A vintage-thrift shopping post is something that we have been so excited to start and continue with future trips.We have had the opportunity to thrift shop in our neighborhood cities and found some really amazing pieces for ourselves but we decided we wanted to start venturing to other cities and discover new, cool and trendy neighborhoods to find some really unique pieces for you to shop. On January 22nd, 2018 we took our first thrift-shopping trip to San Diego specifically in the Hillcrest area. We started our planning almost a month in advance to help us prepare and narrow down exactly what we were searching for to make sure it was a truly vintage shopping experience.
The history of vintage clothing from the late 1970's to 1990's is so specific, we soon realized that some eras are very similar but within their own twist. Our studies were mainly focus on learning more about the garment care tags. Each era identifies their clothing in a certain way that separates them from the rest. For example in 1970 in bold and colorful lettering the care tags identified the Union that the clothing was made from. In 1980s, the oversize trend was so big that all their tags were not only big but they also had a O/S fits all on the tags. It wasn't until 1990 that they started making the tags very clean and sharp. The sizes started spreading and became more according to body types.
The day before our shopping trip we went over everything we were specifically shopping for and narrowed the shops we wanted to check out. We knew we’d have a long day of walking and shopping so we wore comfortable shoes and since it’s January in California, layers is a must. We made sure we parked in a spot that would be easy for us to walk to store to store. Keeping track of the spending and taking in account parking meters, food and drinks; we had to think smart which is why preparation and budgeting is key.
Our first stop was Team Amvets. Here we found some really cool vintage olive green smart pants which are not only made in the USA but were branched out in the early 1970’s and waved into the 80’s with fun pops of color like these. We also found a 90’s multi colored aztec jacket, 70’s chainmail skirt, 80’s sequin vest and last but not least a non vintage but vintage inspired pin.
Next was the Goodwill in Hillcrest which on that day happened to have a big store sale! Yes more bargains !! Here we found some amazing pieces, starting with an 80’s aztec jacket made in Mexico, 90’s blue velvet dress and some fun 80’s inspired belts.We can definitely say from experience, San Diego Goodwills are much better than North County Goodwill not only price wise but also selection.
Next was Baras Foundation. This is where we found a lot of our favorite finds starting with 80’s/90’s black sheer pants, 90’s Clavin Klein jeans, 90’s sunflower dress, and vintage inspired belts. If you are ever in that area, definitely check out Baras Foundation in Hillcrest.
Finally, we went to Buffalo Exchange. We made sure we left this place last on our list for many reasons. If you have never been to Buffalo Exchange just know that this place has vintage inspired and vintage wear everywhere you look.
Going through clothing at a thrift store in one thing but making sure it’s truly vintage is a whole new challenge. All of our studies were put the test and knowing we had each other to help out with decision on each piece helped our process move quicker. Our style is very funky, cool yet rocker so it can sometimes be a challenge to find gems that are not only true to our style but also truly vintage.
Don't forget to check out our Instagram highlight for more videos and pictures from this day. All of our faboulous finds are now up on the site, be sure to check them out. Stay tuned for our next post on how we alter and patch up a lot of our new pieces.
Thank you for reading!
Love always Re-Claim Sole