Suds Up!

Courtesy of Net-a-Porter.com

Like any thrift shop novice, I’ve eased myself into wearing other people’s clothes and using pre-owned furniture, but shoes are a different matter (hello, Athlete’s foot).

But for an insatiable shopper like me, it was only a matter of time. I went to Tokio 7 (where all the orphaned designer goodies go) and saw these beautiful Chloe lace-up pumps. It only took a minute to fall in love, and another to tempt my toes into the world of the gently worn.

Fortunately, I have more than one trick up my sleeve to combat bacteria and other nameless foot funk.

One is the infamous cedar sachet. Give a light squeeze to refresh the wood shavings, place one in each shoe, and these puppies will suck all the bacteria-infused moisture out of your footwear.

Another secret weapon is Adidas shoe cleaner. Just shake and spray, and smother the inside of your shoes with lemon-scented foam. This product works equally well on canvas, sneakers and smooth leather. I’ve found that it even removes water stains. I haven’t been able to find the exact product online, but this product is a close second.

Swap Party!

This past weekend was my birthday (yay me!), and to spice things up, I decided to hold a swap party.

The rules were simple. Bring accessories, handbags and shoes, anything you haven’t worn in a while and don’t mind giving away.

Here are some of the wares that showed up at the swap:

Barney’s clutch $30, Rachel Leigh gold cuff $25,  Rachel Leigh black cuff $25, Mirror Mirror on the Wall crystal necklace $30, fake Kenneth Jay Lane apple necklace $15, Rachel Leigh gold necklace $45, H&M bracelet $5, Nine West pumps in purple satin $90 (not pictured)

Now, let’s take a closer look…

Both cuffs are from one of our favorite designers, Rachel Leigh, and the original retail price is over $100 each. (Just so you know, they were purchased for no more than $25 a pop at the Rachel Leigh sample sale–very cheap!) But since I don’t have the right outfits to wear with them, they were exchanged for a very wearable, brand-new Barney’s clutch (originally $60) and Nine West pumps (originally $90). Now, don’t hate!

Vintage+

Vintage dress section at Re/Dress; photo courtesy of Re/Dress NYC

On a recent Saturday afternoon, we towed our sluggish post-brunch bum from the comforts of our couch to Cobble Hill for a look at Re/Dress—the city’s first vintage and resale boutique for size 14+. Once there, we were delighted to find an entire rack—the length of a pickup truck—chock full of vintage frocks. The shop also got dibs on the abandoned lot of skirts, dresses and tops from Soho’s recently shuttered Abby-Z. Prices in our fitting room (which was the size of my living room!) pile ranged from $8-$60; not bad, not bad at all. After much deliberation, we settled on a vintage paisley boatneck number—with adorable front pockets—and a tunic dress with a beaded neckline from Abby-Z. And, thanks to the culling of our own closet, the ladies at Re/Dress deducted $30 from our tab for the gently used items we brought in—score!

*Tip: Stay tuned to Re/Dress’ website for new items. They post pics of new inventory as it arrives.

Re/Dress NYC, 109 Boerum Place, 718-522-7962; redressnyc.com

Joy of Thrifting

I was never able to pick up a thrift store item and think I want, I need, I’ll buy until well, a few weeks ago.

Here’s how it happened: I was selling stuff on Ebay. There I was, trying to convince people to buy items which had worked for a while in my totally cool closet and still had oh so much to offer. The aha! moment came when I realized that other sellers of gently worn, pre-owned items might be equally generous, rock-star people who are letting go of their wears (haha!) with a similar amount of angst.

The next two items I purchased have been thrift. They’re cute, they match, and JAS (just add shoes). Check it out!

Color block knit dress, $12, Buffalo Exchange; unabashedly 80′s purse, $10, Atlantis Attic