Bargain Bettie Goes Back to the Burgh!

Summer is in full swing, and what's a summer without a girls' weekend away?  My two besties and I went out to Pittsburgh for the weekend in June, and of course, did some serious shopping.  I've done some Bargain Bettie adventuring in Pittsburgh before, and was excited to explore the vintage scene in a different neighborhood this time-the South Side.  The South Side has been my favorite neighborhood since I was a kid!  When my family would visit my mom would always take me there for some mother-daughter bonding time.  We would shop to our hearts content, since the South Side had so many cool stores that were nothing like back in New Jersey.

Three Rivers Vintage was on my list to visit last time I was in Pittsburgh, but we weren't able to make it across the river on that trip.  Having visited now, I wish I had come here years ago!

For starters, my first impression was two words: GOOD DISCO.  A Lover's Holiday by Change is one of my all-time favorites, and it was bouncing from the speakers when we walked in.  I felt right at home!  The store was perfectly organized by category: dresses, jackets shirts, bottoms, long dresses, etc. They even had a great selection of vintage swimwear and a HUGE men's section in the back (men's swim trunks included!). One thing I LOVED was that all of the dresses were organized by waist size.  This made shopping such a breeze.

I would describe Three Rivers Vintage not only as a vintage shop, but as a carefully curated vintage collection.  Every item is treated as a treasure from the past that needs to be handled with care and respect.  The signs with specific instructions not to grab items by their fabric made this clear to everyone.  Nothing but respect for teaching others to respect vintage!

On that note, the owner and staff of the store guard their prized possessions with their life - do not be intimidated by the chains on the dressing room doors or the signs demanding care and attention when trying on your items! Scott, the owner, and his staff were SO nice - when I mentioned the blog and asked to take pictures of the store, he volunteered to take the 'best picture of the store' for me.  He stood on a stool, and took this picture of us shopping!

How often do you have an owner of a store do something like that for you? Reading reviews on Facebook and elsewhere, it seems like Scott and his store have a following, and you can see why!

On to my finds!  I was ESTATIC about my purchases from Three Rivers Vintage.  The price points were amazing - $30 vintage dresses in amazing condition?  Heck yes!  Check out what I took home below:

$32 50's Dress

$32 70's dress

$15 80's Pitt Sweatshirt.  Hail to Pitt!

Three Rivers Vintage will be a must-visit every time I'm in Pittsburgh!  They also sell through their Instagram, which I'm sure will end up hurting my wallet. :)

Scott recommended another vintage shop on Carson Street, Highway Robbery Vintage, so we made a stop there as well.  Another awesome store with a great selection.  It was so interesting to see the differences in the vibe and target audience of the store!  The setup and atmosphere at Highway Robbery reminded me of Urban Outfitters, and the selection definitely catered to that type of crowd.  Lots of vintage crew necks, converted grandma jeans to daisy dukes, and the vintage dresses seemed to fit that aesthetic.

I didn't have much luck, but my friend came away with two super cute sweatshirts.  They were both $20 each, and in great condition.  You sure as heck aren't finding new replicas of that sweatshirt at that price!

My ladies and I had an amazing time shopping the South Side, and spending time in my dear old Pittsburgh.

Until the next adventure, darlings!

xoxo, Bettie