12 Things I Thrifted In March
Cool FREE chairs, a windfall of vintage rhinestone Miu Miu-vibey brooches, the '70s brand to hunt for on eBay ++✨✨✨.
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For a month of very questionable weather patterns, the thrifting in March was consistently 74 degrees and ☀️☀️☀️. Last week, I posted about the Alvar Aalto “Artek Stool 60” I literally found perched on a curbside pile of discarded furniture on the way home from picking up Raf from school. There it was…and I could tell from a block away exactly what it was, too. Back in 2017, Kevin and I spent a week in Helsinki touring every Aalto building we could find. We even took a train ride out to his experimental summer home Muuratsalo…one of the most breathtaking examples of small-space engineering and design you can imagine. Here’s a snap of Kevin and I outside…I’m even wearing Marimekko pants I picked up the day before at the flagship in Helsinki.
Hence, you can imagine how ridiculously FREAKED OUT I was to find a genuine Artek Stool 60 on the street…down the block from my house…here in Brooklyn.
Magic? Luck? Synchronicity?
Finding gems like this on the street pretty frequently may well be a gift (albeit a weird one). But it’s probably more likely these rare objects, relics, and gems show up because I’m never not looking for them…even if I’m almost NEVER sure what I’m even looking for. I believe when we start paying attention to what kind of strange things are piled outside of dumpsters or alongside trash cans, or nestled into those wonderfully cluttered merchandised thrift store shelves, we start discovering more unbelievably cool things, too…everywhere. And in some way, I always feel like the people who put them there WANT us to find them. WANT us to appreciate them…even love them. And wonder about the stories behind them…their stories.
In fact, just yesterday (yesterday!!) my husband was on his way home from teaching, when he called me, and the conversation went something like this…
ME: “Is everything okay?”
HIM: “Yeah, I’ve got a bunch of vintage cafe chairs over here on Grace Court. Should I grab them?”
ME: “Text me a picture.”
Which is when he sent me this video, and I was like, C’MON…are you kidding me?! I told him to take two. Not all five, just TWO (I do have some restraint).
[Song courtesy of Sonic Youth.]
And so, that’s usually how we end up here, in my monthly roundups of oddball/freakout/love-worn thrifted treasures galore. So, let’s get into it…❤️
Vintage Marwitz eyeglasses, $75. I was sending someone I met on Instagram some suggestions for vintage eyewear, and I dove directly into my Marwitz fixation. When I came across these, I was like, mmmm, maybe ME? They haven’t arrived yet, but I’m excited to see how they look when they get here (like I actually need another pair of glasses, God Help Me). Might be a great prescription sunglass frame option, too.
Vintage 80s Silk Handkerchief Dress, $60. I saw this a few months back at Vintage Thrift, and even though the whole top is beaded and extremely fussy, it was all about the shredded Stevie Nicks hem. I can’t wait to wear it with an oversized T-shirt or menswear button-down and sneakers as soon as socks and tights are no longer needed. Here’s a similar style on Etsy, albeit a little shorter, but still silk. My sandals are old Rachel Comey, but I love these, too, with a dress like this (they’re also a classic RC style). FYI: I’m working on a How To Wear A Long Skirt this spring/summer, kind of like what we did with Skinny Belts a few editions back, so stay tuned for that as it will have lots of handy shopping/styling tricks, too.
Vintage Pizza Trays, Silverware Drawer Organizer, Vintage Mug, and Giant Bread Knife, $10 (total). My favorite thing in this whole tiny haul from Restore in Hudson last week are the pair of old metal pizza trays. I had some girlfriends over for drinks and snacks that evening and used them both for serving, in bringing All the Things to the table and also arranging all the tiny bowls of olives and cheeses, etc. I never realized how handy they would be….and also SO chic. I couldn’t find any vintage versions in good shape, but they’re around $5/each from typical restaurant supply shops. And, here’s a closeup of my now favorite $1 mug in the car ride home. (And yep, that’s STYX Greatest Hits on an actual CD for which I will not apologize…this song does indeed make me cry).
Engineered Garments for Uniqlo Jacket, $50. I intended on buying this for Kevin, but as soon as I put it on in the fitting room, I was like, oh HIIIII, I can work with this. Luckily, he didn’t appreciate it as much as I did, so here we are.
Lot of Vintage Rhinestone and Pearl Brooches, $70. I’ve always loved vintage brooches, and being the granddaughter of two very Italian grandmothers, I have many that have been passed down to me. But that didn’t stop me from buying a lot of 32 of them after seeing them LEVITATE all over the Miu Miu Fall/Winter Runway show last month. What I loved most was how they were placed all over pieces/looks in strange/unexpected patterns and groupings. Besotted....
Runway images courtesy of Miu Miu. Top row, middle and right, images from Vogue.
Vintage Caché Jacket, $65. I’ve become somewhat enamored with the legendary prom-party brand Caché. I don’t know much about the history, other than that it was started in 1975 in Brooklyn, and was considered “luxury,” but I have found some AMAZING pieces over the last few months that either have a modern shape like this blazer, or feature some incredibly Extra detail (rhinestones…everywhere!), including this asymmetric sequin camisole below (yes, I bought it:). This one TOTALLY looks like ‘90s Moschino or Gaultier, and this tank with rivets for under $25 is a goodie, too.
Two Boxes/10 Square Feet of Green Glass Tile, $6. Also from the Restore in Hudson, we’ll definitely be using this gorgeous Prada green tile in one of our upstate projects, and I can’t wait to experiment with it. Kind of imagining it for an entryway or mudroom….stay tuned. And thanks for being here! If you’re celebrating this weekend, wishing you a good/special one. And if you’re not, I hope it’s a glorious weekend just the same. See you next week, friends…xxCb
I love the green glass tiles. I'm very into green color recently, maybe because spring time. I can't wait to see what you will do with them!
I am SO glad you got the Prada tiles - L.O.V.E.L.Y! I'm lol-ing because I've had that metal drawer organizer forever. Truth › whenever I open my kitchen drawer and see it, I'm secretly pleased at how great it functions and looks, fitting in there so neatly. It's just an organizer, I know, but....
Oh my yes to the brooches (I find 'em at church bazaars mostly); the Aalto stool was a monster score – good for you! #the-planets-are-aligned xo