Today was a lovely day in the Northeast. The sun was shining and it was actually around 53 degrees out. So I put on a cute little outfit grabbed Honey and went out to do a little shopping and enjoy the nice weather before it returns to the 20s tonight.
We went to Park Slope, Brooklyn to visit a few vintage and thrift stores in the area. We went first to Guvnor's Vintage Thrift. I actually love this store a lot. I can usually find at least one cute piece to take home but today... nothing. Everything there was 70s- 80s vintage. No 40's or 50's in sight. I think that was mostly because they had a week long sale that I didn't have time to get to and everything was gone.
Sad but not deterred I went to shop #2 Odd Twin which is a block away. This store is always a hit or miss for me but the last time I was there is was a hit ( I found a like new red Pendleton jacket that looks super cute on me), so I thought it couldn't hurt. Ummmmm... nothing.I It seemed that there was a lot of late 60's dresses. A plus is that this store had a really nice selection of vintage shoes although none were in my size. There was also a lot of pretty hats but they have them very high up so it's hard to get a good look at them. They had a little more 40s and 50s items than the last store but nothing that grabbed my attention. And definitely nothing I was willing to spend $80-$100 for, which was the common price for the good blouses, skirts and dresses... I became a little more antsy but this is what hunting for vintage is all about, right?? So on to store #3.
Almost New... This store is, again not a bad store but not at all what I was looking for. I saw 80's leather jackets and A LOT of vintage fur... I'm not sure the year. It didn't really strike me as pre-1970s at all. There were dresses but the store is SUPER small and SUPER packed with merchandise so it was hard to see it all. Needless to say I got frustrated and left.
Last store before giving up... Hootie Couture. I found a 1950s wool skirt that I wore for Christmas here so I was hopeful. Inside, this time, (almost) everything was modern. Very few vintage items before the 80s. One also has to be careful in here because the vintage and modern clothes are very mixed together. I found skirts from places like Anne Taylor there. Not really what I would call vintage. The plus to the store is that the owner is a sweetheart. And very helpful. I met her on my previous visit and she was a riot!!! I just wish there was more actual vintage in her store. Oh! Another plus I should mention is her accessory collection. There were all kinds of necklaces and brooches. I am still new at picking out vintage so jewelry I have NO clue about so I just browsed.
So that was it. Four stores and came home with NOTHING. Just chalked it up to a bad shopping day and was just thankful for the nice weather and quality time spent with Honey. I do wish NYC had better stores that sold quality vintage though. But if that happened, everything would probably be NYC prices and therefore completely unaffordable. I'm always jealous of "vintage girls" who live out west and always have the best clothes!!! They're always like... "oh...Look at my new hat... I got it while I was out for $4!!!! What a steal!!!" and I'm like "Oh... let me go on Etsy and see if I can score a new dress... for $60!!!!" HAHA! Such is life I guess.
The problem is not that there are NO vintage stores in NYC. The problem is that the good ones are few and far between and when you do find a good one it is mostly 80s-90s vintage that you find. I guess that is just the style of most New Yorkers. Being edgy is in. Don't get me wrong, I ADORE edgy! Honey has an edgy style of dress. Its just not for me...
There is another one, Rosebud Vintage, that is supposed to be close to where I live so maybe I'll check that one out next weekend. There is also Pinup Queens in Queens, New York that I need to check out. Hopefully I'll have some success there.
Anyone out there live or come to the NYC area often? If so where do you go for your vintage goodies?????
Oops! I just realized that I have no pictures today!!! I'll have to do a hair trial or something during the week to make up for that
I guess I'll just pin curl my hair and call it a night!
xoxo
Oh man! I guess 70's and 80's is the new vintage lol. I'm with you though. It is really difficult to find true vintage. I buy 95% of my items off the internet and then there is always the get it not like it factor that you have to live with. I also find that jewelry is overpriced in these vintage shops. I can find a lot better deals on ebay. There is no way I'm finding a $4 deal out here in Westchester either:) I think you might try Goodwill or church thrift shops. I sometimes find nice jewelry there. I do think NYC is tapped out too. lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not alone in this!!! :)
DeleteMy dear, I hear you loud and clear! I live in a small town in British Columbia and very rarely find pre-1965 clothing (sometimes pre-1980s, depending on the store) here these days either. Sometimes small towns (more so, I'd venture to say, in the States) are a gold mine for vintage, but sadly mine is not any more (about 10-15 years ago there was more vintage to be had here).
ReplyDeleteFor most people, a vintage wardrobe, like Rome, was (is) not built in a day, believe me. Start with key wardrobe items - pieces that are versatile and which you know you'll get tons of wear out of - and gradually add more. Keep a list (or lists) of what you need, what you want, and some of your dream (or holy grail) items and work off of those to help direct your shopping and gradually build up the size of your wardrobe so that over time you find that "half complete" wardrobe situation occurring less and less often. I'm cheering you on 100% and bet you're already off to a terrific start with your wardrobe.
♥ Jessica
That is all great advice and I'm going to take it! Thanks! I know it's going to take a while but I'm just a little impatient!!! :)
DeleteOmg I haven't heard of any of those shops minus Guvnor's! They also rent out clothes which is fab esp for a shoot. If I hear of any shops I will let you know but you should check out the fairs and such and also at the 30s event in the summer they have sellers there. I have been to a few thrift shops in Qns and nada--all expensive or crappy. Online is the place to be if not the Midwest...NO JOKE! xox
ReplyDeleteYeah. In my heart I knew that online is probably my best bet. I'm not going to give up though! lol!
DeleteI just read Alison Houtte's book all about Hooti Couture and her life getting started in vintage, a fun read if you have not read it.
ReplyDeleteOooh! I haven't read it yet. I will definitely pick it up!
DeleteI can empathise so much with this. I read so many vintage blogs and always saying 'where is their lovely vintage coming from?' I think some people just have an extra special eye for it, the right timing, and even live near the right places. The rest of us are unlucky and have to outsource a bit better to keep up. Anyway, wish you luck for next time you venture out to vintage shops :D
ReplyDeletehttp://meggymoo0.blogspot.com
HAHA! Thanks! Yeah, I'm sure I would be able to find some diamonds in the rough if my eye were a bit keener. Hopefully I can get there with some practice... sooner rather than later!
ReplyDeleteHi! This is Melise writing from Rosebud Vintage to say that yes, you should definitely come by and check us out! The reason I opened a store is for exactly that reason- most vintage stores stock terrible things from horrible decades. Everything at Rosebud is pre-1980s, with most of it on the older end. Come in and I promise you will find at least one piece to fall in love with!
ReplyDeleteI'm really going to try to make it to your store this weekend!
DeleteA little advice on the jewelry front as that is where the bulk of my vintage clothing collection lies. Pick a style you really like and learn all you can about it, and when you scan the shops, it will visually jump out at you! My personal favorite is confetti/glitter lucite, and I've gotten good at picking it out of the bad 80's earrings at thrift shops. Ive been a vintage gal for about 10 years, so if you ever have questions, please dont hesitate to get in touch!
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