Op Shopping
Diary of my op shopping adventures.
| April 5, 2002: As well as the clothes that I have sewn, I like to wear secondhand clothes. In my wardrobe I have a few things that have been given to me by relatives and friends, but I also like to find clothes at op shops. My favourite find so far was a leather skirt that was $AU5. Fits me like a glove and is so groovy. I actually bought it for my themed birthday party but I have worn it on other occasions as well. This picture doesn't do it justice. |  |
| April 13, 2002: A week after I
bought the skirt, I went back to check out a jacket that
I had seen in one of the stores. I had had my eyes on a
denim jacket, but when I went to try it on, it was too
small. Correction - it was suitable for someone for some
who had short arms. The jacket itself fit me, but the
sleeves were way too short. I was disappointed, because I
was looking forward to the addition of a denim jacket to
my Winter wardrobe. I thought I would have another look around the stores to see if there was anything else there that was appealing. I loved the look of some old fur coats and capelets, very 40/50's. However, the very thought of having a dead animal draped over my shoulders far outweighed having a funky looking coat. I was looking through a rack of assorted clothing (junk-ish) when I saw it. It was a black with blue mexican-ish print wrap and it had been shoved on a table in a sad little pile. When I picked it up, I knew that I loved it and that I had to have it. On my way to the cashier, I spotted another wrap, this time a red wool one. I have bought both now. I think the reason I love secondhand clothing is that I can find some really unique clothes. When you go in op shops, you never know what you might find. You might find some really nice coats from 50 years ago. Or a skirt from the 70's. Anything is possible. Also, the clothes already have their own history. And the hunt is also very real for me. Buying secondhand clothes is like finding some really cheap or unusual quality fabric. |
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May 14, 2002: I have only worn the black wrap a few times, as the weather is still not that cold. When I wore it to church for the first time, I got quite a few comments. I guess this is so because most people wear pretty 'conservative' clothing and, while this is not wild, it is certinly a bit different.
June 1, 2002: I am looking forward to my holidays so that I can visit some op shops in Brisbane. I have not been to any in Brisbane but I hope to find more and better things than the stuff in Ipswich. I am looking for interesting coats, jeans that fit, denim jackets, any cool shoes and vintage accessories like handbags and sunglasses in particular. I will also keep my eye out for any sewing patterns or fabric as you never know what will be found.
On another note, my mother cleaned out her jewellary box and gave a lot of her stuff to me. Really nice. She also threw some stuff in the bin and when I heard this, I raced out and found some more amazing things (the best things, in my opinion) so glad she told me because I managed to nab the ring I have admired for ages.
June 13, 2002: Last Friday I stopped in at a local op-shop (Lifeline, Ipswich) because I had a couple of hours spare before meeting my friends. I had never been down to the bargain basement so I decided to go down to see what was there. I was amazed. There were a so many clothes down there that I never knew about. There was a room full of books. I bought this patternmaking book from the 40's and two sewing magazines from the 60's. I thought these books could provide me with some inspiration. Then on Tuesday after I had handed in my last assignment for the semester (!) I shopped by at a group of shops at Stones Corner. I love this place: all factory outlets. There were also a couple of op-shops that I hd never been to so I went there first for a snoop. The first store had nothing special. I bought a pattern and a recent sewing magazine for $1. The other store was all secondhand deigner labels. Too expensive for me.
June 21, 2002:I went into Ipswich to scour all three op-shops that are in the same street for some bargains. I was remembering a few months ago they had some lovely fur coats and caplets but these have all mysterisly disappeared. Maybe someone came and bought them for a drama production or something. I was very virtuous and only bought three things totalling $1.40. A Calvin Klein suit pattern for $1 from Lifeline; a pattern making book from the 40's or 50's; and a nightgown pattern from the 70's.
| June 27, 2002: On Wednesday night I
was praying that God would have work finish early again (before
9:30pm...I was working afternoon shift at Corporate
Express) because I had a 7:30am job the next morning. I
ended up finishing my 8 hours at 10 and arrived home at
10:30pm. On the way home I realised that God was giving
me a challenge and as much as I was dredding it, I had to
overcome. I came in the door and told mum to make sure I
was up by 6:30am. She told me I actually had the day off
because the job had been moved back a day. This just goes
to show that God has bigger things in store for use than
we would ever imagine. I spent the day trouping around Brisbane, visiting shops that I had never been to before. After some setbacks when trying to locate some fabric stores, I decided to give up and move on to the op shops in another part of the city. It actually refreshed my memory as to why I don't like Brisbane: too many cars, too little parks. Argh, not my idea of a relexing time. Anyhoo, I went to Ipswich Road, Annerley where there is a whole block of thrift and secondhand stores. I walked away with a furry wrap and a cropped denim jacket, which is practically new. |
 This is the wrap folded in half. |
 This picture of me is so blurry and it doesn't even show you the bottom of the jacket. Sigh. |
I am starting up a op-shop review page, in line with my fabric store review page. Click here.
September 8, 2002: In the past two weeks, I have bought some lovely things at op shops. I have been visiting a few after school is out on Thursdays and Fridays. I bought a white cardigan, black wool knit dress and a DKNY pattern ($5.50 total) from the Lifeline Superstore in Ipswich; grey maryjanes ($5) from Endos in West Ipswich and a yellow mohair cowl top ($5) from Lifeline in Ipswich.
September 24, 2002: I had a rare day off during the week and since I had an errand to run in town, I thought I would check out some op shops (as you do). From Lifeline (Ipswich) I bought some jeans that actually fit ($A12), a pattern with the seal still intact, even though it is 15 years old ($1) and some roller skates ($15). I had some roller skates when I was younger and these look exactly the same. I then drove to Endos (West Ipswich) where I bought a vintage red wool jacket ($6). I like this jacket because it has folds instead of easing at the shoulder cap.
September 30, 2002: I checked out some op shops that I hadn't visited yet in Redbank Plains and Goodna. I ended up buying a pair of pantyhose with images of Marilyn Monroe up the leg (too small but I thought I could make them into stockings or socks) and a long denim dress (without buckles) from one store and a bunch of sewing magazines from the other. I only spent $7 in total, so it was a good day!
October 3, 2002: Today I introduced my friend Jane to the delights of Op-shopping! We had so much fun, visiting many stores in Brisbane. I bought a long denim dress (different from the one bought on Monday), some books and some sewing patterns.
November 1, 2002: A couple of Fridays ago I stopped in a Lifeline Ipswich and bought two patterns (one for a coat, one for some puppets), some blue bias binding and bag with some round bamboo handles that I wanted for my own bag that I plan to make. Yesterday I stopped in at Endos in Redbank and they had closed. So I was going to go to the one in West Ipswich but on my way there, I remembered one I hadn't been to that was closer to my house. At the Salvation Army family store in Bundamba, I bought a black short-sleeved wool knit top and a couple of metres of silver piping, to trim something in the future?
December 6, 2002: Yesterday I picked up a novel for Mum and a uncut pattern for a total of 70 cents at a store in Annerley. Today I stopped by the Lifeline Superstore and bought three books and a purse for a total of $4 (even though the purse alone was $4. then at Endos I bought a black dress ($8), black shoes ($4.50) and a lipstick case ($1).
January 15, 2003: I bought some denim capri pants for $5 from Lifeline Emporium and a near-new denium wrap skirt for $8 from Endos.
