Obviously I have a love of all things vintage, and you better believe that includes vintage cars. Since I was a little girl I've always loved car shows or cruise nights, admiring cars from the past that have been kept or refurbished to look like new again. My sweetheart is a big fan as well, and we have a summer tradition of attending the New Hope Auto Show that takes place every August in New Hope, PA. We love to spend the day together perusing the show, and then walk around town, grab a bite to eat, and, of course, do a little shopping!
This year we had the absolute greatest time! There were so many great cars - foreign and American, modern and vintage. Everyone was in great spirits - we had so many pleasant conversations with owners who were happy to point out features of their cars and explain some history. One owner was so generous - he invited us to sit in the driver's seat of his gorgeous 1960 Corvette! I think the grin on my boyfriend's face perfectly portrays how excited we were.
My other favorite car of the day was this 1957 Chevy Nomad (can you tell I'm a Chevy girl?). The color is called "Canyon Coral". Talk about swoon!
My sweetie and I always talk about wanting to own a vintage car one day. Who knows, maybe there will eventually be a Bargain Bettie post about a new ride!
If you've never been, New Hope is an adorable town that sits right on the Delaware River. It's an eclectic, welcoming town with tons of great little restaurants and shops. On Tuesdays and Saturdays nearby there is a Flea Market my friends and I have gone to since we were in high school. Between that and the stores right in town you can easily spend an entire day shopping New Hope!
One store I always pop into is Night Bird Vintage. The store is off of a side street, and you need to walk down an alleyway with steps to get in the door on the side of the building. The shop is small in size, but packed wall to wall with vintage. It's organized by clothing type (jackets, dresses, women's tops, men's tops, etc.), but that's about where the order stops, so get ready to dig!
I always enjoy perusing Night Bird because of the fun patterns. Even though I'm more of a 1950's girl when it comes to cut and style, I'm a huge sucker for the bold, colorful 70's plaids and patterns. Night Bird carries a good range of items from all decades 50's-90's, so there's bound to be something for everyone.
My find of the day was this fun dress, which I'm really excited to wear when it gets to fall and winter! I'm loving that retro plaid is in for this fall, and this dress fits the bill.
Overall Night Bird is a worthwhile stop when visiting New Hope, but I will say that prices are a little higher than some of my other favorite stores. Also, be prepared that there is only one dressing room. For a store with minimal space it's not surprising, but on a busy Sunday there was a line of people waiting to try on while I was taking my turn. I was interested in a bunch of items, but ended up not trying them on because I didn't want to take everyone's time, or didn't want to wait in line again. Either be prepared to be in this position on a fair weathered weekend day, or try to hit up Night Bird on a weekday!
This shop is just the tip of the iceberg of all of the fun you can have in New Hope. Definitely be on the lookout for a post on some of my other favorite spots in the area!
Until the next adventure!
xoxo, Bettie
Showing posts with label vintage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vintage. Show all posts
29.8.17
Summer Sundays in New Hope - Night Bird Vintage
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Categories:
Lifestyle,
Pennsylvania,
vintage
7.8.17
Bargain Bettie Goes Back to the Burgh!
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:
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$32 50's Dress |
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$32 70's dress |
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$15 80's Pitt Sweatshirt. Hail to Pitt! |
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
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Categories:
Pennsylvania,
Travel,
vintage
7.10.15
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!: The VNA Rummage Sale
The Visiting Nurse Association is a non-profit that provides home health and hospice care, adult day services, and community wellness programs in Morris and Somerset County NJ. Their mission is to "provide their services to all those in need, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance coverage." Twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, the VNA holds a huge rummage sale, where the proceeds go towards home health and hospice care to families in need, along with other wellness services not covered by insurance. Volunteers begin collecting donations at the rummage sale site a month prior to the sale date; people drive up with car and truckloads of items to donate! The sale is organized into categories that are divided by tents. For example, there is a tent for Kitchen items, a tent for boutique clothing items, a tent for sports equipment, etc. They seriously get SO MANY items to sell! The sale runs Friday to Sunday, and good thing, since it's almost impossible to go through everything in just one day!
This year I decided to take off of work to attend first thing Friday, aiming for the better selection of items. I also ended up going later in the day on Saturday with my honey, and then returned Sunday with my mom and stepdad. Each day was a different experience, with great finds along the way!
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Inside the Boutique Clothing tent on Day 1. |
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MUD. And it was just day one. |
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Chairs Chairs Chairs galore! |
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My honey, the undercover bookworm :) |
- The sale is rain or shine. Seriously. Friday was an absolutely miserable day: cold, windy, and downpour rainy. Saturday was the aftermath; even muddier than they before, damp and chilly. None of this stopped anyone from coming out! Come prepared for whatever weather, and don't wear any shoes or clothing you don't want mud on!
- If you're considering shopping for clothing for yourself, layer up! Mirrors are hung up in clothing tents, so if you wear tight fitting lower layers, you have the ability to try on clothing before you purchase. I wore skinny jeans and a cami every day, and simply layered thermals/fleece/my rain jacket on top. Other women did the same, and some would even drop their pants to their ankles to get an idea if a skirt or dress really fit. I shared a mirror with a lovely woman on Friday while trying on items; we ended up picking out items for each other and asking each other for opinions on what we were buying!
- Keep your eyes peeled at all times. Sometimes items get placed in a tent or location you wouldn't expect. For example, there was a section of leather shoes, bags, and boots in the Vintage tent - I spotted a newer pair of Frye booties, and an Isabella Fiore handbag there, though I would think they would be in the Boutique Clothing tent.
- Save room for Sunday! To clear as much of their inventory as possible, each tent has a different deal on the last day. Tents with smaller items sometimes have fill-a-bag deals, where you can stuff a brown bag with whatever you can for $10 or $15. Other tents are 50% off. I made out like a bandit on Sunday!
- and related to those notes...don't hesitate to go through tents more than once! You can easily overlook something and spot it the second time around. It works out even better when you come across it on Sunday...that's how I came to own this Valentino blazer....for $25 :)
That's also how I got this chair for my little vanity table for $6 instead of $12!
I really made out like a bandit this sale! Here are a few of my other favorite finds:
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The cutest mid-century kitchen canisters; and they stack! Set of 3 for $12. |
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My haul from Boutique Clothing! Highlights were the turquoise Tahari dress for $8 and the 90's does 50's floral dress for $5. |
How have you been spending your fall? Did you attend the rummage sale? Anything else fun going on? Let me know in the comments below!
Until the next adventure...xoxo, Bettie
1 comments
Categories:
New Jersey,
Rummage Sale,
vintage
12.8.15
Vintage in Vacationland!: Maine Adventures Part 2
To wrap up my posts about shopping in Maine, I definitely saved the best for last. When I was telling my step-grandma, Vicki, about my adventures and this blog, she mentioned that she had recently seen a newspaper article about Heirloom Antiques & Vintage in Waterville, ME. Being an avid shopper like me, she was more than eager to take the trip and check it out! We took a day trip to Waterville, with some other shopping stops along the way.
Simply put, Heirloom was great, and is now in my top list of favorite stores. The owner, Nicole, is one of the sweetest people I have ever met, and her shop reflects her pleasant and bubbly personality. All of the items in the store are carefully and thoughtfully organized and on display. The store is bright, warm, and welcoming; you don't want to leave!
There was a great selection of items, ranging all decades. I came across some really unique and beautiful pieces; for example, there was a whole collection of '60's dress and jacket sets made with beautiful Asian fabrics from a woman whose mother was originally from Korea. It was heartbreaking that they were way too small for me! A lot of sizes were on the smaller side; based off of the amount of regulars that stopped in the store while I was there for a short while, it's obvious that Nicole has a following, which means that stuff goes quickly! Still, there was definitely plenty for my liking, and I certainly picked more than a handful to try on!
I was also impressed by the amount of men's clothing. Unlike vintage stores where men's clothing are skipped over or are just an afterthought, Heirloom has a complete men's section that's given as much love and care as the women's clothing. I especially liked the layout and displays in the men's area:
Nicole helped me pick out items to try, and I ended up coming away with three winners; a yellow 1960's house dress, a custom made dress from the 60's with a matching belt, and what I've been looking for....a wicker woven purse!
Simply put, Heirloom was great, and is now in my top list of favorite stores. The owner, Nicole, is one of the sweetest people I have ever met, and her shop reflects her pleasant and bubbly personality. All of the items in the store are carefully and thoughtfully organized and on display. The store is bright, warm, and welcoming; you don't want to leave!
There was a great selection of items, ranging all decades. I came across some really unique and beautiful pieces; for example, there was a whole collection of '60's dress and jacket sets made with beautiful Asian fabrics from a woman whose mother was originally from Korea. It was heartbreaking that they were way too small for me! A lot of sizes were on the smaller side; based off of the amount of regulars that stopped in the store while I was there for a short while, it's obvious that Nicole has a following, which means that stuff goes quickly! Still, there was definitely plenty for my liking, and I certainly picked more than a handful to try on!
I was also impressed by the amount of men's clothing. Unlike vintage stores where men's clothing are skipped over or are just an afterthought, Heirloom has a complete men's section that's given as much love and care as the women's clothing. I especially liked the layout and displays in the men's area:
Nicole helped me pick out items to try, and I ended up coming away with three winners; a yellow 1960's house dress, a custom made dress from the 60's with a matching belt, and what I've been looking for....a wicker woven purse!
Wheeeee!!!
On top of the great items Nicole has in her shop, she also has them priced to sell. Not only were these great pieces, but they were great bargains, in my opinion. I paid $16 for the purse, $15 for the yellow dress, and Nicole gave the second dress to me for $25, when it was originally priced at $29. All in all I paid less than $60 for three items that I absolutely love! If you happen to be in the area definitely stop by for your winter coat - there were beautiful vintage wool coats she was selling for $40! You can't get anything these days at remotely the same quality for prices like that.
Stopping at Heirloom was the perfect ending to my trip to Maine. Nicole was a joy to talk with, and I hope to keep in touch with her and purchase from the shop remotely! I'll definitely be stopping in whenever I'm up north. A huge thank you to my shopping partner in crime, Vicki, for taking me!
Oh, and by the way....did I mention that Nicole's husband sells homemade fresh bread next door? Yes darlings, heaven is a place on earth.
Until next time!
xoxo, Bettie
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Categories:
Maine,
vintage
5.8.15
Vintage in Vacationland!: Maine Adventures Part 1
Hello darlings! I'm back today after being in the state of Maine for a divine week-long vacation. My step-dad's parents, Vicki + Herm, spend their summers at their lake house, and invite family and friends to take some time off and visit. My family has visited the past few summers, and this year I finally was able to join them!
I had the most amazing time - Vicki + Herm are so much fun, and Maine is absolutely beautiful. We spent our week boating and swimming in the lake, taking day trips to different parts of the state, eating Gifford's ice cream, and of course, shopping!
Vicki and I spent a full day shopping in Waterville, and had the best experience shopping at Heirloom Antiques and Vintage. I'm still in the process of taking some pictures of my goodies for you, however, I also did some shopping in Farmington with my mom, and our experience there was....interesting, to say the least. I absolutely had to tell you all about it as soon as possible!
My family and I stopped in Farmington on the way back from Smalls Falls, a scenic rest stop that also doubles as a great spot for cliff jumping. How gorgeous is it?!
On the way to the falls, we had seen signs for a few shops, namely one called Outskirts Vintage. My mom and step-dad actually initially saw the sign, and insisted that we stop so I could check it out.
There's a lot to say about Outskirts, so I'll get right to it. First of all, the owner was extremely nice, pleasant, and clearly knowledgeable, however...she was a bit of a hot mess! Even if you didn't talk with her much or have the experience I did, you could get that vibe from the store itself. The store was dark; so dark you couldn't tell that it was mid afternoon on a gorgeous sunny day! They were apparently going through a remodel, so some areas were weirdly roped off, there was stuff on the floor, and things just looked haphazard and shoved in random places. It was store policy not to allow any pictures, so unfortunately I can't give you guys an idea!
There were some really beautiful items in the store, but the problem is, I'm not really sure if the owner really wanted to sell any of them! Prices seemed kind of high to me; they definitely were not set to move items out the door. Also, as we were shopping, items on the floor suddenly were actually not for sale....seriously. Let me explain:
It started with an adorable fruit charm bracelet my mom found; the owner heard my mom showing it to me, walked up to us, and exclaimed "Ohhh... you know... I'm in the midst of remodeling, and I need certain items to create the right aesthetic...so I'm so sorry....that's not for sale!" Okay... understandable, the area where we found the bracelet was off limits. Our bad! However, a few minutes later I picked up and adorable straw bag, with a price tag, from a different area of the store. She came up to me again: "Oh my gosh!! You clearly really have great taste! I just realllllly need to keep some things, so I'm so sorry.... but it's not for sale!". Alright...it was a cute bag so it would look great on display, but then why was it tagged and on the floor? Also, aren't the point of displays to sell things? I haven't been to a vintage shop where the items in a display are not for sale, unless they are clearly marked. Lastly, I tried on an adorable pair of sunglasses I found on top of a glass display case...once again I was told I had great taste, but she was so sorry, another customer must have put them there by accident, they weren't for sale either! At that point, as Vicki put it best, "and you were still in there, why?".
I stuck it out because I do feel like you never know where you'll make the find of your life, and what you may have to endure to do so. Unfortunately, that was not the outcome. I was there for about an hour trying different things on, to no avail. Again, the owner was super friendly, but a bit manic and nonstop like the energizer bunny. She kept barging into the dressing room with piles and piles of other items for me with good intentions, however it just got overwhelming and I finally had to call it quits.
Actually, I should mention that there was one dress I really liked; a '60s mod dress in an awesome lime green houndstooth pattern. The dress wasn't priced, so when I had it on she gave me a price of $69.95. That really wasn't what I was looking to spend, so she offered $65.95 - a $4.00 discount. I understand that you charge what you need to in order to run your business, but in that case....why did you say no to selling me three other items I absolutely would have bought!? I was just so confused. My mom summed it up best as we walked out: she was keeping a museum of great vintage clothing, not a shop!
In the end, I'm not quite sure I would recommend making a trip solely to stop at Outskirts. However, Farmington has tons of other shopping; there were other thrift stores, a Remy's, and other cool unique shops that you only find in college towns. If you happen to be there, stop by, and let me know if you have a similar experience!
I'll be posting my other Vacationland adventures this week - stop back for details about the amazing Heirloom Vintage, and some other great finds I made!
Until then loves!
xoxo, Bettie
I had the most amazing time - Vicki + Herm are so much fun, and Maine is absolutely beautiful. We spent our week boating and swimming in the lake, taking day trips to different parts of the state, eating Gifford's ice cream, and of course, shopping!
Vicki and I spent a full day shopping in Waterville, and had the best experience shopping at Heirloom Antiques and Vintage. I'm still in the process of taking some pictures of my goodies for you, however, I also did some shopping in Farmington with my mom, and our experience there was....interesting, to say the least. I absolutely had to tell you all about it as soon as possible!
My family and I stopped in Farmington on the way back from Smalls Falls, a scenic rest stop that also doubles as a great spot for cliff jumping. How gorgeous is it?!
On the way to the falls, we had seen signs for a few shops, namely one called Outskirts Vintage. My mom and step-dad actually initially saw the sign, and insisted that we stop so I could check it out.
There's a lot to say about Outskirts, so I'll get right to it. First of all, the owner was extremely nice, pleasant, and clearly knowledgeable, however...she was a bit of a hot mess! Even if you didn't talk with her much or have the experience I did, you could get that vibe from the store itself. The store was dark; so dark you couldn't tell that it was mid afternoon on a gorgeous sunny day! They were apparently going through a remodel, so some areas were weirdly roped off, there was stuff on the floor, and things just looked haphazard and shoved in random places. It was store policy not to allow any pictures, so unfortunately I can't give you guys an idea!
There were some really beautiful items in the store, but the problem is, I'm not really sure if the owner really wanted to sell any of them! Prices seemed kind of high to me; they definitely were not set to move items out the door. Also, as we were shopping, items on the floor suddenly were actually not for sale....seriously. Let me explain:
It started with an adorable fruit charm bracelet my mom found; the owner heard my mom showing it to me, walked up to us, and exclaimed "Ohhh... you know... I'm in the midst of remodeling, and I need certain items to create the right aesthetic...so I'm so sorry....that's not for sale!" Okay... understandable, the area where we found the bracelet was off limits. Our bad! However, a few minutes later I picked up and adorable straw bag, with a price tag, from a different area of the store. She came up to me again: "Oh my gosh!! You clearly really have great taste! I just realllllly need to keep some things, so I'm so sorry.... but it's not for sale!". Alright...it was a cute bag so it would look great on display, but then why was it tagged and on the floor? Also, aren't the point of displays to sell things? I haven't been to a vintage shop where the items in a display are not for sale, unless they are clearly marked. Lastly, I tried on an adorable pair of sunglasses I found on top of a glass display case...once again I was told I had great taste, but she was so sorry, another customer must have put them there by accident, they weren't for sale either! At that point, as Vicki put it best, "and you were still in there, why?".
I stuck it out because I do feel like you never know where you'll make the find of your life, and what you may have to endure to do so. Unfortunately, that was not the outcome. I was there for about an hour trying different things on, to no avail. Again, the owner was super friendly, but a bit manic and nonstop like the energizer bunny. She kept barging into the dressing room with piles and piles of other items for me with good intentions, however it just got overwhelming and I finally had to call it quits.
Actually, I should mention that there was one dress I really liked; a '60s mod dress in an awesome lime green houndstooth pattern. The dress wasn't priced, so when I had it on she gave me a price of $69.95. That really wasn't what I was looking to spend, so she offered $65.95 - a $4.00 discount. I understand that you charge what you need to in order to run your business, but in that case....why did you say no to selling me three other items I absolutely would have bought!? I was just so confused. My mom summed it up best as we walked out: she was keeping a museum of great vintage clothing, not a shop!
In the end, I'm not quite sure I would recommend making a trip solely to stop at Outskirts. However, Farmington has tons of other shopping; there were other thrift stores, a Remy's, and other cool unique shops that you only find in college towns. If you happen to be there, stop by, and let me know if you have a similar experience!
I'll be posting my other Vacationland adventures this week - stop back for details about the amazing Heirloom Vintage, and some other great finds I made!
Until then loves!
xoxo, Bettie
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comments
Categories:
Maine,
Travel,
vintage
22.7.15
Weekend in the 'Burgh: Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix + Hey Betty!
Hi darlings! I'm writing this update fresh off of my car ride returning from my second home, Pittsburgh PA. My mom's a native to the city, and I went to college out there; I love everything about it, from the food to the shopping, from the Yinzer accent to the skyline!
My honey and I specifically took the trip out for the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, an International Car Show and vintage car race that takes place at the biggest park in the city. People travel from all over the world to show their cars and/or be a spectator. Literally every type of car, both vintage and modern, is represented. I was beyond excited when I found out that my dream car, the Thunderbird, was the Spotlight Car this year!
The event is held for charity, and is entirely free! There was a $20 charge to park our car at the official event parking, but if you park elsewhere in the neighborhood, there is zero charge to be a spectator. Talk about beyond a bargain!
We spent a full day at the Grand Prix, and then spent a second day visiting our favorite neighborhoods and trying some new places to eat. Here are a few highlights from our trip!
Overall I LOVED Hey Betty!. It's clear why it's a stop for celebrities and others passing through the Burgh! It's definitely going to be a regular stop for me whenever I visit the Steel City.
I mean, really, swoon!
One day.....(wearing my $5 top from Arden B. and $23.00 shorts from LOFT!)
We spent a full day at the Grand Prix, and then spent a second day visiting our favorite neighborhoods and trying some new places to eat. Here are a few highlights from our trip!
How adorable was the Airbnb where we stayed? It had a rooftop deck! PLUS it was only $55 a night! If you're new to Airbnb like I was, definitely check it out!
Ice Cream at our favorite place, Dave and Andy's!
View of Downtown from my morning run.
Enough about our vacation, let's get to the good stuff: where I went shopping! Because we had such a short time frame I planned out two stops ahead of time: Hey Betty! Vintage Clothing in Shadyside and the Community Thrift Center in the West End.
After a scrumptious brunch at Cafe Moulin in Shadyside on Sunday morning, we decided to walk the 15 minutes to visit Hey Betty! on Ellsworth Avenue. Not going to lie, the name may have had an influence on me deciding to stop by! However, as soon as I walked in I knew this was the right place to spend our precious time.
Hey Betty! has been open since 1988, and the owners have been buying and selling vintage since 1980. The store is so well known in the area that celebrities have been known to stop by; vintage lovers Chloe Sevigny, Helen Mirren, and Jamie Lee Curtis have visited, just to name a few! You can see where the reputation comes from immediately when stepping inside. The store is packed wall to wall with amazing vintage; literally anything you could possibly be looking for, from all different eras.
One thing I noted right off the bat was the offering of men's clothing and accessories. The immediate left side of the store is dedicated to shirts, jackets, coats, shoes, pants, hats, and even glasses for men. So far on my travels many of the vintage shops I have visited have been curated by women and have mostly sold only women's items, so this was definitely a treat for my honey as well!
One thing I noted right off the bat was the offering of men's clothing and accessories. The immediate left side of the store is dedicated to shirts, jackets, coats, shoes, pants, hats, and even glasses for men. So far on my travels many of the vintage shops I have visited have been curated by women and have mostly sold only women's items, so this was definitely a treat for my honey as well!
On the woman's side, the first section seemed to be a mix of featured items on hangers, underneath a display of hats and other accessories. Other sections seemed to be a bit more defined: there was a rack of sweaters, a rack for dresses, and one for skirts and pants. Towards the back of the store tucked by the dressing room is a smaller closet-like area with vintage sleepwear and slippers (amazing!). They have a separate back room for larger evening gowns and heavier jackets. Intermixed throughout are handbags, gloves, hats, and even housewares! A glass case front and center hosts jewelry, pillboxes, and cuff links.
We spent some time taking everything in. I absolutely LOVED these two jackets:
The light blue brocade jacket is still haunting me...it was slightly too small, but I can't stop thinking about it! It was priced at $60, which I think is a GREAT price for such a beautiful jacket in mint condition. Oh dear, writing about it is making me want to call and buy it over the phone!
I ended up purchasing this beautiful mosaic ring. It caught my eye out of all of the items in the case! Since we were on vacation I just wanted something small to remember our trip by, and this was totally perfect!
How cute are the matches from Hey Betty!?
I had planned a second stop at the Community Thrift Center in the West End, which I was also excited to check out for some great deals. For some reason I thought the store closed at 5:00PM, so when we arrived at 3:50 I was surprised to hear they were closing in 10 minutes! I was only able to skim over part of the selection; the store is large, and is comparable in feel and organization to a Goodwill or Salvation Army. As they were ordering us to bring any final purchases to the registers I grabbed and bought this dress, without trying it on:
For $5.99, I think it was definitely worth it!
Have you done any thrift and vintage shopping in Pittsburgh? Let me know where I should go next time I'm in town!
That's all for now darlings! Until next time...
xoxo, Bettie
For $5.99, I think it was definitely worth it!
Have you done any thrift and vintage shopping in Pittsburgh? Let me know where I should go next time I'm in town!
That's all for now darlings! Until next time...
xoxo, Bettie
1 comments
Categories:
Pennsylvania,
thrift,
Travel,
vintage
9.6.15
Across the Delaware: Malena’s Vintage Boutique 12th Anniversary Sale & WWII Weekend!
This past weekend has been a whirlwind with TONS of driving, but boy was it worth it! I took a half day from work on Friday to check out the 12th Anniversary Sale at Malena’s Vintage Boutique in West Chester, PA, and then on Sunday headed back to the area for WWII Weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum. It was a weekend full of great people, great fun, and of course pretty much vintage everything!
I heard about the sale at Malena’s via Celeste Giuliano, an
amazing pin-up photographer I’ve been following for years (check out her page,
it’ll make you want to put your red lipstick on stat!). Celeste is based in the Philly area, and this
year she was contributing hundreds of items from her studio’s pin-up wardrobe
to be a part of the Anniversary Sale.
Hearing that, and also the fact that there were going to be $10 clothes
racks and $10 accessory tables PLUS an additional 20% off if you paid cash, I
knew I wasn’t going to be missing this one.
The sale started at 5:00PM on Friday night, and then
continued the next day. West Chester is
a little over two hours from where I am in Jersey, not including rush hour
traffic, so I made sure to leave extra early to be there around 5:00. I actually ended up getting to West Chester
an hour early; having some time to kill
I stopped into the boutique just to quickly scope it out, and ask for any
recommendations on where to hang out for a bit . I was greeted by Malena
herself, and she pointed me in the direction of a place right down the street
to grab a yummy cucumber vodka cocktail while I waited.
I made my way back to the shop a little after the start time. The main attraction of the sale was their show-room around
the corner, which is normally not open to the public. Walking in the first thing I could think of
was HOLY VINTAGE:
The room was literally packed wall to wall with goodies from
every decade. As promised, there were
four different $10 racks, and three tables full of accessories and jewelry
priced the same. There was literally a taste of everything; wedding dresses, matching separates, formal wear,
jackets, nightgowns and slips, dresses, you name it. The items from Celeste Giuliano’s closet were
mixed in; some were in a $10 section, and others were on the price-as-marked
racks. I loaded up my arm with 10 or so
different items; some from the $10 rack, and others from the non-discounted
rack. One of the items I grabbed was a 1980s Bill Blass sailor dress that Malena had posted on social media earlier in the day - I was so excited to see it was my size!
After taking some time to try on, I FELL IN LOVE with two pieces; the Bill Blass fit like it was made for me, and so did an amazing fit and flare blue polka dot romper that was perfect for WWII Weekend! Both items were regular price, but that didn't matter - I knew I had to go home with them. I mean really, just look at the Bill Blass, especially the back detail!:
And how fitting was the romper for WWII weekend? A huge thanks to both Malena and Celeste, whose feedback definitely made me even more excited about my purchase!
I received 20% off for paying cash (the discount was 15% if you paid with a card), and with the discount my total came to $80, which I found so reasonable for how much I loved the two items. Now keep in mind, this all happened in just the showroom - I hadn't even shopped the actual boutique yet, which was also all 20% off! I was satisfied enough with my purchase to call it a day, but I of course needed to scope out the shop for my readers! I spent about 15 minutes or so just walking around the boutique looking at what else they had before heading back home to NJ. I also got to meet Celeste in the shop, who *fingers crossed* I'll finally get to book a shoot with this summer!
Overall, the whole experience was more than well worth the two hour drive. Malena clearly knows what she is doing in all aspects of her business; she and her staff are above and beyond friendly, every item for sale is of great quality and condition and there are so many unique pieces, and the store itself is clean, organized, inviting, and decorated perfectly:
After taking some time to try on, I FELL IN LOVE with two pieces; the Bill Blass fit like it was made for me, and so did an amazing fit and flare blue polka dot romper that was perfect for WWII Weekend! Both items were regular price, but that didn't matter - I knew I had to go home with them. I mean really, just look at the Bill Blass, especially the back detail!:
I received 20% off for paying cash (the discount was 15% if you paid with a card), and with the discount my total came to $80, which I found so reasonable for how much I loved the two items. Now keep in mind, this all happened in just the showroom - I hadn't even shopped the actual boutique yet, which was also all 20% off! I was satisfied enough with my purchase to call it a day, but I of course needed to scope out the shop for my readers! I spent about 15 minutes or so just walking around the boutique looking at what else they had before heading back home to NJ. I also got to meet Celeste in the shop, who *fingers crossed* I'll finally get to book a shoot with this summer!
Overall, the whole experience was more than well worth the two hour drive. Malena clearly knows what she is doing in all aspects of her business; she and her staff are above and beyond friendly, every item for sale is of great quality and condition and there are so many unique pieces, and the store itself is clean, organized, inviting, and decorated perfectly:
I seriously wish I lived closer to West Chester so I could be more of a regular here. Malena does sell online through eBay and posts items on social media, so if you aren't super accessible, definitely look into that as an option!
It looks like that's my report for now! Did anyone else get to attend the sale? If so, what did you find!? I'd love to hear what you came home with!
xoxo, Bettie
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Pennsylvania,
vintage
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