Whew!!! That’s all I can begin by saying. What a whirlwind of a month and I enjoyed every moment of it. Last month I randomly chose thrift and consignment stores in the DC, MD and VA area. I wasn’t sure which stores I would visit and when. The idea was to get out, explore and give an honest critic from my unique point of view.
I am a sewist and designer. I have recently embarked upon refashioning and restyling as a way to enhance and breathe new life into a wardrobe therefore I typically look for pieces that need a little work. Not something I can just send to the dry-cleaners and wear next week. That would be nice but where is the challenge? My eye sees things that the average person doesn’t always see. I generally venture beyond “oh I could just put a hem in it or add a few darts” I take an item to the point of rip off the sleeve or take the skirt off a dress and replace it with something more fancy. Reusing a bodice was my mothers favorite fashion technique. No one was ever able to tell it was the same top. Soon I will post those pictures. At the time I didn’t appreciate it very much but as an adult and as a sewist I think my mother was BRILLIANT back in the day.
For the next few days I will blog about each of these stores and tell you why they did or why they didn’t meet my expectations. Each one receives a title and a rating. I also rate them on cleanliness, customer friendliness, quality of merchandise and location/accessibility.
I made a purchase and nearly every store. I can honestly say I was only disappointed one time. The store had a lot of potential but really didn’t do what it needed to get to the next level. Needless to say I didn’t buy anything and I get the feeling I won’t venture back there again.
Some of the stores I visited: Meeps, Plato’s Closet, It’s Vintage Darling, Mustard Seed, Mr. K’s Consignment, Polly Sue’s, Georgia Ave Thrift Store, Martha’s Table, Current Boutique, Black Eyed Susie (of course), Frugalista, Hope’s Treasures, Wagging Tails and I even threw in a few Goodwill stores I thought were pretty spectacular.
Well enjoy the reviews over the next couple days.
