my favorite secondhand finds: 2023
a little roundup post - with pics!
don’t be tired of the end of the year roundups, yet. because here’s mine. my favorite vintage and secondhand finds of the last year!
A pair of 60s ridiculous rhinestone earrings, $28
They are about the size of a quarter, extremely glittery, and the best part is that they’re lightweight with modern backings instead of a complicated twist backings. I got them because I felt like Catherine Deneuve when I tried them on at The Golden Pearl in Minneapolis. Once I figure out how to properly blowout my hair I’m going to be a bit.. how you say.. unstoppable.
A vintage silk skirt in lilac purple, $10
Actually, I bought 5 vintage silk skirts for around the same price apiece on this day. It was one of those lucky happenstances where some costume department (I can tell by the sewn-in tags) was clearing out the wardrobe for an actress who was just my size.
A pashmina scarf in light grey, $1
I’m not sure how I functioned without this scarf. This sort of html gray is really soothing to me in small doses. I understand (and I don’t understand) why people will do their entire homes in this color - the problem is the overindulgence. Computer grey is like a saltine. I want 1 or 2. Not the whole box.
A seashell Avon necklace, $19
Sure, it’s costume jewelry, but I think it’s very elegant, and to me has the potential to be a good luck charm. This was an etsy find. As a note for this blog post, I am including the shipping prices in the final price if I didn’t happen to find the item in person. I do have to remember to stop putting this in my mouth, because I think it might be leaden, and also because that’s gross.
An Abercrombie lambswool sweater, $38
Although I do believe the previous owner shrunk this darling sweater in the wash, this has become one of my favorite things to wear. I used to not really like cardigans. I’m a girl with broad shoulders and cardigans tend to never fit right - sagging in the chest and boa-constricting my arms. This sweater came with none of the usual faults. Like a lot of the favorite things in my closet, like my favorite pair of Moschino pants and my crinkle Armani top, if I ever the wear the dickens out of this sweater, I don’t know how I’ll replace it, and I don’t know how I’ll go on. If you are harboring any vintage Abercrombie in your closet like this sweater, just know that I am VERY interested.
A green and black striped knit dress, $1
This dress looked insane on the rack and it’s not really my style, and it doesn’t go with my seasons, and it’s really impractical - being so long, and being so see through. Yet I want to wear it all the time. I haven’t once styled it in a unique way - I always wear this under my 70s leather trench and over combat boots. Someday though I will wear this over a bikini on the French Riviera.
A perfect weathered pair of cowgirl boots, $19
Gray, when you’re pale like me, is actually a much better neutral than black. Gray can tone down wardrobe items that might otherwise feel costume-y in black, like a leather jacket or cowgirl boots. I love wearing these with my long white skirt, and I’d love to find a Gunne Sax dress to pair this with. Cowgirl boots are so cute with a mini skirt, as well.
A Theyskins Theory boucle white skirt, $20
This is something I purchased at the beginning of 2023 and watching my feelings about style markedly change from “I need to look runway. I need to have lots of textures, and I need to be unique” to “I just want things I can pick off the floor and wear without much consideration, and I want them to feel comfortable and good, and I want to also photograph well” in just my purchases alone is sort of interesting. This skirt survived the change, and I want to think of more interesting ways to wear it beyond under a black sweater.
An Aeropostal mini skort in khaki, $16
It’s sooo important to dress like a Bratz doll when you are a 27 year old woman. I bought this skirt because my friend Avina has a similar skirt that she styled in such a cute way. My biggest style inspiration? All of my friends. I’m so lucky.
A foldover Sies Marjan sweater, $40
Again, very lucky to have fashionable women in my life. I borrowed this same sweater from my friend Anshu and wore it over a knee-length dress. I hung onto it and was able to return it back to her when I bought my own. It is a synthetic blend, but I think that works well for y2k-inspired pieces. Perfectly stretchy.
What were your favorite closet additions this year? I’d love to see pics and hear about it =)