Thrift shopping? Yes please! “Vancouver Bloggers Sale vs. Re-Fashion Vancouver”

First off, I would like to thank each and every one of you for following my last post & this blog, we reached over 300 views for the first post!!  Not bad 🙂 🙂 🙂  I actually had a more serious topic I wanted to blog about, but will leave that for the next post just because a couple people have asked me to write about my recent additions to my closet 🙂

To be honest, up until now, I haven’t really shopped much at thrift stores, but recently I found myself attending 2 fashion events that put an emphasis on thrift and vintage.

The first event was the very popular “Vancouver Bloggers Sale” (VBS) on March 17, featuring local fashion bloggers such as My Doctor’s Closet, Miss Melissa, Coco and Vera, and many many more.  I had high hopes before the event day, just because of the hype and I knew every one of these young ladies were incredibly fashionable, and it would be a delight to get a glimpse at their personal collections 🙂 When I arrived, there were at least 50+ people in line already (everyone was VERY WELL-DRESSED might I add).  I enjoyed being able to talk about many people with diverse interests, and had a great time!!

Finally we were able to enter the building (thanks to my best friend for lining up that day, I was stuck in traffic).  The place was very small with dim-lighting, but that did not stop us from shopping!!  There were also cupcakes that were kindly sponsored, unfortunately I did not get a chance to try them, but my friend did and loved it (took at least 3, haha :p).  I went around and picked up a handful of pieces to try on, and had some nice chats with a few of the bloggers.  Although the set-up was very small, and the changing-room was crowded with people, everyone was really nice and polite to each other, which made the experience even better. There were many fashionable and unique pieces available, I had such a hard time choosing !! 🙂  I would like to add that this sale is not your typical “garage sale”, many of the items were new or only worn once, and the pricing was decent.  The majority of the pieces offered at VBS I am not even able to find at major retailers, so I couldn’t resist!!  It was like shopping at a 1-of-a-kind boutique at a fraction of their usual prices.

After 2 hours of scrambling and trying a million things on, I walked out with these items:

H&M floral dress: its a little loose in the waist area, so planning to wear it with a black belt

Kimchi Blue dress: can dress it up with a black blazer and pumps for business-casual events

Cooperative dress with bows: love how this is casual yet cute at the same time 🙂

Peppermint floral dress: this one has a chiffon material, and will look great with a pair of white or black heels.

Forever 21 navy blue dress with black polka dots: this was only $5!!  Will wear with a white tank, sheer black tights, and a pair of patent black pumps.

Bundle of faux-pearl and black crystal bracelets

This beautiful turquoise bracelet with a hint of gold is from My Doctor’s Closet “Bfrend” bracelets, I absolutely love it!!  Will purchase a white one soon 🙂

The next event is “Re-fashion Vancouver” (RFV), it took place yesterday from 10am – 5pm. I made it in time to get some shopping done for an hour. Compared to the Vancouver Bloggers Sale, I found the selection at RFV not as stylish and fashionable as VBS, but nonetheless, I enjoyed it very much and the sellers were incredibly helpful and nice. The location was at the Yaletown Community Center, so it was very spacious. I managed to find a few cute items for a total of $30, not bad 🙂

There’s a kid dancing with his father, haha :p

 

My findings for the day:

Made with Love by Gache Gache one-piece floral blouse & denim skirt: this is absolutely perfect for spring!!  Will be wearing this when I go golfing this week 🙂

Forever 21 floral dress: will wear it with a black cardigan and black or white flats/sandals.  Did I mention it was only $5??  And it fit my figure perfectly, couldn’t resist!!

Brand new Forever 21 dress: this one fit me perfectly too, and again… couldn’t resist not buying it :p

Ohhh and I also got a Tiffany-inspired cupcake at the end 🙂

After attending these two events, I will definitely be on the look-out for more!!  🙂  I highly encourage you all to shop at thrift/vintage stores or events like these because many of the items are brand new/worn once, and for a small fraction of the retail price.  I had a lot of fun going through racks and racks of clothing, especially the thrill of the search for the perfect summer dress!!  I’ve received lots of compliments for my recent purchases, and feels great to know that there are groups of people being conscious about their fashion consumption and recycling clothes.

So… have fun, and be patient, who knows, you might find a pair of new/almost-new designer item for a really low cost 🙂  I heard someone bought a pair of Gucci boots for a very good deal yesterday. 🙂