply disregard the Mother Goose of thrift stores.
Goodwill, located on W San Carlos Street, is more of a store with jumbled household goods, knick-knacks, clothing, utter junk, and maybe a few "diamond in the ruff" finds for bargain prices.
On a recent Saturday, all items with orange tags were selling for $2! As I scoured the many racks of this Goodwill store, I was delighted to find an assorted collection of skirts, such as a funky bubble pink leather skirt and a magenta knee-high corduroy skirt.
Also a black-with-green-polka-dot Nicole Miller dress, a caramel tone v-neck dress, a billowy flower-patterned blouse, and many other items caught my eye. Though the Goodwill in San Jose had some good finds at win-win prices, I found that the Goodwill in San Francisco had a greater variety of eccentric pieces, but with greater price tags.
I was able to find a sequined top for $6 that I had to have. Perfect with skinny jeans!
The accessory corner had many quirky beaded necklaces, unused, from local stores.
I was instantly smitten.
Tip #3: Household items, novelties, books, furniture, and vinyl records are a steal at thrift stores; all you have to do is dig arfor $20, Kid Robot shirts for $16, and Gap jeans for $8.50.
The counter displayed various used bags and wallets from designer labels such as Juicy, Prada, and Dooney and Burke for a fraction of the original prices.
Tip #2: Purchasing accessories is typically a safe bet-. Just make sure they are washed before they are worn.
When thrift shopping, one cannot simply disregard the Mother Goose of thrift stores.
Goodwill, located on W San Carlos Street, is more of a store with jumbled household goods, knick-knacks, clothing, utter junk, and maybe a few "diamond in the ruff" finds for bargain prices.
On a recent Saturday, all items with orange tags were selling for $2! As I scoured the many racks of this Goodw